Mike Gotta, analyst for the Burton Group, said the Nortel partnership reflected how Microsoft is moving beyond technology with partnerships that add integration services, consulting, and sales and marketing.
"(The business of unified communications) is not just software connected to software, or software connected to hardware, it's an actual business model or ecosystem," Gotta said.
Microsoft, which also has a partnership with Nortel rival Siemens Communications Inc., is expected to be "opportunistic" in its alliances, working with any company that helps it become a player in communications.
"Microsoft is in a position where it can spin multiple plates," Gotta said. "Some of these deals will work out, and some of them won't."
The Nortel alliance is also expected to place pressure on a rival partnership between IBM and Cisco Systems Inc. Those companies are expected to increase their collaboration in order to compete.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
