VoIP "going mainstream" but security concerns remain

VoIP call services are cutting into the market share of telecoms companies in both the business and the home, according to one industry expert.

"People aren't doing VoIP trials anymore, it's going mainstream," asserts Robert Hackett, enterprise product manager at Siemens Ireland.

"Even organisations that might be considered as conservative, such as government departments or public sector bodies, are all going for VoIP solutions as standard," he told Silicon Republic.

But while there are clear benefits of cheaper bills and more flexibility in rerouting calls around the office or even to roaming employees on the road, one IT expert has cautioned that firms should get a security guarantee when installing a new system.

Senior consultant at security firm EuroKom, Tom Bourke, said that some private branch exchanges (PBX) that allows calls to be routed over the internet may be vulnerable to security breaches.

He told the Irish technology news site: "I'm not saying people shouldn't use VoIP, because the cost savings are certainly there, but my one recommendation is that if you do decide to install a VoIP system make sue that the provider who installs it gives you a guarantee that you're not being exposed to anything malicious on the internet."

Mr Bourke stressed the need for an IP PBX to be correctly configured by a professional to ensure that the security of the network remains high.