Enterprise PBX phone system market down 2.6 p.c

MASSACHUSETTS, USA: The PBX market is down slightly on a global basis in 2Q12, both sequentially and year-over-year, and enterprises generally remain cautious with their spending on telephony equipment, finds research firm Infonetics Research.

In 2Q12, the enterprise PBX phone system market (TDM, hybrid, and pure IP PBXs) totaled $2.0 billion, down 2.6 per cent from the previous quarter and down 1.4 per cent from the year-ago second quarter

"However, sales of PBX systems in North America are up five per cent from the previous quarter and up 6.4 per cent from the year-ago second quarter, and Latin America continues to be a small beacon of light as economies in the region experience growth and new business creation," notes Diane Myers, principal analyst for VoIP and IMS at Infonetics Research.

Cisco expanded its lead in the global PBX/KTS system market in 2Q12, with just over a quarter of global revenue. Noteworthy vendors posting growth in the down quarter include Microsoft, Samsung, ShoreTel, and Mitel, all with double-digit sequential growth.

"While we still expect 2012 to eke out some growth compared to 2011, we have lowered our forecast slightly due to continued weakness in Europe, where many businesses continue to push off spending in an area where existing telephony solutions still get the job done," Myers adds.

Enterprise telephony market segments showing growth on a year-over-year basis in 2Q12 include pure IP PBXs, unified communication applications, and IP phones. On a quarter-over-quarter basis, VoIP gateway revenue is up 14.7 per cent.