Gartner has released its seventh annual Gartner Magic Quadrant for Unified Communications. The grid to the right measures ability to execute on the Y axis and completeness of vision on the X. Avaya, Cisco and Microsoft are seen by Gartner as leading in both and therefore end up in the leaders category or quadrant.

Three companies were ranked as challengers, meaning that they lead in execution but may lag behind some vendors in completeness of vision. Three companies were ranked as visionaries, having established leads in vision but may have lacked execution. The balances of companies were ranked as niche players. Often limiting factors were non-technological, such as a lack of ‘boots on the round’ where some vendors simply have underdeveloped distribution, lacking service and sales presence where customers might have locations. In other cases, it’s a matter of Gartner critiquing vendors for not having a product line to match all market segments or verticals.

The report tracked fourteen vendors, and none were added to take the place of Nortel, reflecting that the industry seems not to be attracting new entrants.

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