BIG GUYS GIVE UNIFIED MESSAGING THE 'YES' VOTE

With recent launches of the service by Sprint PCS and Verizon, things finally may be coming together for unified messaging.

While everyone with a telephone, PC and cell phone (and any number of other communications devices) understands the need for a simple way to integrate messages from multiple devices and from wireline and wireless networks, unified messaging has been a rather slow starter. But interest in unified messaging is picking up now that large service providers, like Verizon, are under pressure to bring to market new high-margin enhanced services to help drive new revenue and balance the dollars they are losing as wireline voice demand continues to sink.

"This is the first time a major player is getting into unified communications," says Will Stofega, a research analyst with IDC, commenting on Verizon Unified Communications which is available in Washington, D.C., Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland. "This isn't just a market test; this is the real deal."

Stofega says voicemail, while it's a cash cow for the Bell companies, has price restrictions on it. He adds that unified communications doesn't, so can be priced at a premium. "And the Bells want to tap into the lucrative small- and medium-business market. This is one way to do it."

The Yankee Group forecasts that between 2001 and 2006 unified messaging software subscriber license and integration revenue will rise from $345 million to $1.3 billion.

In announcing the service Verizon's director of Retail Messaging Solutions Richard McCusker said, "Verizon Unified Communications fits the needs of any small business or consumer who is flooded with messages from every direction."

While wireless continues to experience terrific growth, the unified messaging opportunity hasn't been lost on providers in that space. In fact, unified messaging seems to synch perfectly with the "anywhere, anytime" idea of mobile communications.

But rather than targeting small and medium business customers as Verizon seems to be doing with its offer, Sprint PCS is focused on large enterprise customers with its Integrated Office service, announced in January.

Sprint PCS Integrated Office offers abbreviated dialing, which enables employees to use the same abbreviated dialing patterns on their Sprint PCS phones that they use on their office phones. A single voicemail provides users access to all messages from one voicemail box (customers will receive a message indicator on their Sprint PCS phone when a message is left and be able to use the same commands for their voicemail that they would use at their desk phone). A single number feature forwards calls made to subscribers' desk phones to their Sprint PCS phones, regardless of where they are on Sprint's nationwide PCS network. Subscribers can set their own parameters regarding which calls are routed from their desk phones to their Sprint PCS phones, and which ones go directly to voicemail. Calls can be filtered by time of day, day of week and phone number using web-based management tools. Group call controls mean employers can place limits on inbound and outbound calls on an employee's wireless phone. And the employee and employer can enter and alter these call control features anytime via a web interface.

Sprint PCS Integrated Office is available in two packages. The standard package includes abbreviated dialing, single voicemail and the web-based management tool at $4 per month, per employee. The expanded package includes the standard features plus single number, as well as personal and group call controls for $8 per month, per employee.

With Verizon Unified Communications, provided by Holmdel, N.J.-based uReach Technologies Inc. subscribers get a single message box accessible from anywhere that provides access to voice mail, e-mail, faxes and files. The message box can be accessed from any phone, web browser or wireless web-enabled device.

The Verizon service also provides a personal universal phone number for outsiders to leave and users to check voicemail, e-mail and fax messages. Subscribers can choose when and where they can be reached using a feature that forwards calls using a "find me/follow-me" function. The service also gives subscribers access to messages via web-based file storage and a speech interface is available.

The local number packages are $9.95 a month including 30 minutes of outbound calling time; $15.95 with 100 minutes; and $22.95 with 200 minutes. Toll-free number packages sell for $12.95 a month and include 30 minutes of inbound and outbound calling time; $18.95 with 100 minutes; and $25.95 with 200 minutes. Additional minutes are billed at a per-minute rate of nine cents for local service and 10 cents for toll-free calls.

"Now, vs. a few years back, we see major players using unified communications because it's important that they have a return on investment," says Erik Laurence, vice president of marketing and business development for CosmoCom Inc., which provides platforms for delivering unified messaging and other applications to service providers and large-scale corporate users.

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