IP PBX market 'set for huge growth'

Large numbers of firms are to invest in IP private branch exchange (PBX) systems to manage their voice calls in the next few years, it has been suggested.

An expert speaking to TMCnet claimed that there is a trend towards increasing expansion of IP PBX systems in both America and Europe.

Nick Galea, the chief executive of VoIP server manufacturer 3CX, highlighted estimates from Forrester Research which suggested that nine out of ten large US companies will use an IP PBX by 2012, up from 23 per cent at present.

"This growing interest in IP PBX is triggered by the increasing trend of American and European businesses to replace their obsolete traditional hardware PBX systems with IP PBX technology," he said.

"So when it comes to telephony communication, the future looks pretty much software-based."

IP PBX systems allow businesses to receive their calls over a data network and manage them in real-time, with a graphical display making it easy to reroute or share calls around the office.