US VoIP traffic set to rise as firms turn to UC

VoIP traffic in the US and Canada could be set to rise after new research revealed that the majority of firms plan to adopt unified communications (UC).

Infonetics Research has published a new study which shows that 96 per cent of companies in the US and Canada are looking to switch to the technology.

UC allows companies to integrate all forms of communication, such as e-mail and VoIP solutions, into a single package.

Matthias Machowinski, directing analyst for enterprise voice and data at Infonetics Research, claimed the technology offers a range of benefits to businesses.

He said: "Despite the confusion sowed by vendors who have abused the term unified communications, unifying disparate modes of communication has strong appeal because it ultimately simplifies the lives of users and increases their productivity."

The survey of 106 US and Canadian companies found that most firms cited improved employee productivity and reduced operational costs as the main reasons for adopting UC.