Japanese usage rates rise for VoIP phones and features

The extent to which Japanese customers are putting VoIP phones to work on a day-to-day basis has risen substantially in recent years, according to IDC.

In a new report focusing on the Japanese market, the analyst claims investment has stayed steady since 2009, with implementation rising from 54.4 per cent to 55.6 per cent in 2010.

However, the extent to which individual features are being used by those with VoIP phones installed seems to be increasing more rapidly.

The 2010 study found presence notification, business application collaboration and unified messaging all saw continual increased uptake over the preceding two years.

Presence notification allows individual users to highlight when they are at their desks - and therefore at their phones - in a way similar to status messages on internet instant messaging programs.

Meanwhile, in 2009-10 alone, voice, video and web conferencing via IP telephony solutions reached a 27.8 per cent market penetration - up 8.6 percentage points year-on-year.