Mobile VoIP services 'poised for growth'
As the telecommunications industry continues to absorb the impact of the recession, mobile VoIP technology remains a market that many insiders are tipping for major expansion.
Writing on mobilenewscwp.co.uk, Symantec's mobile product manager Khoi Nguyen explains how the emergence of smartphones is opening doors for mobile VoIP services.
He believes that people who currently rely on a laptop to make the majority of their VoIP calls will eventually employ their smartphone for this purpose instead, as devices become increasingly sophisticated and wireless networks become more accessible.
"After the mobile industry took its first steps into the IT space, it opened up the capabilities for hardware and in particular VoIP, which has been a growing force," says Mr Nguyen.
He continues: "If you look at the rate of growth since smartphones first came to market, it's grown so much faster than the laptop market.
"So, customers looking for a VoIP connection will soon enough turn to a smartphone device rather than a laptop."
Meanwhile, a recent report from industry research service Unstrung Insider states that mobile VoIP has made "undeniable progress toward becoming a mainstream technology".
Author of the report John Blau claims that mobile VoIP is no longer seen merely as a way for mobile users to make cheap calls, but is now recognised as an important step in the ongoing development of mobile communications.
"The big advantage of VoIP is its ability to integrate with other systems and stimulate further adoption," he comments.
Like Mr Nguyen, the firm believes that the penetration of smartphones, in tandem with the growing availability of IP-based voice techniques, is driving the mobile VoIP market.
Unstrung Insider's report concludes that providers of mobile VoIP solutions are starting to broaden their offering with other applications and integrated services, while resistance to the technology from established network providers is gradually waning.
Mr Blau says: "Although many mobile operators continue to block VoIP calls to protect their voice revenues, that strategy will not be sustainable.
"Sooner or later, mobile operators will be forced to deploy their own VoIP services, since next-generation networks such as Long Term Evolution and WiMax are all-IP and do not support circuit voice."
However, a recent article from searchVoIP.com advises business leaders not to neglect security issues when planning to go mobile with their VoIP or unified communications systems.
"For enterprise users, it is important to note that providing a mobile service involves more than handing off calls between networks," the website states.
"That mobile device will be storing and accessing sensitive corporate information. Furthermore, that information will be forwarded over a variety of wireless networks with different levels of security."
If you would like more information on 8el's VoIP solution, please call our sales team on 0118 338 3062 or email info@8el.com.
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