Latest Reports on the Future of VoIP – Where are we Headed?

The VoIP market is growing by leaps and bounds, thanks to a slew of innovations and new service providers. From VoIP vendors to third-party app developers, everyone can benefit from an expanding market. Buoyed by developments in the areas of cloud technology and mobile computing, VoIP is set to dominate the enterprise voice communication segment.

The Future of VoIP

For enterprises looking to upgrade to VoIP, the possibilities are endless. Small businesses can opt for purchasing hosted VoIP services. Larger corporations can set up their own on-premise implementation with SIP trunking. Organizations that wish to maintain a semblance of control can also choose hybrid deployments combining the best of both worlds.

Even as analysts try to predict which segment will grow the fastest, the consensus remains that the ecosystem will benefit as a whole. Businesses who started out with hosted services are switching to SIP trunks lower costs. On the other hand, corporations that initially started out with SIP trunks may want to use hosted services to reduce maintenance hassles. Since almost all providers use the SIP standard, it is easy for companies to switch between vendors.

Mobile Computing

The modern workplace bears little resemblance to the offices of the previous century. Workers are no longer constrained by location, time, or equipment. Most organizations have a mixture of employees who work from home, travel frequently, and those who still come into the office from 9 to 5. Any communication channel has to be flexible enough to accommodate all their requirements.

With the rise of smartphones and tablets, desktops are no longer the dominant device in office buildings. Mobile phones gain new features every year and are becoming powerhouses of computing in their own right.

This trend is exacerbated by the rise of BYOD. It works out well for both organizations and their staff. Businesses can reduce costs as they no longer have to provide dedicated work devices to their employees. Workers don’t have to juggle two devices, they can manage work and personal communication on the same phone.

Although it has wider implications for security, organizations are embracing the BYOD trend. With organizations rushing to make mobile-friendly applications, the VoIP industry is poised to reap the benefits. Users can access enterprise features on their VoIP system from a multitude of devices ranging from tablets to laptops.

International Versus Domestic Calls

On almost any VoIP service, internal calls are free for the organization. As long as a voice call does not leave your network, you won’t be charged for it. Long-distance calls are another matter entirely. Although not free, their cost is now much lower thanks to VoIP. Service providers only have to pay for the portion of the call that travels on the local PSTN. This amounts to pennies on the dollar for the vast majority of calls.

This has prompted VoIP vendors to offer unlimited calling to select countries or extremely inexpensive rates per minute for international calls. While there was a time when only the biggest corporations had overseas offices, today’s organization is more tightly coupled to the global economy.

You will hardly find a company that has no need of international calling at all. Businesses need to maintain communication with suppliers, partners, and even employees in different countries. It’s no surprise that long-distance calls are expected to bring in more revenue for VoIP providers in the coming years.

Emerging Markets

While VoIP is pretty well-established in the more developed nations, Asian and African countries have historically lagged behind. The main reason for this is the lack of high-speed Internet connections, especially in rural areas. Many developing economies are now focusing on improving broadband penetration. Organizations in these countries can afford to upgrade their networks and purchase high-speed, large capacity Internet connections.

Growth from these emerging economies is likely to dominate the international VoIP industry for the next few years. As the industry consolidates and expands, VoIP vendors will start selling voice services in new markets. Even as new players enter the market, incumbents are expected to merge and acquire smaller companies as part of their growth strategy.

Closer Integration with Enterprise Tools

VoIP systems are no longer standalone applications or tools. Most people viewed these systems as simple upgrades to the existing landlines. However, many businesses use VoIP as a stepping stone to implementing unified communication suites. Since VoIP calls travel over the Internet, these systems can integrate with other enterprise applications like ERP or CRM software. This allows data to move freely between applications for better analysis.

What we see today is only the tip of the iceberg. By coupling WebRTC and VoIP, organizations are able to bring click to call functionality to their corporate websites. No one knows what the future may bring but VoIP is has cemented its place as a must-have technology tool for enterprises.