Unify Square-Osterman Study Shows Skype for Business Usage on Mobile Expected to Nearly Double by 2018

BELLEVUE, Wash., July 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Unify Square, the leading provider of software, consulting and 24x7 smart remote managed services for Skype for Business, today issued the results of its survey conducted in partnership with Osterman Research, which uncovered trends in the deployment of the Skype for Business mobile client as well as the state of mobile usage, adoption and satisfaction.  The key findings reveal that mobile use of Skype for Business is expected to nearly double by 2018. But while organizations view the mobile client as an essential component in their overall unified communications (UC) strategy, there are significant quality and service management issues that need to be resolved before IT departments can commit to enterprise-wide rollouts. The report also found that organizations are deploying Skype for Business mobile on a very limited basis to VIPs only, and are spending a disproportionate amount of time troubleshooting mobile issues. The full report and findings can be downloaded here.

"The true measure of success of Skype for Business is end user satisfaction. If organizations are limiting mobile deployment to just VIPs, their odds of ensuring ROI plummet," said Scott Gode, VP of Product Marketing at Unify Square. "The goal should be to make mobile a central part of the overall UC strategy for the entire enterprise. The more end-users feel empowered to use Skype for Business, the less they'll feel compelled to bypass for other chat applications."

The following key insights were identified by the survey:

• Most Organizations are Satisfied with Skype for Business Mobile Client – Nearly half of IT organizations are somewhat satisfied with the use of Skype for Business on mobile devices, while 16% are somewhat dissatisfied or very dissatisfied due to technical issues.
• Organizations are Playing it Safe with Smaller Rollouts – Skype for business is predominantly deployed on desktops and laptops, with two thirds of respondents saying these are the primary channels. Only 20% of respondents had already enabled Skype for Business on their mobile device, according to the survey. Furthermore, 16% percent of organizations are opting to rollout Skype for Business on mobile devices to just a small segment of their mobile workforce and/or an even smaller group of "VIP" users.
• IT is Bogged Down by a Wide Range of Inhibitors – For the organizations that have deployed Skype for Business mobile client, troubleshooting on mobile devices consumes nearly 30% of IT's total time spent troubleshooting the platform. This is excessive considering the mobile client is typically deployed to small groups. Respondents identified mobile battery life and the inability to see application sharing content on the mobile client as top inhibitors of adoption – both 28%. Closely following is the belief that functionality and feature set is sub-par to desktop (27%) and lack of time dedicated by IT to deploy and train end-users (24%).
• Key Mobile Features Going 'Unnoticed' – Organizations aren't utilizing the platform to the fullest extent. Surprisingly, the survey uncovered IT is unaware of a several mobile-oriented features, including Simul-ring (34%), call transfer (18%), and callback (18%).
• Lack of Tools & Telemetry from Microsoft Impact IT's Ability to Optimize Usage – When it comes to Skype for Business managing and monitoring for the mobile client, only 4% of organizations cited "very satisfied" with the telemetry and analytics information made available by Microsoft.
• ROI Hinges on Support Tools – A fairly small proportion of organizations that have deployed Skype for Business on mobile devices are shown to be realizing "significant" cost savings compared to their prior mobile use. In fact, organizations with greater use of Skype for Business mobile had more negative impact on Skype for Business ROI because of the platform's quality problems. Until Microsoft addresses the limitations of the Skype for Business mobile client by providing adequate tools and training, IT will continue with slower rollouts.
• Skype for Business Mobile Will Continue to Grow – Despite the challenges facing IT, mobile still remains a top priority. One in five survey respondents either agree or strongly agree that a robust and functional Skype for Business mobile client is essential to their organizations' overall UC strategy. For this reason, Skype for Business usage on mobile devices is expected to nearly double by 2018 – From 20% today to 39% in 2018.

"Adoption and early satisfaction of the Skype for Business mobile client found in our survey clearly indicate organizations want to make mobile a core building block of their UC strategy, but quality issues as well as availability of tools and data needed for troubleshooting are making IT shy away from enterprise-wide rollouts," said Michael D. Osterman, President of Osterman Research. "IT is wary of potential negative ROI, and is looking to Microsoft for the obvious mobile fixes at both the client and server side. Absent these changes they risk having their competition beat them to the punch."

The Unify Square-Osterman Mobile Survey was conducted with members of the Osterman Research survey panel via an online survey in Spring 2016. To qualify, participants had to be IT professionals in mid-size to large organizations that deployed Skype for Business or a version of Lync. For more information on Unify Square-Osterman Mobile Survey, click here.

About Unify Square
Unify Square's software, consulting, and smart remote managed services power the world's largest Microsoft Skype for Business deployments. Built on innovative technology, our solutions create actionable insights and help enterprises transform their unified communications infrastructure, delivering enterprise-grade service availability, data-driven end-user satisfaction, and double-digit ROI increases. Founded by Skype for Business product visionaries, Unify Square is a member of the Skype for Business Partner Advisory Council and one of Microsoft's global elite partners. Our software and services have delivered value to more than 5 million Skype for Business seats, in over 275 global enterprises across more than 50 countries, and in most major industry verticals. 

Headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, Unify Square also has offices in the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, India, Australia and Singapore.

Email us: [email protected] or visit the website: www.unifysquare.com

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