So Microsoft duly launched its unified communications onslaught Tuesday and the blogosphere is all abuzz now that Microsoft is butting heads with Cisco (and a host of PBX and other UC vendors).
The blogosphere is interested in the Cisco vs. Microsoft angle because Cisco is spending a lot of energy (and cash for acquisitions) beefing up its unified communications story. A peek behind all the stories (e.g., here and here) reveals the strengths and weaknesses of Microsoft and Cisco’s unified communications strategies, as one emerges from the software side, while the other from the networking side. Which vendor is the right one for organizations looking to implement unified communications – only you, dear reader, can tell us.
Here are the strengths and weaknesses of Microsoft and Cisco:
CISCO | MICROSOFT |
| Cisco has years of experience with IP and networking and sees unified communications as an extension of that. | Microsoft says communications is now based on software – its expertise – not hardware. |
| Cisco lacks the 20-plus years of software development experience that Microsoft boasts. | Microsoft faces the challenge of providing voice communications, something with which it is unfamiliar. |
| Cisco has expanded into software, with purchases of collaborative software vendors, including WebEx. | Microsoft’s unified communications keyword is partnership, partnering with business communications experts – including Cisco. |
| Cisco works with partners in unified communications for services such as e-mail, but some analysts reckon could eventually offer its own such software. | Customers won’t trust Microsoft with their voice needs and will take Microsoft two to three years to prove its mettle here. |
Did we miss something?
Go to Cisco Subnet for more Cisco news, blogs, discussion forums, security alerts, book giveaways, and more.
Recent Cisconet blog entries
Subscribe to Network World’s Cisco News Alert, which includes a weekly digest of all Cisco Subnet items
