Cisco, Microsoft Rivalry Becomes Prominent

Now that Microsoft's unified communications portfolio has launched, and Microsoft "proving" that some parts of that portfolio is better than Cisco's, Cisco partners report that their sales cycles are getting longer as customers stop to consider the impact.

Microsoft's entrance into the space "is putting some fear and doubt into customers. CIOs are asking their staffs to at least think about it," said an executive at one large Cisco partner, who asked not to be identified. "It is lengthening the sales cycle a bit in some cases."

Joe Burton, Cisco's CTO of unified communications, said the vendor is giving channel partners the materials they need to answer questions about Microsoft but downplayed the impact Redmond's VoIP debut is having on the sales process.

Read more at Channel Wire Blog..

Tags: VoIP business, Cisco, Microsoft, unified communications, VoIP