Manage the Telecom Lifecycle to Prepare for Cloud Computing, Virtualization, Unified Communications and Mobility

BOSTON, MA--(Marketwire - February 9, 2010) - Enterprise communications and networking have become increasingly complicated with accelerated demand for cloud computing, virtualization, mobility, and unified communications. To understand how companies have managed their IT departments to prepare for these challenges, Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS) has just released a new report entitled "Recovering with Telecom Lifecycle Management: Transforming Communications for Top-Line Growth in 2010."

This research explored the telecom lifecycle management strategies of over 750 organizations throughout 2009. Telecom lifecycle management is defined as the cradle-to-grave management of network and telecom infrastructure starting with strategic planning and business alignment to the eventual disconnection, replacement, and recycling of used assets and services.

The top 20% of respondents to this study were able to reduce costs by 16%, meet 87% of their service level agreements, and provide advanced communications capabilities to 45% of their organization. In short, they reduced costs, achieved superior support, and had greater propagation of advanced technologies such as video, unified communications, and mobility compared to their counterparts. Companies that defined best practices were also twice as likely as lower performing firms to focus on communications deployments that supported top-line revenue growth, rather than focus specifically on cost reduction.

"As companies make strategic investments in their computing and communications infrastructure, they must make sure that they can actually manage the technologies deployed," said Hyoun Park, research analyst, Aberdeen Group. "If organizations don't know what they have now and how they are using their communications assets and services, they have no chance of fully utilizing new technologies to get the value and productivity that they expect."

Top-achieving companies adopted a number of capabilities and technologies that prepared them for new communications investments, including complete archived records of communications usage, visibility to asset depreciation and disputed services, and adoption of a consolidated telecom expense management solution that provided a complete view to telecom and network spend and inventory. By showing how organizations successfully integrated telecom lifecycle management into their IT and operational departments, this report will show the enterprise how telecom and network departments must prepare for future communications deployments.

A complimentary copy of this report is made available due in part by the following underwriters: AnchorPoint, a division of MTS and Tangoe. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=6013

Visit Research.Aberdeen.com for additional access to complimentary Information Technology Research.

About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company

Aberdeen provides fact-based research and market intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having queried more than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets, corporations turn to Aberdeen for insights that drive decisions.

As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement - Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit Aberdeen or call (617) 854-5200, or to learn more about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748.

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