Did Microsoft Pick the Wrong Unified Communications Partner?

As Nortel Networks continues to struggle, The VAR Guy is starting to wonder: Did Microsoft bet on the wrong unified communications partner? Sure, Microsoft works with multiple networking companies — including Cisco Systems. But the software giant’s most strategic unified communications partner is Nortel — a company facing yet another fiscal crisis.
So, word has leaked that the New York Mets’ new stadium, Citi Field, will use
Most folks are casually covering Nortel Networks’ acquisition of Pingtel, which specializes in open source VoIP and unified communications solutions. But there’s a bigger story here — much bigger, folks — that most observers have overlooked.
On the eve of Microsoft’s major partner summit in Houston, TechTarget is speculating that Microsoft may one day want to acquire Nortel Networks. Hogwash. The VAR Guy knows at least four reasons why such a deal will never happen.
About a year ago, Cisco CEO John Chambers predicted his company’s competitive landscape would shift from networking firms to software and Web 2.0 companies. Apparently, Chambers was right: Recent financial results from numerous networking companies suggest many of Cisco’s old rivals are falling off a cliff. Here’s a look behind the numbers.


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