The idea that no one will be using landlines in the home within the next two decades is by no means outlandish, especially with the mobile explosion over the past decade. Truth be told, phone cords may soon be a thing of the past.

New research from Infonetics (News - Alert) not only supports the idea, it takes it to the next level by forecasting a similar trend in the workplace. According to an article in Markets Morning, 65 percent of all businesses will switch over to VoIP services from tradition phone lines, and will probably save some money in the process. This is up from 42 percent of businesses that currently employ VoIP.

What’s more, these numbers mean that the fleet of VoIP providers will have a wave of new clients heading their way. Infonetics released a report last year predicting that the VoIP and Unified Communications (News - Alert) markets would grow to $88 billion by 2018, and they stand by their prognostication.

Some companies have already capitalized on the ever-shifting focus to VoIP. According to Markets Morning, Nextiva increased their sales by 9.7 percent in only two weeks by offering a new app that allowed their customers to use VoIP directly from their mobile phones. Other companies such as Avaya (News - Alert) and Mitel are also going full speed ahead with VoIP. With bring your own device (BYOD) being widely implemented across enterprises with no signs of relenting, VoIP just makes sense. People want mobility, and mobility they shall have—at home and in the workplace.

Not to mention the potential for real time communications tied to VoIP makes tradition phone lines seem handicapped at best. This summer we’ll get to officially meet Skype (News - Alert) for Business, and sometime in the nebulous future, GMeet will be unveiled—which may or may not be Google’s (News - Alert) take on teleconferencing—along with cohorts of other real-time communications solutions.

Change can be scary, and while these may not be words of consolation for those who are fearful of it, by 2030, when a stranger calls, it won’t be on a traditional phone.