There is no question that cloud computing is one of the most important technology trends in the IT world today. It has completely changed the way businesses of all sizes conduct their operations and is similarly creating a revolution in the way service providers deliver their offerings. For communications service providers specifically, the cloud has significantly altered the way next-generation voice services are being managed and delivered, and is also creating new opportunities for traditional VoIP hardware vendors.

The intersection of cloud and VoIP is nothing new, and in fact "The Mobile VoIP Market 2012-2017" report from Visiongain (News - Alert) shows that in 2002 there were only 121,000 VoIP subscribers in the U.S., generating $5.4 million in annual revenue. By 2012, that number had risen to nearly 30 million subscribers generating around $15.4 billion in revenue, with global revenue around $65 billion last year. That is a significant change, and the cloud and cloud services have certainly contributed to the major uptake and revenue growth in the VoIP sector.

VoIP hardware has undergone quite a revolution as well, and continues to do so to keep up with the growing demand of cloud services and the operational and security requirements that go along with them. For a longtime hardware players like Synway Information Engineering (News - Alert) Co., Ltd., which has been in the business since 1995, the cloud has created exciting opportunities within the VoIP sector. The company specializes in media processing and signaling technologies and offers an integrated multimedia switch used in converged voice/data/video communications.

According to Ivan Du, regional manager at Synway, more and more customers are choosing cloud services instead of traditional technology in the conferencing and recording areas. Since so many apps require just a simple download with cloud servers handling the bulk of the networking and storage, it is much easier for businesses to use cloud services instead of traditional on-premise conference and recording equipment, which can be expensive and require significant manpower and expertise to set up and maintain.

Synway plans to shift their focus to cloud services as well, according to Du. The company's main business has software developers and system integrators using their hardware in a variety of apps and services including unified communications, call center, mobile VAS, conferencing, fax and media gateway.

Cloud services raise a number of issues including security and compliance mandates. And the growing prevalence of the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend has further complicated matters, as more and more workers want the flexibility and convenience of accessing business-sensitive apps and data on their mobile devices. This creates both a challenge and opportunity for service providers and hardware/technology providers alike as they come up with new and all-inclusive ways to meet customer and regulatory demands.

Customers have increasingly become more demanding and businesses operating in the tech sector have had to refine the way they deliver products and services to meet a growing range of requirements. In fact, customer experience is on the of top trends of 2013 so far and offering specialized and flexible solutions is a must for any business hoping to stay on top of their game.

Synway has increasingly been paying more attention to their customers' needs, said Du, from the initial point of contact through product development. The company then follows through with continuous technical support from implementation and installation and throughout the usage of the product, to ensure their customers are fully satisfied.

The company will be exhibiting at the upcoming ITEXPO (News - Alert) East in Miami next month, and will have a number of products on display including the DST series board for digital extension recording; the ATP series board for analog line recording; the DTP series board for E1/T1 line recording and the SynIPR for VoIP recording. "We are looking forward to solution provider or integrations for CTI (News - Alert) area," said Du of the upcoming event.

To find out more about Synway visit the company at ITEXPO Miami 2013, taking place Jan. 29- Feb 1, in Miami, Florida. Visit Synway in booth # 910. For more information on ITEXPO Miami 2013 click here.