CDW Poll of IT Executives Finds Active Planning and Progress on Unified Communications Solutions, Despite Sluggish Economy.

Seventy Percent of Organizations Planning or Implementing Unified Communications Expect to Complete Adoption Within Two Years; Market is Moving Toward a Single Definition

VERNON HILLS, Ill. -- CDW Corporation, a leading provider of technology products and services to business, government and education, today announced the results of its first Unified Communications Tracking Poll, based on a survey of 766 IT professionals who work on unified communications (UC) or component technologies in business, government, higher education and healthcare. While the survey found that only 6 percent of organizations report their UC deployments are complete, it also uncovered gathering momentum for UC adoption, with 20 percent of organizations actively implementing UC and 33 percent actively planning for implementation. Seventy percent of organizations currently in the UC planning and implementation phases expect to complete their adoption within two years, despite the weak economy.

"Unified communications promises so many benefits that many organizations are eager to find a solution as quickly as possible," said Ken Grimsley, vice president of strategic sales at CDW. "Forty-one percent of responders said they are assessing their opportunity for UC - a wise first step because successful implementation depends on a well-conceived migration plan. The best solution addresses the readiness of the organization's network and includes the organization's applications that will benefit most from integration with UC."

The very definition of UC, which historically has been as diverse as the organizations and technologies it encompasses, also appears to be converging toward a result-oriented definition such as that offered by technology research firm Gartner, Inc. Sixty percent of CDW survey respondents said Gartner's definition most closely fits their understanding of UC: "A direct result of the convergence of communications and applications through the integration of products that facilitate the use of multiple enterprise communication methods, including equipment, software and services."

UC offers many benefits that positively affect the organizational bottom line. Sixty-one percent of respondents identified increased productivity and 56 percent identified operating cost reductions as the most important benefits. Other benefits cited included more reliable communication (48 percent), improved cross-functional communication (44 percent) and more effective use of remote or mobile workers (41 percent). One healthcare IT executive commented, "Unified communications is one of the biggest 'wins' IT has recently delivered."

Among the many possible approaches to UC, CDW's tracking poll found rich media conferencing strategies are emerging as a dominant approach, with 39 percent of respondents reporting their organizations are choosing that approach over telephony-centric approaches (32 percent), e-mail-centric (18 percent) and instant messaging and presence approaches (11 percent).

Because UC adoptions usually embrace entire organizations, the planning is intricate and the challenges can be many. The most common concerns among organizations planning for UC implementation are network security (45 percent of responders), equipment and capital costs (44 percent) and operating costs (42 percent). However, CDW's tracking poll shows that, with careful planning, many of those apprehensions ease once implementation begins: Organizations that have completed or begun their implementations report substantially lower levels of concern with those same issues (27 percent, 28 percent and 31 percent, respectively).

The CDW Unified Communications Tracking Poll also includes findings specific to each of the five industries surveyed. For example:

* Medium-large businesses are most likely to have developed a business case or strategic plan for the adoption of UC (67 percent vs. 52 percent of respondents from other surveyed industries) and are most likely to consider UC very important to the reduction of business travel (46 percent vs. 30 percent), a common cost-cutting strategy in tight economic times

* Federal government organizations are most likely to consider the continuity of operations benefit of UC to be very important (43 percent vs. 27 percent of respondents from other surveyed industries)

* State and local government organizations are most likely to select an e-mail-centric approach to UC (27 percent vs. 17 percent of respondents from other surveyed industries)

* Healthcare organizations are most likely to select a telephony-centric approach to UC (38 percent vs. 29 percent of respondents from other surveyed industries)

* Larger higher education institutions with 8,000 students or more (49%) are more likely than smaller institutions (31%) to have developed a business case or strategic plan for the adoption of UC

"Whichever approach an organization chooses for unified communications, there clearly is not a one-size-fits-all solution. UC adoption requires a team with diverse communications, hardware and services expertise," concluded CDW's Grimsley. "As the results of the CDW tracking poll illustrate, the attractions and payoffs are very real, provided the implementation is well planned and compatible with the network environment."

This survey, the first wave of CDW's 2009 Unified Communications Tracking Poll, was conducted during November 2008. Responses were collected from 766 IT professionals who identified themselves as both familiar with unified communications and actively involved with related technologies. The sample includes at least 150 individuals from each of five segments: medium/large businesses, the Federal government, state and local governments, higher education and healthcare. The margin of error for the total sample is O3.5 percent at a 95 percent confidence level. The margin of error for each industry sample is O8.0 percent at a 95 percent confidence level. The January 2009 report is the first of several CDW will execute over the coming year to assess IT decision makers' attitudes and progress towards the adoption of unified communications technology.

For a copy of the complete CDW 2009 Unified Communications Tracking Poll, Wave 1, please visit http://www.cdw.com/uctrackingpoll.

About CDW

CDW is a leading provider of technology solutions for business, government and education. Ranked No. 34 on Forbes' list of America's Largest Private Companies, CDW features dedicated account managers who help customers choose the right technology products and services to meet their needs. The company's technology specialists offer expertise in designing customized solutions, while its advanced technology engineers can assist customers with the implementation and long-term management of those solutions. Areas of focus include notebooks, desktops, printers, servers and storage, unified communications, security, wireless, power and cooling, networking, software licensing and mobility solutions.

CDW was founded in 1984 and as of September 30, 2008 employed approximately 6,900 coworkers. In 2007, the company generated sales of $8.1 billion. For more information, visit CDW.com.