VoIP means different things to different people. For example, a large enterprise might consider a VoIP solution in order to obtain the latest, most advanced telephony features. A small to medium-sized business (SMB), on the other hand, may be more likely to consider VoIP for the cost savings.

 

As VoIP catches on, though, the reasons for signing on board are shifting. Enterprises have to consider the bottom line, just like any other company, that so may include that in their list of reasons to go VoIP. SMBs increasingly are finding that solutions targeted to them provide both cost savings and advanced features.

 

Given the increasing mainstream adoption of VoIP, and the increasingly competitive nature of doing business today, it is perhaps not surprising that some forecasters predict the highest demand for VoIP services during the next five years will come from medium-sized businesses.

 

One such forecast recently was released by market research firm and consultancy ATLANTIC-ACM. The report, “Business VoIP Revolution 2007-2012: The Opportunity,” predicted that companies with 11-100 employees will have a sizable impact on the VoIP services market in years to come. Just how big an impact? The prediction is that compound annual growth rate of VoIP revenues from this segment will be 29.7 percent from 2006 to 2012.

 

“Drivers of this growth are multidimensional and include increased VoIP system adoption as concerns over security and quality continue to fade and an increasing number of companies offering VoIP products targeting medium-sized businesses - especially hosted offerings that meet the needs of small- and medium-sized businesses,” said ATLANTIC-ACM analyst Aaron Blazar, in a statement.

 

In other words, as the market matures, and as more hosted VoIP solutions become available, more companies will be interested in adopting the new technology.

 

Blazer’s comment about hosted VoIP deserves to be noted, since this type of IP-based solution is gaining increasing popularity in the telephony market. IP-based technologies make it possible for service providers to offer phone systems that are managed off-site, reducing both capital expenditures (CAPEX) and operating expenditures (OPEX (News - Alert)) for the customer.

 

Hosted VoIP offerings also simplify the process of maintaining a phone system. Often, all that’s needed to perform moves, adds and changes (MACs) is to log into an admin panel using a Web browser.

 

When it comes to the bottom line, all companies are looking for ways to make their workforces more mobile and efficient, and generally to streamline their business processes. As the ATLANTIC-ACM report shows, the fact that hosted VoIP can help in these endeavors is now being reflected in market demand for VoIP services.

 

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