VoIP placed in the top five IT investments

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is among the top five technology investments that business professionals are prepared to make during the recession, new research suggests.

According to a study of chief information officers (CIO) by Robert Half Technology, seven out of ten respondents said their companies will be investing in information technology (IT) applications over the next 12 months.

Among the top five most popular areas for investment, 26 per cent of CIOs said that they would opt for VoIP in order to access more flexible voice and data communications with lower monthly bills.

Dave Willmer, executive director of Robert Half Technology, said: "Although times are lean, many companies are finding that they can't afford to postpone IT investments that lead to increased security, efficiencies or revenues.

"Organisations also are trying to make sure they are prepared for growth when conditions improve and enhancing their IT infrastructure is part of that process."

Connection Telecom chief executive Rob Lith recently told South African newspaper the Times that businesses introducing VoIP to their call centre environments can cut costs and also put themselves ahead of the competition.