Service providers in the enterprise market are faced with an expanding demand for network solutions, driven by the changing communications habits of the workforce. Ensuring that operators seize these opportunities is the new focus behind Ericsson’s shift away from its role as a supplier of customer premises equipment.

Gunnar Reinholdsen, head of Enterprise Applications, says after Ericsson’s divestment of enterprise PBX solutions business to Aastra Technologies they are now focusing to help operators grow their revenues.

“And small to medium businesses lower their costs by having the operator host their communications network and provide communications solutions,” he says.

The Ericsson Enterprise Applications offering to operators includes Virtual Private Network (VPN) and Centrex solutions. In addition, Ericsson is preparing for the launch of new products in the area of Mobile Unified Communications.

The new focus also builds on the emergence of technologies that enable unified communications. “With IP technology and IMS-based services, operators can much better today fulfill the needs of enterprises,” Reinholdsen says.

Hosted services are gaining ground among enterprises that want to outsource and focus on their core business and cut costs for non-core activities. Operators can leverage their existing infrastructure and network investment to provide bundled services that meet these needs.

The changes in enterprise communications are driven by, among other things, fixed-mobile and voice-data convergence, the increased number of mobile employees, outsourcing and hosting, and the consumerization of IT, that is, innovation driven by the consumer market.

Mostly, the changing face of communications – both business and private – is driven by the user.
 
“A growing number of individuals have a more advanced IT environment and more sophisticated devices at home than what are provided at work. They demand the same functionality wherever they are,” Reinholdsen says.