Unified Communication And Business Headsets Market Size, Share, & Trends Analysis Report By Product, Type, Price, Distribution Channel, End Use, And Segment Forecasts, 2019 - 2025

Report Overview

The global Unified Communication (UC) and business headsets market was valued at USD 1,960.0 million in 2018 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.0% from 2019 to 2025. The increasing demand for mobility and portability has led to a surge in the adoption of UC-enabled devices that allow multitasking and offer convenience.

The unified communication technology offers several advantages to customers owing to its ability to simultaneously establishing connections with multiple devices at different locations. Call centers are largely opting for UC and business headsets owing to benefits such as increased productivity levels of employees and efficient communication with clients.

Currently, the demand for unified communications is high and is projected to increase over the forecast period. Customers are gaining substantial benefits of using smart devices, which include various services such as emails, instant messaging, webinars, and desktop sharing on a single platform.

Furthermore, unified communication is used for business applications owing to the increased demand for telecommuting. UC-enabled headsets support the use of personal devices such as tablets, laptops, and smartphones. The headsets enable all employees to opt for work from home to conveniently attend calls, video conferences, and meetings with clients without external disturbances.

Employers are opting for cost-cutting strategies and seeking a reduction in the need for office space by adopting work from home and BYOD policies. These policies are encouraging employees to opt for devices that eliminate external disturbances for effective communication over calls and improved efficiency while performing office-related tasks.

Product Insights

On the basis of product, the market is segmented into earphones and headphones. The headphones segment dominated the market in 2018 and was valued at USD 1,345.9 million. The growing preference for advanced forms of communication and collaborations, wherein employees are able to work from public spaces such as airport gate areas, hotel lounges, and open offices is expected to drive the growth of the headphones segment. The development of the audio technology and growing preference for noise-cancellation & wireless connectivity are encouraging manufacturers to develop and launch new products in the UC and business headsets market.

Furthermore, growing technological advancements such as the introduction of nano-chip technology in the development of headphones are enabling manufacturers to reduce the size of headphones and manufacture headphones that perfectly fit the human ear. For instance, in October 2018, GN Store Nord A/S launched a lightweight professional digital corded headphone named Engage 50. The headphone was designed for softphone environments and was compatible with on-premises and cloud-based softphone platforms.

Type Insights

On the basis of type, the market is segmented into wired and wireless. The wireless segment is further segmented into Bluetooth, NFC, Wi-Fi, and others. The wireless headsets segment is estimated to emerge as the fastest-growing segment owing to benefits such as ease of use offered by these headphones. Headsets used for office purposes are lightweight and enabled with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connection, which allow employees to use headsets while away from office premises.

Wireless headsets include the active noise cancellation feature, which is beneficial for employees serving at offices, where they are surrounded by colleagues indulged in the same activity. Currently, the demand for wired headsets is high, in terms of volume, owing to the availability of low-cost range of headphones. The segment held the largest market share in 2018 owing to the simple plug & play application and affordability of these headsets.

Price Insights

On the basis of price, the market is segmented into <50 USD, 50 to 100 USD, and >100 USD. The 50 to 100 USD segment dominated the market in 2018 and was valued at USD 992.0 million. Consumers are preferring mid-range audio devices, primarily owing to benefits such as comfortable wearing style and high fidelity. This is further driving the demand for UC and business headphones that are priced between 50 to 100 USD.

Furthermore, the market players are developing and launching wireless headsets with advanced features, such as noise-canceling and battery backup of up to 20 hours, at competitive prices in the market. This is prompting the key players in the market to focus on developing innovative and next-generation business headphones in order to stay competitive. For instance, in October 2018, Plantronics, Inc. launched the SAVI 8200 Series of wireless headphones for professional users at a price of >100 USD. The SAVI 8200 Series included products integrated with active noise canceling feature and a wireless range of up to 590 feet.

Distribution Channel Insights

On the basis of distribution channel, the market is segmented into exclusive showrooms, online sales channel, and others. Exclusive showrooms offer in-store listening stations to test the sound quality of different types of headphones. This enables buyers to choose the most suitable headphones, as per their requirements.

