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Consumers have gone mobile, that much is obvious. Now, thanks to the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) phenomenon, companies are following suit, empowering their staff members to have access to the network regardless of their location. This trend is helping to stuff the coffers of mobile network operators, driving revenues close to $20 billion by 2018.

This forecast for mobile was part of a report from Juniper Research (News - Alert) that studied Internet-based voice or carrier OTT strategies. Otherwise known as mobile VoIP, these voice revenues will likely originate from new service propositions and bundles readily delivered through partnerships with standalone OTT service providers.

The demand for mobile VoIP is certainly helping to drive opportunities in this space, but the report found that the partnerships being formed between traditional carriers and OTT providers are helping to create new service propositions, including number portability. At the same time, Juniper also found that standalone mobile VoIP providers are growing in sophistication in terms of their service offerings while also developing new ways to monetize their services.

As exciting as this news is for corporations leveraging mobile VoIP to support a disparate workforce; those wanting to lean more on VoLTE are also growing in numbers. As such, Juniper expects widespread adoption among MNOs as they seek network efficiency. Direct revenue is expected to be low, yet opportunities growing out of these connections will likely lead to additional revenue streams.

With these findings, it only makes sense that standard circuit-switched revenue will decline overall. Juniper suggests it will only be partially offset by new OTT revenue. For OTT mobile video calling, Tango seems to be the market leader. This segment of the market is still in its early stages, however, and things could quickly change as demand ramps up.

This is especially interesting since it wasn’t that long ago that mobile carriers viewed VoIP as the pariah of the industry. The idea of the two working together to extend mobile VoIP to the masses seemed like a pipe dream. Now, smartphone users can readily make calls to landlines with the use of Skype (News - Alert) and solutions are starting to be offered directly by carriers, cutting out the need for Skype altogether. Thankfully – Microsoft purchased the VoIP company three years ago and is leveraging its video conferencing capabilities for the business sector.

Today, companies like REVE Systems are extending mobile VoIP solutions for carriers wishing to get in on the opportunity in this space and meet growing consumer demand. The company’s iTel Dialer Express provides operators with a turnkey offering available on all smartphone platforms. By leveraging this capability, carriers can quickly leverage new revenue opportunities without infrastructure build out or risk, extending the value of their brand to a whole new market.