Many in the telecommunications industry have described the upsurge in the use of VoIP as being destructive. This is true in so far as the traditional landline services have been disrupted. Telecom Companies services such as BT have had to introduce their own VoIP packages for new subscribers and for those existing ones who require the facility, albeit these are mainly unaware. This highlights the concern the landline suppliers have over VoIP.
The backbone of the VoIP technology requires the use of broadband. As faster DSL broadband delivery has been made available, the growth of VoIP users has increased exponentially. The traditional Telecom Companies who had the lion’s share of the market have had to readjust and compete with the likes of Vonage and Skype. A revolution has taken place which has allowed for increased competition and even the smaller Internet providers or other Internet-based companies have captured large segments of the Telecom market at the expense of the once huge Telecom cartel.
Within the VoIP industry one clear pattern is emerging, that is there is no clear pattern. The niches within the technology allows for a huge combination of methods and/or alternatives which allow the use of voice over internet to take place. Whereas some of these sub niches claim a meteoric rise in popularity, they are as likely to face a sudden fall in popularity. Take for example Vonage, having been at the forefront of the technology their overall percentage share has fallen dramatically with the rise of Skype and usage of VoIP through social media.
Time will tell to see whether they can withstand this and establish a method of using VoIP as being the most trustworthy and only real alternative to traditional landlines. It is interesting therefore to note that the Telecom Companies have now taken on board similar methods and BT Broadband send out their ‘hub’ allowing connection to PCs and other broadband devices. For the ordinary user these terms are confusing to say the least but it suggests an acknowledgment that this is the way of the future and that eventually all traditional landlines will be done away with.
Companies such as Vonage and Skype, providing they offer a set up which replaces the normal telephone with like for like, should have nothing to fear and these will eventually compete on a more even footing with their larger counterparts.
By: Jonathan Ledger
Posts Tagged ‘Voip Industry’
VoIP – A Destructive Technology
November 1st, 2009Office Phone Systems Utilizing VoIP Technology Revitalizes Operation of Small Businesses
October 2nd, 2009
For small businesses, one of the biggest challenges can be competing with the larger firms fighting for the same market. With limited resources and space, a small business must find economical and efficient ways to make up for their lack of size.
Traditionally, one of the biggest selling points for using a small enterprise is the relative ease with which the consumer can connect with the business, getting around the bureaucratic mess associated with larger offices. The easiest way to streamline a small enterprise and still stay connected to the consumer is through a creatively designed small business telephone system.
One of the newest and most exciting developments in office phone systems over the last ten years has been the creation and growth of the VoIP industry. VoIP or “Voice over Internet Protocol”, is a revolutionary plug and play phone system that allows users to make phones calls over the Internet, either to other Voice over Internet Protocol users or users to traditional landlines. With the changes in technology, Voice over Internet Protocol offers an economical phone service at a sound quality level equal to or surpassing traditional landline services. There are many, many benefits of VoIP that make it the perfect fit for growing enterprises on the move.
While VoIP may sound daunting to those only familiar with the traditional landline system, the set-up of small business telephone system using VoIP is safe and easy. VoIP relies upon existing Internet connections that require no additional installation. Using the same system that you use to reach the Internet or access email, an enterprise can now make both long distance and local calls with relative ease. Even the enterprise already using a traditional landline phone system can make the switch to VoIP with little upgrades that will use their existing phone lines to connect to the on-line calling system.
Another benefit of using Voice over Internet Protocol in your office phone system is the ease of upgrades. While more complex traditional systems might require an extensive remodel of the office layout and the actual phone lines themselves, a Voice over Internet Protocol upgrade can be as simple and easy as a software update. Likewise, with the ease of upgrades, VoIP is better suited to deal with the changing needs of businesses.
As technology changes, the small enterprises will be on the cusp of these developments as they happen. Any day now, a piece of technology could come along revolutionize how offices function in the same way that the fax machine or computer changed businesses of the past. Unlike larger corporations, the small business using a VoIP phone system will be able to change their entire phone system with relatively little downtime, adapting to whatever new technology is developed.
Likewise, since VoIP uses the Internet already, it is far easier to integrate other technologies into phone calls without having to create a complex and convoluted hodgepodge of technologies. Your Voice over Internet Protocol provider can help integrate a service like video conference calling directly into your new small business telephone system.
By consulting an experienced office phone system expert, you can weigh the costs of different packages and decide which system will best suit your needs for today and the years to come.
By: Andrew Stratton
