Virtual Office Resource

The freedom to be mobile – it’s what we all want. It’s also why we all carry mobile devices that keep us connected regardless of where we go. With that freedom, however, we accepted the high cost of a mobile plan. The allocated minutes were charged to our line and anything over meant a higher cost at the end of the month. Would this freedom always come at such a price?

The introduction of the VoIP phone and the integration with mobile capabilities opened up a whole new world of opportunities for the mobile consumer. Companies like Phone.com (News - Alert) help to make it happen. Users simply dial into the Phone.com number and login to their voicemail account to place an outbound call.

This allows for the use of the Phone.com number as the Caller ID, enabling the mobile professional to use his or her cell phone to place a call without displaying their private number. The Phone.com Mobile Office app allows the same kind of capability, extending the value of that VoIP phone and protecting the privacy of the user. At the same time, it’s the number customers are accustomed to seeing when called is received.

Growth in the number of mobile users appears to be matched only by the number of companies adopting the VoIP phone. According to Infonetics (News - Alert) Research and its Service Provider VoIP and IMS Equipment and Subscribers report, the two worlds are rapidly blending. Diane Myers, principal analyst for VoIP, UC and IMS for Infonetics Research, noted that IMS equipment has moved into an LTE (News - Alert) and voice over LTE world.

In the second quarter, according to Myers, this trend impacted spending on session border controllers and IMS core equipment for interconnection buildouts of LTE to 3G and VoLTE access. Sales of LTE and VoLTE are growing, although Myers anticipates the market will continue to be “lumpy” for a while.

Overall highlights from this report show that the global service provider VoIP and IMS equipment market enjoyed a 30 percent growth in the third quarter, reaching $936 million. In fact, all major geographical regions, including EMEA, North America, Latin America and Asia Pacific, all posted gains year over year and quarter over quarter. North America appears to have the biggest impact with 78 percent growth reported year over year.

What does this mean for the average user? VoIP is growing at a rapid pace. Thanks to companies like Phone.com, it’s available beyond the corporate environment so the average user, too, can reap the many benefits. Mobile employees and virtual professionals no longer have to rely on plan limits, either, as the smartphone can now be the VoIP phone.