Clients are looking at their networks and trying to decide future direction and how to leverage their current investment for competitive advantage.
Here is an example of an enterprise client that is fairly common. They have a network with primarily Cisco gear, a desktop and application set that is Microsoft, and an installed base of Avaya/Nortel telephone systems. Therefore they have 3 possible solutions to leverage Voice over IP (VoIP) to support unified communications within the enterprise.
How will the CFO and CIO determine the best way forward? This situation positions 3 strong vendors and department managers within the organization to compete to be chosen as the best strategic solution. Often this decision will be influenced by how well a manager can position their preferred vendor and their solution. Politics and influence will play a part in the choice.
Another way to determine the way forward is a detailed analysis. This would determine the size of the project and financial investment. It would evaluate the positive impact of each possible solution. It would review how well each would work with the remaining infrastructure when implemented. It would determine cost of transition and impact to end user and management.
This may sound expensive. Compared with moving forward with either of the 3 solutions on their own, it is a tiny fraction of the final cost and will be easily covered by savings found during implementation. If handled without political positioning, the final ROI of the chosen solution will be enhanced by the cooperation and common direction among the three teams.