Development continues in IP PBX

VoIP services are still a relatively useful way to communicate and so innovation is rarely far around the corner, but now some services are maturing they are becoming more useful to businesses, it has been suggested.

Unified communications (UC) products that link up VoIP with other methods of communications using IP PBX have evolved to the point where firms can clearly see where they can add value, according to analyst firm Gartner.

"UC products matured significantly during the past 12 months and by the end of 2007, 80 per cent of enterprise communications purchase decisions will require support for unified communications," Bern Elliot, Gartner vice-president told ComputerWeekly.

Having an architecture that is common to all means of communication is seen as a key component of further growth in this sector, with Microsoft and Nortel joining forces to provide UC products which hope to achieve this.

The two companies have already signed up 430,000 licensees for its upcoming UC system which will see all office communications run through computer software and online.