Software-only VoIP solutions are the future, but not yet

Software-only VoIP solutions are the future for small to medium businesses (SMBs), but that future is a long way away, it has been claimed.

Garrett Smith, a blogger on voipinsider.com, said that while software-only VoIP solutions seem like a "perfect fit" for SMBs - because of the lack of hardware costs, for instance - the user experience will be very different.

"A funny thing happens when one tries to change the user experience - [people] revolt," he says, pointing out that he does not believe people inherently accept change within something they are long used to.

He said he did not want to discredit software-only VoIP solutions and believed they would eventually be the norm.

"For now, I see those offering software-only VoIP solutions to SMBs continuing to struggle; selling the invisible is tough, especially in a sector that has been hardware-centric for such a long time," he added.

Meanwhile, Alon Cohen of Phone.com has said that access to high-speed internet and a good service provider are the keys to maximising the potential of a VoIP solution, software-only or not.