IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced a major new initiative for the unified communications market including a wide range of  investments, product and technology advances and collaboration with leading clients and business partners. Expanding at 38 percent annually, IDC estimates unified communications will reach $17 billion by 2011, representing the next significant frontier for technology growth.

IBM’s software and services offerings make it easy and intuitive for users to enjoy the benefits of unified communications and collaboration capabilities.  IBM’s goal is to make it easy for people to find, reach and collaborate with others through a unified user experience. 

In the next year, the proliferation of IBM software and services enabling anytime, anywhere productivity will expand across devices from desktops and laptops to a range of devices from the likes of RIM, Apple, Sprint-Nextel and Symbian and across major platforms including Mac, Windows and Linux.  Soon, the capabilities of the office will be available to users regardless of their device or location.

IBM's strategy combines unified communications -- the convergence of information technology and telecommunications -- with collaboration to enable a wide range of innovations that can change the way people work together.  IBM sees a future in which sweeping changes will reshape the way businesses communicate and collaborate worldwide across the private and public sectors.  

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