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.

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.

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 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.

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.