Fueled by the notion that seeing is believing, IP video phone calling is continuing to increase in popularity and usage. Its growing adoption is driven by new products to help boost employee productivity and allow instant communication, giving users the perception as if they are in the very same room through video conversations.

 

For example, IP phone maker Yealink Network Technology is out with its IP video phone VP-2009D system. The device is equipped with a TI DaVinci chipset and features a 7-inch touch screen color LCD and 300K pixels CMOS camera.

 

And it’s more than just a phone. The device also features one-touch access to the Internet and acts as a digital photo frame and media player to keep users entertained

 

For businesses looking for something more substantial, Yealink (News - Alert) launched its All-in-One media phone (pictured below). Similar to the IP video phone VP-2009D, the device comes with a 7-inch touch screen TFT LCD and 300K pixels CMOS camera. The phone also offers three-way video conference support, IPTV (News - Alert) streaming and VoD and local media player support.

 

In addition, Yealink’s All-in-One media phone lets users access e-mail and a news reader. And building off the popularity of cell phones, the device even includes a Qwerty keyboard.

Products like these are helping to drive the market, officials said. One factor driving the influence of the phones is consumers’ desire to deliver “visual communications.” Moreover, companies like the devices because it helps employees be more productive since the technology combines the power of a PC with the always-on functionality of a telephone. In addition, companies favor such devices as an alternative to corporate business travel.

 

Why else do people like them? Video phones keep users engaged. And in an age when consumers are used to daily interactions with high-quality video experiences, such as with HD flat-screen TVs at home, the demand for more screens keeps growing.

 

The IP video phone market is projected to grow 15 percent this year. While the growth rate is down from 2008, largely because of the current economic downturn, the segment is expected to pick up.

 

And by 2013, it is expected to generate about $3.3 billion in annual revenue, according to In-Stat, a Scottsdale, Ariz.-based market research firm.