There was a time when I would pull out a digital camera during an interview and it would always lead to questions and curiosity about the new device. Now, of course, there’s more conversation if I don’t use a digital camera.
Such is the same with the use of voice-over-IP (VoIP) and session initiation protocol (SIP) in the office environment, according to a new Frost & Sullivan (News - Alert) report.
What was once only the purview of forward-thinking companies is now becoming the standard, according to the report. The North American VoIP and SIP services market reached $2.83 billion in 2013, according to Frost & Sullivan, and it is projected to hit $9.35 billion annually by 2019.
“Businesses are transitioning from legacy private branch exchange systems to IP-based unified communications platforms, and as such, are looking to VoIP access and SIP trunking services to complement these new platforms,” noted Michael Brandenburg, the information and communication technologies industry analyst for Frost & Sullivan.
There are many reasons why businesses are adopting VoIP and SIP, including extra flexibility to add and remove lines easily and, of course, greatly reduced calling costs.
Brandenburg also suggests that mobility plays a big role in adoption.
“VoIP and SIP trunking offer business recovery and mobile features that are simply not available on more traditional telecommunications services," he noted in a statement about the report.
That’s because VoIP-based calling is the truly portable calling solution, even more than mobile phones. While many consider mobile phones to be the height of mobile calling, in fact VoIP trumps even mobile phones because it can work from any location with Internet access or a telephone connection. While mobile phones are limited to cellular reception, and can suffer from a dead battery, VoIP can pivot on any connected device.
This flexibility can include a desk phone in the office, a mobile phone during transit, a home office, or a hotel or cyber café when on the road. Traditional telecommunications simply cannot match the mobility of VoIP.
The report did note that there’s still a lack of awareness of the benefits of IP-based trunking, which is slowing adoption a little. Many see VoIP and think of it mostly as a VoIP-to-VoIP solution, whereas with trunking, VoIP can call any phone in the world and serve as a complete landline replacement.
Also, some businesses are still grappling with whether to use a cloud-based VoIP system or deploy an on-premises solution.
“Many customers are trying to decide whether to keep their communications platforms on-premises or move to the hosted model, and hence, service providers should leverage VoIP capabilities to deliver customer value, rather than continually battle on price,” noted Brandenburg.
Whether choosing on-premises or the cloud, however, one thing is clear: calling is getting cheaper and a lot more flexible. Indeed, the future of voice ultimately rests with VoIP.
Edited by Blaise McNamee