VoIP becoming key business tool

The Internet Telephony Services Providers’ Association (ITSPA) believes that VoIP is becoming the next big communications solution.

VoIP communications technology is rapidly increasing in popularity, both with consumers and businesses.

According to a new report from market researcher, iLocus, almost a quarter of mobile virtual network operators already offer VoIP, or are currently trialing a VoIP service.

The report - “Global VoIP Market 2007: 8th Annual Update and Forecasts”, estimates that there are 450,000 paying mobile VoIP subscribers worldwide and by the end of 2008 the number could be as high as 2.4 million.

ITSPA Council member, Colin Duffy, claims that dual phones, which provide the benefits of both traditional cell phones and VoIP phones, will be a major factor in attracting consumers to VoIP.

This type of phone uses a mobile network, but switches to Wi-Fi when in range of a hotspot.

Research in Motion’s BlackBerry Curve smartphone, is one of the many devices coming onto the market which provides this option.

According to Duffy, VoIP will become increasingly important to small and medium-sized businesses, providing advanced services that would previously have been too expensive - having voicemails forwarded as MP3s to an email inbox, for example.

This is expected to be a major factor in helping SMEs compete with bigger companies.

ITSPA represents the interests of network operators, service providers and other businesses involved with the supply of VoIP services to business and residential customers within the UK.