"Videoconferencing has grown steadily as a replacement for travel due to green benefits and lowered travel costs, and this year will see the full emergence of this trend," Yankee Group reports. "In fact, video will actually vault to the forefront as the lead for UC in many deployments."

Other technologies on the upswing include thin client technologies and tiny notebook computers.

"Thin-client deployments on the back of desktop virtualization will gain traction in 2009, and further accelerate into 2010, as PC replacement cycles peak across the region," . The research firm expects thin-client shipments will grow 12% to 15% over 2008 levels, to about 765,000 units in 2009.

DisplaySearch is predicting a surge in demand for mini-note PCs, which it describes as "low-priced, thin and very light (less than 3 pounds) products that provide at least a modicum of typical office software functionality and also enable greater mobility."

Demand for mini-note PCs will be driven by a variety of sources, "including early adopters, consumer and enterprise PC customers seeking a smaller or secondary notebook PC, as well as new PC customers in emerging markets," says John Jacobs, director of notebook market research at DisplaySearch.