VoIP becoming more "mainstream"

VoIP systems are becoming more widely used in the UK and this is only set to increase in importance, according to a study by telecoms giant BT.

According to the firm, the number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Britain which make use of VoIP will nearly double in the next 12 months, moving from 25 per cent to 48 per cent.

Commenting on the predictions, Peter Gradwell, managing director of a VoIP provider, said: "Internet telephony is definitely now a mainstream technology helping businesses to link together, reducing costs and making communications more effective."

He added that as more corporate users switch to VoIP, the industry will see rising revenues and competition - which will in turn spur on more development of the technology to include advanced calling options and abilities.

However, firms may want to seek professional advice when upgrading their phone services in order to ensure their IT systems remain as secure as possible from hackers or other attacks.