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Communications are an important part of your business, but it doesn’t have to be the primary drain on your budget. A number of small companies have already recognized the value of the hosted softswitch, trusting a third party to support their communications options at a fraction of the price. So popular is this migration that it’s no longer considered an early stage arrival, but instead a mainstream option for the progressive operation.

This reality was supported in the latest Infonetics Research report, the 2014 VoIP and UC Services and Subscribers report which tracks service providers and their VoIP and Unified Communications (News - Alert) (UC) services subscribers and revenues. According to the firm’s findings, we’ve moved beyond the introductory level, thanks to the growing adoption of SIP trunking and cloud services throughout the global market.

Such activity is great news for the hosted softswitch provider as there is strong interest in unifying communications through hosted solutions. Mid-market companies and larger enterprises are evaluating and moving more of their applications to the cloud. Such activity is positively impacting the market overall. Sales of hosted PBX (News - Alert) and UC services alone rose 13 percent in 2013 compared with 2012, and seats grew by 35 percent thanks to the continued demand for cloud-based services for the enterprise.

The growth doesn’t stop there, according to Infonetics (News - Alert) Research. The company anticipates continued strong growth for VoIP services worldwide. Projections through 2018 show the market hitting $88 billion. Does this number equate to near saturation of the market or will new opportunities be identified in the interim? When it comes to communications, anything is possible.

Why the Popularity of Hosted Solutions?

With so many options available to stay connected today, it’s not always abundantly clear as to why the hosted option is so popular. Sure, it has been proven to lower the cost of communications, but so can the internal VoIP solution. The key here is the added benefits provided by the hosted softswitch vendor, including:

• No maintenance costs – the hosted provider is responsible for the network, updates and uptime guarantees, leaving the customer worry free.
• Low investment – the hosted solution is generally accessible with a simple agreement. While some vendors may look for long-term contracts, others are happy with simply meeting demand.
• Enhanced service – the communications platform available through the hosted offering is generally more robust and feature-rich than the in-house system, giving customers more bang for their buck.

While the benefits continue beyond this list, these three reasons alone are enough to make the investigation into the hosted softswitch worth your time. Companies like REVE Systems have a proven platform already in place, making the migration to the hosted environment an easy one. If you’re ready to start reaping the benefits of the hosted solution, take the time to vet a vendor today so you can enjoy the perks tomorrow.