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12th Annual Well-Connected Awards: Network Infrastructure

Posted by Sean Doherty on April 24, 2006

		• Introduction • Security • Network & Systems Management • Enterprise Applications • Wireless • Messaging &Collaboration • Network Infrastructure • Application Infrastructure • Storage and Servers

When we think about network infrastructure, switches and routers leap to mind--and leave just as quickly. But this year, convergence supplied the combustion to make infrastructure a hot topic, and brought communications equipment sales close to the $100 billion mark. IP PBX switches are taking on a central role in enterprise voice-communication upgrades, with CTI (computer telephone integration) and voice-processing equipment along for the ride.

Revenue from enterprise communications equipment rose to $98.3 billion in 2005, a 6.9 percent increase over 2004 revenue, according to the Telecommunications Industry Association. A growing chunk of that revenue came from sales of IP PBXs, which increased 22 percent in 2005. Furthermore, the installed base for key systems and Centrex are bound to decrease as businesses look toward the alternative, hosted IP PBX.

Our Well-Connected Awards for small office telephony solutions and hosted IP PBX services become more relevant as these businesses move toward a converged IP network. Both Nortel Networks and 8x8 stood above the crowd and can easily fuel the evolution from digital voice to IP telephony.

The Big Picture