UC sales surge in October

Those selling unified communications (UC) technology should be enjoying a good run to the end of the year as demand holds up across Europe.

The latest market analysis from Context, which gets data from distributors, indicates that a couple of UC product segments – collaboration display systems and headsets – are experiencing strong demand heading into the fourth quarter.

Context’s review of the market includes October, which the analyst house described as a standout month, with demand starting to pick up, particularly in consumer and retail channels, as Black Friday activity.

Last month saw demand for UC headsets being handled by distributors increase across Europe by 11% year on year. Within that broad category, collaboration headsets saw an improvement of 8% compared with the same time in 2024.

“October has been a pivotal month for the UC sector,” said Rémi Gaudin, business analyst at Context. “We saw strong momentum across displays, headsets and cameras, with several countries delivering standout performances. Black Friday preparation played a key role, especially in boosting headset revenues in Germany and Italy’s retail channels.”

Along with UC headsets, there were also signs that collaboration displays are doing well, particularly in Spain, where delayed projects came through and there was an end-of-life refresh in full swing.

“The surge in collaboration display systems isn’t down to a single catalyst,” said Gaudin. “It’s the result of education demand, warranty refreshes and stalled projects all coming back at once. This combination has put Spain at the top of the European UC growth rankings.”

There were also some challenging segments, however, with sales of conference solutions continuing a decline that has been a feature of the market for several months.

Germany remains the largest UC market across Europe, but there was a positive story in the UK, with the region returning to growth with a 7% increase, which Context described as an achievement “following a challenging year”.

France remained soft, with a decline in October, and Italy appeared to be slowing down, emphasising that the growth seen in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK was not being universally enjoyed.

“We’re seeing an increasingly dynamic UC landscape, where displays, headsets and cameras are benefiting from both structural and seasonal drivers,” said Gaudin. “With Black Friday activity feeding into Q4, we expect the sector to carry strong momentum into the end of the year.”

Earlier this week, a report from BT Business underlined the advantages of connecting staff. Its Future unlocked study indicated that workplace experience could be improved and days lost to absence reduced.

The headline assertion from the report was that using improved connected technology in the workplace could boost the productivity of businesses by the equivalent of nine days per employee, which would offset efficiency gains lost as a result of staff sickness.

“Unlocking productivity gains across the business community is one of the biggest challenges we face if we’re to deliver sustained economic growth nationwide. We live in an increasingly digital age, so only by embracing modern technologies such as AI [artificial intelligence] and the cloud, and enabling them with fast, secure and reliable connectivity, will we see a healthy productivity boost,” said Chris Sims, chief commercial officer at BT Business.

“Innovation and automation can empower teams to deliver their best work efficiently, which boosts retention and job satisfaction. By focusing on improving connectivity over the next five years, companies will not only supercharge productivity, but also take practical steps towards improving staff retention and customer experience,” he added.