The online sales channel segment is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR owing to its vast distribution network worldwide, which allows headset manufacturers to sell their products in the global market. Furthermore, online sales channels are offering various price discounts, which help attract large numbers of consumers to buy headsets through online sales channels. For instance, GN Store Nord A/S offers Jabra Evolve 80 headsets through online sales channels such as Amazon.com, Inc. with a 30% discount in the U.S. on the original manufacturing price.

End-Use Insights

On the basis of end-use, the market is segmented into contact center and business enterprises. Players across various industry verticals such as telecommunication, Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI), travel, healthcare, and consumer goods & retail, among others to provide customer-centric services, resulting demand for contact centers for customer interaction. This is expected to drive the demand for contact center segment over the forecast period.

The manufacturers are developing headphones with noise canceling technology owing to the increasing demand for UC and business headphones with features such as noise reduction, comfort, and reliability. The demand for such headphones is expected to be high in contact centers. Plantronics’s EncorePro 500 series is designed for contact centers and provides comfort for all-day wearing. It also includes the noise canceling feature for clearer calls. Additionally, manufacturers are focusing on developing UC and business headsets that provide comfort to users in terms of feel and provide better customer interaction. This is further expected to drive the growth of the contact center segment over the forecast period.

Regional Insights

The North American region dominated the market in 2018 and was valued at USD 635.5 million. This can be attributed to the change in mindset and a shift in the traditional pattern of using desk phones to headphones. Presence of several key players coupled with the growing popularity of BYOD solutions are further expected to drive market growth. This has resulted in large-scale adoption of headphones across the region.

The introduction of favorable government policies and mandates is aiding the establishment of manufacturing plants in the Asia Pacific region. Several emerging economies, mainly China and India, are focusing on the development of infrastructure to boost several businesses and develop their economic position in the global marketplace. The Indian government is encouraging small & medium enterprises to adopt the latest technologies that help boost output and generate profits.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The key players in the market include Audio-Technica Corporation, Bose Corporation, Dell Technologies Inc., GN Store Nord A/S, HP Development Company, L.P, Koss Corporation, Logitech, Microsoft Corporation, Plantronics, Inc., and Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co. KG.

The companies are focusing on developing headsets with innovative technology for their end-users. For instance, in March 2019, HP Development Company, L.P. introduced a Virtual Reality (VR) headset named HP Reverb Virtual Reality Headset - Professional Edition. The headset featured better resolution, Head-Mounted Display (HMD), and a notable 2160 x 2160 panel per-eye resolution.

The key players in the industry are focusing on organic and inorganic growth strategies to maintain their market position. For instance, in 2016, GN Store Nord A/S completed several acquisitions of companies such as Audigy, VXi Corporation, and many other small firms in the market. Additionally, the company invested financial and human resources in research and development by forming teams dedicated to research in order to continue its organic development.

Unified Communication (UC) And Business Headsets Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

This report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2014 to 2025. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global Unified Communication (UC) and business headsets market report based on product, type, price, distribution channel, end use, and region:

• Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; Volume, Thousand Units; 2014 - 2025)

  • Earphones

  • Headphones

• Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; Volume, Thousand Units; 2014 - 2025)

  • Wired

  • Wireless

    • Bluetooth

    • NFC

    • Wi-Fi

    • Others

• Price Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; Volume, Thousand Units; 2014 - 2025)

  • <50 USD

  • 50 to 100 USD

  • >100 USD

• Distribution Channel Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; Volume, Thousand Units; 2014 - 2025)

  • Exclusive Showrooms

  • Online Sales Channel

  • Others

• End-Use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; Volume, Thousand Units; 2014 - 2025)

  • Contact Center

  • Business Enterprises

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million; Volume, Thousand Units; 2014 - 2025)

  • North America

    • The U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • The U.K.

    • Germany

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • Japan

    • India

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

  • Middle East & Africa