Voice over IP has continued to grow as a popular communications choice for users looking to cut costs and gain advanced features.

 

Demand for the services is growing for business as well as residential users.

 

According to market research firm Infonetics' latest report, VoIP services brought in $21 billion for service providers in 1H09.

 

The biannual report, “VoIP and UC Services and Subscribers,” offers an overview of Voice over IP services and providers in North America. The report also analyzes residential VoIP services, business VoIP and UC services, and residential/SOHO VoIP subscribers.

According to Diane Myers, directing analyst for service provider VoIP and IMS at Infonetics Research (News - Alert), the first half of 2009 saw healthy growth even with spending in other communications areas tightening.

“Residential VoIP services remain healthy, comprising the majority of worldwide VoIP services revenue, and subscribers are up 14 percent from the end of 2008,” Myers said.

The report also found that by 2013, IP connectivity services will make up about a third of total VoIP business service revenue.

“On the business VoIP side, while managed IP-PBX (News - Alert) revenue growth has slowed in line with IP-PBX shipments, we are expecting IP Centrex and hosted UC service revenue to grow 26 percent year-over-year in 2009,” she said.

Small businesses also showed a “sweet spot” in the market according to Infonetics’ report. Roughly two-thirds of all IP Centrex seats sold in the first half of 2009 went to small businesses.

In addition, the research uncovered that the number of residential and SOHO VoIP subscribers is set to exceed 225 million by 2013.