UC and IP PBX will take generation for 'real changes'

It may take a generation for unified communications (UC) such as IP PBX to really make a difference to how people work, according to new research.

However, the study by In-Stat did find that smaller changes could happen more quickly, with personal habits like text messaging and social networking being adopted at work.

The company also claims that many of the predictions about UC uptake, some of which claim 50 per cent of enterprises are either evaluating, installing or already running UC applications, could prove accurate because definitions of UC are so wide-ranging, including both instant messaging and IP PBX.

"Real transformational changes will take more time, perhaps even a generation, to accomplish," says David Lemelin, an analyst at the company.

"But it's possible that a new generation, dubbed 'Millennials', bringing to the workplace communications habits formed in their early years, portends more rapid adoption."

A survey in June by Interactive Intelligence found that 87 per cent of businesses were planning on investing in UC, with VoIP and SIP driving the move.