VoIP services should be 'protected' from IT budget cuts

Business VoIP services should be protected from IT budget cuts, it has been claimed.

According to research from technology website No Jitter, 77 per cent of US companies face frozen or decreasing IT budgets, with similar cutbacks prevalent in the UK.

Robin Gareiss, writing for nojitter.com, claimed firms will save more money in the long-term if they deploy IP telephony solutions.

He said: "When the budget axe looms, make sure you can document why it shouldn't fall - at least not on the VoIP project."

Mr Gareiss stated that IP telephony solutions offer a range of cost savings compared to traditional phone systems, with cabling costs significantly reduced.

VoIP services allow companies to run both data and voice over a single Ethernet cable, potentially halving the volume of cabling required.

Moreover, firms can also limit hardware costs by purchasing "softphones", a form of software, rather than VoIP phones, he added.