With reports of mobile phone services cutting back on service--not to mention cutting back on jobs--by tossing out unlimited data plans and subsidies that kept smartphone prices comparatively lower, it's enough to make many wonder if there's not a better way. And indeed, there is, at least according to one study launched by Comcast (News - Alert) to reveal seven alternatives to using a mobile phone when in the office. These seven alternatives each had their own significant advantages and disadvantages, and this was how the survey broke down.

First, there's Google+ Hangouts. As Google's social media presence expands, Google+'s Hangout function makes for a quick and easy way to get a group of people together with the press of a button labeled, straightforward enough for almost anyone, "Start a Hangout". The service is still maturing, so there are some downsides, but some have already used it to great effect.

FaceTime from Apple (News - Alert) offers some significant advantages in its own right over competitor Google+'s Hangout service, in that, even when FaceTime isn't running on an Apple device, the device will still ring when someone tries to make a FaceTime (News - Alert) contact. In Google+, it becomes necessary to watch the screen for someone to join the Hangout established, thus making FaceTime a lot more versatile and able to keep its hands off resources when not actively in use.

Join.Me is a simple desktop sharing program, free for users, that allows a toll-free call-in number as well as e-mail notifications about a session in progress. Basically, Join.Me wants to be the new standard of meetings, going so far as to say right on its homepage: "Our condolences to mahogany conference tables everywhere". In an era of increased telecommuting, a service like this will prove invaluable for launching meetings.

Bria looks to provide plenty of value in terms of telepresence, not only allowing for voice contact but also 720p video to go along with it. And to make sure that individual quirks of hardware don't become an issue, Bria also supports USB headsets while supporting conference calls, workgroups, and call recording systems to ensure nothing gets lost in translation.

Skype is the mainstay of a lot of offices, and not only allows for video conferencing, but also for text, conferencing and voice chatting, among Skype users. Even non-Skype users can get in on the action, since calls can be made from Skype to landline numbers as well, making this a great tool for the business traveler.

Vox.io provides direct access to voice and video conferencing, and all from within a Web browser. It offers recently augmented support for IM systems, as well as regular product alterations according to user needs. Just to top the whole thing off, it does so without the need for plugins added to a user's browser.

Lastly, there's ooVoo (News - Alert), a service that has been around since 2007, and it shows. ooVoo offers video chatting support for as many as 12 people at once, as well as video messaging between smaller groups, recording functions, uploading functions to send a video chat to YouTube (News - Alert), instant messaging, and plenty of more services.

There are a wide variety of services out there to help office users communicate, and few of them, if any, require a mobile phone. So in the face of declining service and increased pricing, there may well come a time when the mobile phone is no longer the necessity it once was.