VoIP News: May 2009

Lincolnshire-based businesses using VoIP hardware could find their services improved with the launch of a bonded ADSL system, reports BroadbandGenie.co.uk.

Major broadband provider BT has formed a partnership with Sharedband to provide connection speeds to businesses of as many as four ADSL lines, which could help improve video-conferencing, VoIP solutions and virtual private networks.

Firms based in rural communities will also be able to take advantage of the service, although connection speeds on offer will depend on their proximity to local telephone exchanges.

Stephen Heath, IT manager at Househam Sprayer in Lincolnshire, told the website: "We are now getting 2Mb on the upstream in comparison with the much lower speeds available from other alternatives and we benefit from nearly double the normal download speeds."

He added that the new system also works well with the virtual private network already used by the company to provide access to remote offices and the internet.

In related news, funding of over £220,000 will allow Avanti Communications to develop satellite technology that could help improve the internet connections of rural communities.

Posted on: 2009-05-29, in: Broadband

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Research firm Infonetics says the popularity of VoIP solutions is set to become more widespread in the coming years, according to destinationcrm.com.

Diane Myers, an analyst with Infonetics, said the popularity of VoIP solutions grew by more than 30 per cent through the course of 2008 and the technology's influence is likely to expand even further.

Ms Myers said many businesses will adopt VoIP hardware in order to hold onto their customer base more effectively and retain a competitive edge within the wider economy.

The analyst told the website: "If you look in the not-so-distant future, VoIP is going to reach an inflection point in which more traffic will go over VoIP than [over] circuit switch."

She went on to say that mobile could prove a more popular choice for customers if their providers do not take the decision to adopt VoIP solutions in the near future.

In related news, over 60 per cent of UK businesses are embracing remote working opportunities, according to research from Citrix Online.

Posted on: 2009-05-29, in: General VoIP

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A discussion about the benefits of VoIP solutions on major US talkshow the Oprah Winfrey show has revealed the growth of the technology.

The show is watched by millions of people around the world and suggests that VoIP hardware is now becoming better known among ordinary computer users and businesspeople, as well as in specialist IT communities, reports voip-news.com.

In addition, a range of widely-read newspapers in the US have recently covered the subject, with much of the focus falling on how VoIP solutions can be more cost-effective.

John Rees, commercial director at 8el, said: "Regardless of US celebrities or macro global trends, UK businesses have always had a keen eye on the bottom line. VoIP is an excellent delivery technology to reduce cost and improve staff efficiencies."

He added that the scale of uptake is simply a matter of how fast businesses choose to take advantage of the technology.

In related broadband news, eBay businesses are becoming more common in the UK with the proliferation of faster services, according to the Financial Times.

Posted on: 2009-05-29, in: General VoIP

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The UK has fallen out of the top ten of 30 nations in terms of the rate of broadband take-up, partly due to delays in the use of fibre optic networks.

Although the UK is placed in the top five in the list of nations encompassed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), there are fewer subscribers per 100 inhabitants, which has resulted in a fall from the top ten, reports broadband-expert.co.uk.

Despite the UK's prowess in terms of overall broadband subscribers and the spread of VoIP solutions along with mobile web connections, the relative lack of fibre infrastructure means Britain falls far behind countries such as Japan and South Korea in this category.

In relation to broadband subscribers by population, Denmark sits at number one, with the rest of the top three comprising the Netherlands and Norway.

The OECD research reveals that the UK has nearly 23 broadband subscribers for every 100 inhabitants and has almost 11.3 million connected users altogether.

Virgin Media and BT are among the most active internet service providers in terms of investment in next-generation technology.

Posted on: 2009-05-28, in: Broadband

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BT has warned that Ofcom price caps imposed on its network could reduce its ability to invest in the development of next-generation broadband infrastructure.

The telecoms giant will be limited in terms of how much it can charge other internet service providers for using the BT network, meaning it may have to look to other sources to help fund its planned roll-out of fibre optic networks.

A total of £1.5 billion has been earmarked for investment in high-speed broadband networks - potentially improving the performance of such application as VoIP solutions - but the company has been hamstrung recently by a pension fund deficit that will need £525 million over the next three years to rectify.

BT recently announced plans to connect ten million UK homes with next-generation technology that could boost download speeds by a factor of five, but losses from BT Global Services could force the company to scale back its scheme.

Virgin Media is one of BT's primary competitors and recently launched a 50Mbps broadband service.

Posted on: 2009-05-28, in: Broadband

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