'Nearly half' of IT firms have VoIP solutions

Almost half of IT organisations globally are using VoIP solutions, according to a new study from BT.

The telecoms giant surveyed 267 IT professionals from around the world and discovered that 48 per cent have a VoIP network at their work, up from 31 per cent in 2007.

On top of this, another 20 per cent are currently deploying VoIP solutions, with 71 per cent of these expecting them to be fully up and running within 24 months.

Most companies gradually replace their existing telephony systems with VoIP hardware, although bringing in VoIP products or PBXs to replace ageing traditional PSTN systems is also popular.

The most important factors that firms consider when choosing a VoIP system are security, quality and reliability, and this was also the case in previous surveys in 2005 and 2007.

"Cost is a critical factor when building a VoIP business case, but other criteria must take higher precedence when evaluating various implementation strategies and solutions," BT warned in its report.

"Make sure you understand what your top requirements are, be they network reliability, voice quality or security, before committing to a strategy."