Rapid mobile VoIP roll-out 'expected in 2010'

The range of features offered by mobileVoIP solutions will see the technology used by more and more businesses, Deloitte has said.

The increasing range of new IP-based services available that enhance mobile IP telephony solutions will drive demand, the business advisory firm has predicted.

One-to-many calls, broadcast voicemail, and voice-to-text are the type of features expected to see mobile VoIP adoption become commonplace.

Deloitte expects mobile VoIP traffic to be reaching tens of millions of users by year-end, and the mobile VoIP sector to be worth £18 billion by 2013.

These predictions came as part of Deloitte's forecast for the technology, media and telecommunications (TMT) for 2010.

Saba Sindaha, partner in charge for TMT industry at Deloitte in the Middle East, said: "The rising adoption of mobile VoIP services could cause a fundamental rise in expectations as to what mobile voice can do."

The attraction of free calls may lead businesses to use mobile VoIP as an advertising channel, further demonstrating the value of the mobile voice market.

Deloitte also expects web portals and social networking websites to promote mobile VoIP applications to drive traffic to smartphone versions of their sites.