Strategy Analytics (News - Alert) reported that Vodafone has now graduated from being a pure-play mobile provider to being an all-encompassing converged and unified communications company. This shift is reflected in Vodafone’s (News - Alert) interest in total communications, according to the Strategy Analytics Wireless Enterprise Strategies report, “Vodafone Targets SMEs With Hosted Converged Services.”

 

One-third of group profits for Vodafone already come from the business market. Its business accounts have escalated from 270 last year to 570 in 2009. With its hosted IP Centrex solution offering converged and unified communications and services called One Net, Vodafone plans to cater to the underserved communications market for SMEs.

 

Earlier this month, TMCnet reported that Vodafone and Decho will jointly develop a range of cloud-based services for both business customers and consumers.

 

“The SME communications market is fragmented and underserved,” Andrew Brown, Strategy Analytics Director of Wireless Enterprise Strategies and co-author of the report, said. “Vodafone is not only in great position to expand into fixed voice and data services, it is also ready to offer a complete suite of hosted services to small and medium sized companies.”

 

“The actual adoption of One Net and other unified communications services for business may be slower than Vodafone would like, but the key point is that a radical change has started,” Richard Guppy, co-author of this report, said. ”Other mobile and converged operators will need to respond rapidly with competitive offers.”