VoIP News: December 2009

Internet giant Google has announced a new investment in VoIP phones technology, highlighting the continued growth of the sector.

The search engine and internationally-recognised brand has confirmed its acquisition of VoIP specialists Gizmo5, sparking speculation that the organisatiopn is set to integrate such technology into its existing Google Voice services.

Writing for eweek, Google executive Bradley Horowitz said: "Voicemail transcription, inbox integration and threaded SMS are fantastic features, but we're really just scratching the surface.

"Gizmo5 gives us talent and talent technology. They have specific tech and skills in further integrating telephony with devices and desktop and Web-based computing."

He added that the company plans to incorporate VoIP solutions into the Google Voice facility by the end of 2010, which will allow users to make phone calls to all online voice communications users, regardless of data connections.

Google is host to the world's largest archive of Usenet messages, with more than one billion posts dating back to 1981.

The emergence of VoIP solutions as a cheap alternative to traditional landlines could signal the end of phone calls as we know them, it has been claimed.

Tom Nolle, president of software specialists CIMI Corp, believes the "plain old telephone service", or POTS, will soon be rendered obsolete by the growing poularity of VoIP phones and other online communication technologies.

Writing in his blog for Internet Evolution, he says: "When VoIP was first introduced, everybody predicted that voice on the Internet would destroy the old POTS model.

"Now, with even service providers buying VoIP companies, it looks like that's about to happen."

He adds that there have been strong signals that the communications sector is now focusing its attention on VoIP solutions, with many well-known companies now investing in VoIP technology, such as Google.

Mr Nolle has led CIMI Corp, which provides networks and systems integration, software publishing and strategic consultancy services, since its incorporation in 1982.

Companies seeking to lower should consider investing in VoIP solutions, a leading industry expert has claimed.

Director of ttmobiles Peter Readman believes that, providing a broadband connection is in place, companies can use VoIP phones to benefit from "inexpensive" calls that provide the "absolute lowest cost solutions" for budding businesses.

Mr Readman added:"20 per cent of major companies spend more than half their IT budget on telecoms."

The comments were made in response to recent research conducted on behalf of ttmobiles, which found that personal calls by employees comprise approximately one-third of the average company's phone bill, costing businesses around £1 billion annually.

Mr Readman also said that VoIP solutions have become increasingly important to the communications marketplace, which is highlighted by the fact that expenditure on such technologies now outstrips that of fixed-line services.

Founded in 2001, ttmobiles claims to have since established itself as the UK's number one provider of independent, outsourced mobile communications management.

The parent company of mobile network O2 has recognised the growing popularity of VoIP phones with a multimillion takeover of a VoIP provider.

Telefonica has announced the purchase of VoIP solutions specialists Jajah in a deal worth 145 million euros (£131 million), with the company's chief executive officer Matthew Key making it clear that the company sees VoIP phones as an important player in the communications technology market going forward.

Mr Key said: "The acquisition of Jajah broadens the scope of our communications offering and opens up new capabilities in the voice communication space.

"[Users] now have an even wider range of communications channels available and have the option of speaking directly to each other as well as communicating by text or keyboard."

The all-cash agreement remains subject to formal clearance by the Spanish competition authority CNC.

Telefonica services are present in 25 countries worldwide and generated more than 268 million customer accesses in the period leading up to September 2009.

Telefonica agrees VoIP phones deal

A US provider of VoIP solutions is predicting a very happy New Year for the sector, forecasting widespread growth on an international scale for VoIP hardware in 2010.

According to Ari Rabban, chief executive officer for Phone.com, the VoIP solutions sector has shown itself to be largely recession-proof, emerging from the shadows of the tough global economic conditions as a top choice for small businesses looking to cut costs.

Mr Rabban told TMCnet: "The mobile VoIP market will continue to gain more and more traction and we can expect to see some major announcements coming out during 2010, but perhaps more important than announcements, actual usage."

The website reports that the communications technology sector, which includes companies offering VoIP solutions, has already seen widespread growth throughout 2009, adding that Phones.com itself reported a three-fold rise in sales over the course of the year.

A recent survey by internet service provider O2 concluded that mobile broadband technology has benefitted 44 per cent of UK businesses in recent months.

VoIP solutions uptake predicted to rise in New Year.