VoIP 'takes hold in business market'

Adoption of voice over internet protocol (VoIP) technology is "growing" among business users, with sales of VoIP-related equipment increasingly pushing traditional telephony to the sidelines, a market snapshot has said.

In its assessment of the current VoIP market, VoIP News noted that in 2005, VoIP revenues in the US passed $1 billion (£499 million) mark for the first time.

However, this year, sales of traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN) PBXs could have broke the $1 billion barrier "for the last time ever".

The site said that as far as the business sector is concerned, the question is no longer "has VoIP arrived?" but "is PSTN still around?".

This is underlined by sales, the site says. In 2007, sales of hybrid internet protocol (IP) PBX made up two-thirds of all new phone lines. IP-only PBXs accounted for a further 18 per cent.

Furthermore, the site said, figures from Market Research show that 50 per cent of global telecom traffic is now conducted over IP.

The firm forecasts that total VoIP subscriptions will rise to 135 million by 2011, while Disruptive Analysis says mobile VoIP will have 250 million users by 2012.

Technology site TMCnet recently said that VoIP systems were overtaking PSTN as the "backbone" of modern communications.