VoIP News: December 2008

Non-internet users 'feel ignored'

Using the internet has become such an integral part of people's lives that those who cannot interact with it feel they are ignored by the wider world, new research has shown.

A study by Post Office Broadband found that 18 per cent of non-internet users felt this way, while 20 per cent did not like the fact that they were unable to access public information that web-savvy people could.

However, the research also indicated that 71 per cent of people tried to teach friends and family how to get online - but one in ten people said that the attempt ended in an argument.

"Most people know a family member or close friend who uncertain about using the internet so teaching them how to get online is the perfect gift," said Stewart Fox-Mills, Post Office Broadband head.

"But as anyone who has tried to do this will testify, things can come unstuck when jargon and a basic lack of PC skills become insurmountable."

A report out this month from Point Topic revealed that people are still signing up to broadband despite the economic downturn.

In the third quarter of the year, connections were found to have risen by 1.9 per cent to top 17 million.

Posted on: 2008-12-31, in: Broadband

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Crisis 'led to VoIP uptake'

As the year draws to a close, one commentator has been discussing what 2008 meant for the telecommunications industry.

Ian Williams, from vnunet.com, claimed that the year's most reported event - the financial crisis - actually caused many companies to use VoIP phones in their business.

By sending call information over the internet or on company intranets, VoIP phones can offer significant cost savings.

"There has been a noticeable uptake of technologies such as VoIP, unified communications and video conferencing," said Mr Williams.

"As the economic situation worsened over the course of the year, companies sought ways of maintaining close communications with branches and customers, while minimising the cost of travel and phone bills."

This increased popularity was reflected in figures released by Infonetics Research earlier this month.

According to the report, worldwide IP PBX deployments increased between the second and third quarter of 2008, seeing growth of nine per cent in revenue and seven per cent in lines.

Posted on: 2008-12-31, in: General VoIP

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Fibre optics 'could help fight credit crunch'

The government has been called on to invest heavily in fibre optic technology by a Microsoft researcher.

Edinburgh University's professor Christopher Bishop, chief scientist at the firm's Cambridge research centre, told the Observer that the benefits of doing so would be two-fold.

Firstly, it would improve the UK's infrastructure - helping it compete globally - and secondly it would provide the large-scale kind of investment the government had pitched as a way of fighting off the worst effects of the economic downturn.

"If we are looking for a government project that would stimulate the economy in the short term and help combat the impact of the credit crunch, while also bringing long-lasting improvements to the nation's infrastructure, then we could do no better than rewire the nation with fibre optics," he told the newspaper.

The government has recently championed the idea of bringing forward large public works as a way of providing jobs and kick-starting the economy.

It has taken its inspiration from the 20th century economist John Maynard Keynes.

Posted on: 2008-12-30, in: Broadband

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'Never been a better time' for VoIP solutions

Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) looking to deploy VoIP solutions have been told that "there has never been a better time" to do so, according to an industry expert.

Nick Galea, chief executive and founder of 3CX, was talking to Italian site voipblog about the potential growth of VoIP in 2009.

He claimed that mobileVoIP solutions would continue to see growth, as would the sector as a whole.

"I believe that we will see a continued increase in small to medium-sized businesses deploying VoIP to save on call costs, administration costs and to increase productivity," said Mr Galea.

"There has never been a better time to do this."

He added that he expected companies offering software-based PBXs to be more successful in future.

Earlier this month firms were warned that they should test the quality of their network before deploying VoIP solutions.

Tim McCreery from eWeek.com warned that many businesses mistakenly think VoIP services will be similar to traditional landline phones.

Posted on: 2008-12-30, in: General VoIP

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'4m fibre connections' by 2013

The number of fibre broadband connections in the UK is set to increase dramatically over the next five years, according to a new report.

A study by analysis firm Point Topic has claimed that around four million homes and businesses will be using the technology to go online by 2013.

This will account for roughly 20 per cent of the 22 million total broadband connections by that time, with "well over 11 million" fibre lines predicted for 2016.

Using landlines for broadband will become less popular however, dropping from a 78 per cent market share to just 57 per cent in the future.

If the firm is correct, then most users will see speeds of around 20Mbps.

However, Point Topic's chief analyst Tim Johnson said there was currently "controversy" about whether users would want or need the high speeds.

"People will be able to mix video telephony, TV, audio, online games and virtual worlds, all high quality and high resolution, into the total experience they want at that moment," he explained.

"In fact it's what today's teenagers are trying to do right now and in a few more years the technology will catch up with them."

Posted on: 2008-12-29, in: Broadband

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