VoIP News: July 2007

Estimations of the growth in use of VoIP services over mobile phones suggest that it will more than double over the next two years. Although the current base level of mobile VoIP use is low, this means there is capacity for rapid growth, according to a study conducted by Rhetorik. With providers working to increase the penetration of these services into the public consciousness, the research firm predicted there will be 135 per cent growth in the sector by 2009.

Microsoft has completed development of its VoIP server system and has released it to manufacturers, ready for a full launch in six to eight weeks. The announcement from Jeff Raikes, president of Micosoft's business division, means that there is not long left before the VoIP industry gets a chance to take a look at Office Communications Server 2007 (OCS) and its client Office Communicator 2007. "With this milestone we are one step closer to delivering products that establish Microsoft as a major force in unified communications and voice," said Mr Raikes.

Devices which use VoIP to make calls should also include features which allow them to link up to company IP PBX systems, even if they are for use outside of the office, an analyst has suggested. This follows the launch of the new BlackBerry 8820 and 8800 personal organisers by manufacturer RIM, which allow users to make calls for cheaper costs over VoIP. However, Mark Blowers, a senior research analyst at Butler Group, told IT Week that the device was flawed by the decision to leave out session initiation protocol (SIP), which would have allowed it to connect to IP PBX.

VoIP providers have been set a target of "early 2008" to ensure their users can access the 999 emergency services over the internet-based calls, following an Ofcom edict. The communications regulator wants all web voice communications to be able to make 999 calls if they also allow users to make calls to landlines. This follows research which found some 78 per cent of VoIP users thought they could make emergency calls over their service, while in reality only around 64 per cent of users can do so.

Many mobile phone users run across 'dead zones' where they cannot get a reliable signal to their network, with some homes completely lacking connectivity. But a new VoIP device can plug into a home broadband connection and act as another source of network signal by sending the calls over the internet. The technology from UK manufacturer ip.