Are you ready for the next generation? This question may spur you to think in terms of those shorter individuals who attend classes at the local middle school, but here we’re talking about a new generation in technology. This generation is ‘loftier’ than others—so to speak—finding its wings in the cloud and demonstrating newer and lower cost capabilities. It is the reason why companies adopt IP phones and embrace VoIP technology.

It’s also the reason why companies like Mizutech SRL, the developer of the Mizu VoIP platform, has announced the release of its next-generation VoIP hosting platform, VoIP on Demand. With this release, Mizutech SRL customers will have the option to select a Software as a Service (SaaS (News - Alert)) offering and then create VoIP server instances in mere minutes rather than days or weeks.

One of the appeals of the SaaS platform is the ability to pay as you go, delivering the efficiency and flexibility necessary to ensure networking planning is dynamically allocated according to capacity and need. It also ensures companies can optimize their ROI. This instant availability is critical for the next wave of technology as companies try to accommodate consumer demands.

In fact, migrating to the cloud is no longer just a luxury consideration for companies with the means, the know-how and the understanding of this technology. It’s a must for companies who hope to gain and keep a competitive advantage in an increasingly challenging marketplace. Consumers are more mobile and therefore companies have to be able to accommodate the changing trends in communication. Availability during working hours will no longer cut it. In fact, typical working hours are going away.

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The smartphone and the tablet have become our go-to devices when it comes to communication, information capture and data sharing. We complete transactions while on the go, we access self-service channels in between meetings and we update documents while waiting for a flight. The network that is only available in-house limits the organization hoping to capitalize on new opportunities in expanding industries.

Field technicians need to be able to access blueprints, schematics and service orders from the customer’s location; professionals need to be able to work while traveling to see the client overseas; expanding companies need access to flexible technologies to accommodate demand; and applications need to easily integrate with voice communications.

The demand for IP phones and VoIP communications is clear – if a business hopes to compete, it has to embrace the all-IP environment. And this week is a great time to test the waters of IP phone technology. A well established innovator in the IP phones space, Yealink (News - Alert), will be showcasing its wide range of products and solutions as an exhibitor and platinum-level sponsor of ITEXPO this week in Miami.

The market is in a steady flux and companies have to be flexible and agile to maintain pace. Those unable or unwilling to adopt next-generation technologies to adapt will be quickly left behind.