* Getronics to deliver IP-based unified communications to Ford
Last week, Getronics, a company that specializes in IT workspace management services, announced it had won a contract with Ford for IP-based unified communications and collaboration. Under the terms of the contract Getronics will “install, deploy, and manage a voicemail, audio conferencing, and Web collaboration solution to 42,000 Ford employees in the U.S.” according to the Getronics prepared statement.
Cisco is also a winner in the bid because Ford will use the Cisco Unified Communications solution suite. Beginning in September, 2004 Ford had already deployed a Cisco-based VoIP solution to some 50,000 users with installation, management, and monitoring services provided by SBC (now AT&T).
Getronics is no stranger to Ford; the company has provided the automaker with workspace management services to more than 29,000 desktops in Europe, along with other services to the company in Asia Pacific and the Americas.
Our analysis: Ford’s evolution to IP-based unified communications and collaboration is typical of many enterprises, albeit on a larger scale. Most enterprises consider VoIP as the first step to integrating workplace applications over a converged platform — with greater savings in employee productivity realized when both VoIP and collaborative tools are deployed. As one of the first large-scale VoIP devotees, Ford has taken the next natural step.
On a separate note, last week Vonage announced that its CEO, Michael Snyder, was stepping down, effective immediately. He will be temporarily replaced by Jeff Citron, the company’s chairman. Vonage also announced a restructuring plan to reduce corporate spending. Vonage is under a legal cloud over a patent infringement case – pending an appeals court decision that will determine if the company can continue signing up new customers. For now, the appeals court is allowing Vonage to add customers until a final decision can be reached; Vonage expects the appeals process to take more than a year.
