PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 24, 2006 -- E-mail and instant messaging (IM) solutions have been maturing independently, but are now experiencing integration with other communications applications. While in the near and medium term e-mail and IM will continue to experience growth as standalone applications, eventually, they will become inextricable parts of unified communications solutions.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.enterprisecommunications.frost.com ), North American Enterprise E- mail and Instant Messaging Solution Markets, reveals that revenues in this industry totaled $1.10 billion in 2005 and estimate to reach $2.70 billion in 2012.

If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end users and other industry participants an overview of the latest analysis of the North American enterprise e-mail and instant messaging solution markets, then send an e-mail to Mireya Castilla, Corporate Communications, at mireya.castilla@frost.com with your full name, company name, title, telephone number, city, state, country and e-mail. Upon receipt of the above information, an overview will be sent to you by e-mail.

"IM, which was largely seen as a standalone consumer application, has now emerged as a front-end technology for file sharing, initiating voice and video conferences, and a medium for file and application sharing in enterprises," explains Frost & Sullivan Industry Analyst Krithi Rao. "Furthermore, the rising demand for real-time enterprise-level communications is driving enterprise IM adoption."

These markets are poised for a breakthrough as presence information further enhances the value of messaging solutions and drives the integration of disparate applications into unified communications solutions. The IM solutions market is due for a boom, as increasingly advanced and comprehensive presence solutions begin to quench enterprise and end-user communication needs. While the next seven years will prove to be a period of continued but limited growth for the mature e-mail market, the IM solutions market will grow exponentially, potentially quadrupling its revenues by 2012.

The greatest challenge slowing the widespread use of IM technologies is a growing market share imbalance between major participants and smaller companies. Other challenges facing this sector include IM security (SPIM: Spam over IM), adapting to new legal regulations, and a lack of interoperability among various products and protocols.

"The on-line text messaging solution market is dominated by a few major participants, which negatively impacts the growth potential for smaller companies with limited brand recognition," explains Rao. "The increase in Spam and security-related incidents has encouraged messaging solution vendors to invest their resources in preventive measures."

In order to overcome some of these issues, participants will need to coordinate strategies. For example, e-mail and IM vendors will need to develop partnerships with companies that specialize in communications security. Furthermore, each vendor will need to consider options for developing unified communications solutions or integrating with other vendors' products in order to deliver end-to-end solutions to business customers.

North American Enterprise E-mail and Instant Messaging Solution Markets is part of the Enterprise Communications subscription and it evaluates the various factors that impact growth of the e-mail and IM markets in North America. This study provides a thorough discussion of the key participants in this competitive space and examines the main market, technological and competitive trends, as well as the key market drivers and restraints for these markets. Interviews with the press are available.

Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company's industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services, and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost & Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the investment community by providing comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics. For more information, visit http://www.frost.com .