Market research firm Infonetics Research released excerpts from its 4Q12 and year-end Enterprise Telepresence and Video Conferencing Equipment report, which tracks dedicated and PBX-based video conferencing and telepresence infrastructure and endpoints (desktop, immersive telepresence, videophones, multipurpose rooms, and software).
"After a rotten early 2012, the video conferencing market appears to be turning the corner. On the heels of double-digit growth the previous quarter, revenue was up again in the 4th quarter, keeping full year revenue essentially flat,” reports Matthias Machowinski, directing analyst for enterprise networks and video at Infonetics Research. “Helping the market stay afloat were sales of PBX-based video endpoints, which more than doubled in 2012. PBX-based video is proving popular because it offers organizations a cost-effective way to enjoy multimedia communication using infrastructure they already have.”
Machowinski adds, “We view 2012 as an aberration, and see long-term interest by enterprises to deploy video communications, helping the market to sustain a 6% CAGR through 2017.”
Globally, enterprise video conferencing and telepresence revenue grew 10% sequentially in 4Q12, to $822 million
In 2012, endpoint shipments rose 47%, driven by the growth of PBX-based video
Revenue for nearly all dedicated videoconferencing systems declined in 2012, with some segments falling off significantly; only multipoint control units (MCUs) held steady
Asia Pacific was the only region to notch positive revenue growth in 2012, up 11% over 2011
Cisco and Polycom continue to lead the dedicated videoconferencing equipment market
On a rollercoaster ride for the past 2 years, Infonetics expects the immersive telepresence segment to bounce back
Factors driving the future growth of enterprise video include advances in and proliferation of technology (e.g., high-definition video, bandwidth); demographic and communication trends; and specific use cases such as telelearning and telemedicine
