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To: cool who wrote (6293)	6/8/1999 6:33:00 PM
From: cool	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10081

Notice the bit about Missing Middleware--Portico? Mixed Messages On Unified Messaging By Kathleen Cholewka May 20, 1999 2:21 PM ET Unified messaging, the all-in-one mailbox technology, is getting some play in corporate settings, but it still has more than a few obstacles to overcome before it can succeed in the mass market, industry watchers say. Several big-name network operators -- including Bell Canada, GTE, MCI WorldCom and Finland's Telia -- are scheduled to roll out some type of unified messaging service this year. But analysts say that unified messaging, which lets users access e-mail, faxes and voice-mail via one interface, is not going to change the world just yet. "This is going to be more of an evolution than a revolution," says Kevin Volpe, who tracks the unified messaging market at GartnerGroup (www.gartner.com). "Right now, the technology is in the early-adopter phase -- enterprises are taking it on first," says Dave Winikoff, group product manager for unified messaging at Siemens (www.icn.siemens.com). "But we expect we'll see more services in the next six months." One of the biggest challenges to getting unified messaging services off the ground is marketing the services to the masses. Vendors and analysts agree that unified messaging will not be all things to all people. "That idea that one size fits all is a death knell for this technology," says Larry Frank, vice president of market management for the service provider messaging group at Lucent Technologies (www.lucent.com). "If we treated unified messaging as a common application across the board, we'd miss the subtle differences that are occurring in the market." For example, while enterprise customers require enhanced features, such as distribution lists that can be used to broadcast messages to defined user groups, individuals need more basic services at a lower cost. A bigger pool of individual users also requires more security resources, because each individual account has to be equipped with the same level of security. Missing middleware According to analysts, the market will pick up when there is advanced middleware that can inexpensively integrate legacy e-mail, voice-mail and fax servers with new unified messaging systems. Without that middleware, integrating older systems into a unified messaging system is expensive and complicated. Unified messaging products also need mailbox management software to take advantage of data mining and voice recognition to set up criteria for handling incoming messages. "Until you can manage and respond to messages according to their sender address or the type of message, we're not going to see anything significant in the market," Volpe says. Cisco Systems (www.cisco.com) acquired software vendor Amteva early this month and is in a huddle with application vendors of all kinds to create an Internet Protocol unified messaging system. Lucent last month struck a deal with Compaq Computer (www.compaq.com) to codevelop applications for Lucent's Octel unified messaging platform. According to Winikoff, one service that will give users a taste of unified messaging is a universal notifier application, which alerts users via voice-mail when they receive e-mail. However, traveling workers who use cell phones as extensions of their offices -- and who analysts say will be the most likely users of unified messaging services -- need more management features, such as the ability to group specific messages together. Ultimately, network operators could use unified messaging services to retain customers who otherwise might take their business elsewhere. "If you're going to give out the fax number to your home office to 100 people, you're not going to change carriers so quickly," Winikoff says. But some analysts aren't convinced that's the case. "There hasn't been enough demand for the services yet, and even when there has been, people aren't always willing to pay for it," says Blair Pleasant, director of communications analysis at the Pelorus Group. What's more, industry experts don't know what business model will be the most successful. "There are a lot of channels for unified messaging services," Frank says. "They could be the outgrowth of your cell phone, your e-mail service or your voice-mail provider." These factors, including an unquantifiable return on investment, may affect how quickly some corporations deploy the technology. "It's difficult to cost justify unified messaging," Volpe says. "You look at the fact that it makes communications more convenient, but it's hard to put a dollar value on convenience."