Selling UC to the SME segment presents new challenges and opportunities for resellers. The big issue for smaller firms is finding a good reason to invest in a UC solutions, believes Tony Corlett, Product Development Director at Azzurri Communications. In a panel debate at Comms Solutions 08 he said: "The challenge for smaller companies is that they don't need the scale of solutions making it harder to prove RoI."

But there is another side to the coin, says Mark Swensden, MD for EMEA at ShoreTel, who sees strong demand in the lower reaches of the market for UC solutions that promote agility and help to create a professional company image. "Small companies are more able to take advantage of UC applications to compete against larger firms. It helps them to move faster. These are the companies that need to take advantage of UC."