Broadband IP telephony solutions spending 'to soar'

Small business expenditure on IP telephony solutions will grow by 83 per cent between 2010 and 2015, according to new research.

A study by In-Stat found that broadband IP telephony is already common in offices, although many may not be aware that they are actually using VoIP hardware.

The researchers suggested that application-based VoIP solutions will increase by 50 per cent by 2015, while the professional services vertical market segment will spend over £3 billion (£1.8 billion) by 2013.

Gregg Potter, research analyst at the company, said that small and medium-sized businesses can benefit from such technology.

"Broadband IP telephony offers a number of advantages for small businesses and SOHO (small office/home office); primary among them is the low monthly service fee and negligible costs for long distance," he added.

Global expenditure on IT in 2011 will exceed initial estimates, according to a recent paper from Gartner, with the overall market expected to be worth £526 billion by the end of the year.