VoIP is an emerging trend on global base. The market is continuously expanding and it looks like there’s no stopping VoIP. Only a few months ago, Frost & Sullivan revealed a detailed report of its findings that forecasts VoIP’s future.
But before we explore what’s in for future, we should first examine what are the present barriers in the brighter future.
- Prevalence: There seems to be prevalence of old communication means. A big number still relies on complex structures and either feels satisfied with them or does not want to take on the hassle of shifting.
- Reliability: Since many of the users seem content with older technology, they are reluctant to try something new and fear that VoIP might not be as reliable as good old telephony system.
- Options: There is confusion among users regarding which service provider to pick. They are still confused which one provides best value.
All these concerns are genuine but not irrefutable. Some of them will be dealt with as time passes while some already have a solution. For example, since more users are now going for VoIP, laggards are slowly but definitely giving VoIP a thought. Security is getting tighter by the minute and the competition and value dilemma will sort itself out in time as service providers align their services and packages with customer wants.
What is the Current Market Situation?
In 2013, VoIP grew by 30.5 percent. This increases user base by about 1.2 million. The revenue sums up to striking $1.59 Billion. All of this is great news for users and VoIP service providers. Let’s get into numbers to mine more insights.
Who is The Biggest User?
Just look at that! This trend is expected to grow for another half a decade. A smaller company is more likely to be a VoIP user according to the data gathered. The reasons are obvious; SMBs want edge of tomorrow without losing their focus on affordability. There will also be a rise in number of medium and large businesses.
What are The Challenges to IT Decision Makers?
This seems like a good time to bring in the challenges faced by IT industry. Note that the three major causes are related to costs. Most of the leading concerns can b very well resolved by incorporating unified VoIP communications. But…
What do Users Think about VoIP and Cloud Technology?
When asked about their perception of cloud computing and what their attitude towards VoIP, study revealed following facts.
Users feel very positive about VoIP. A big portion agrees that VoIP is effective for company and not only does it improve innovation, collaboration and productivity at a reduced cost, it also improves the company’s image.
It becomes clear that as time passes, need to give more support to mobile workforce and better, faster access will become the norm for cloud and hosted communications.
How Fast is Workforce Mobilizing?
The data revealed that in the future (three years from now), more businesses will move towards a mobile workforce triggering a fall in in-house workers.
|
Present |
Three Years from Now | |
| Remote Workers |
16 |
16 |
| Mobile Workers |
22 |
23 |
| In-office Workers | 62 |
61 |
How Many Users Will Be There in The Future?
Currently, there are more than 138.2 million users, but the data shows a significant portion is already suiting up for VoIP. The data suggests compound annual growth of 27.4 percent, and this is only 18.2 percent penetration.
This only makes sky the limit for VoIP service providers. As more service providers enter and bring with them technological advantages, consumers will also benefit.
What People Want in Communication?
In the near future, we will see thousands of competitors for VoIP crown. But not everyone will reach the apex. Only those who will better understand the demands of consumers will emerge the victor as dust settles.
So, what do customers want?
There seems to be a cutthroat demand for pretty much every quality aspect of service. Same is true regarding the core product. Majority of customers want security, reliability, affordability, vendor reputation, advanced technology, scalability and standard, all in one package.
The future will bring more players in the game, but every entrant will have to fulfill customer demands to survive in the long run. The average revenue per user has been prophesized to attain stability – more good news for the consumer.
Bottom-line is, vendors staying ahead of time with quality product and services at the most competitive prices will win.
What are Conclusive Predictions for the Future of VoIP?
The true picture will uncover with time but this much is clear, VoIP is going to get more poplar and more business will adopt it because:
- It’s innovative
- It’s cheap
- There’s an urgency for realizable and cheap services
- Patterns show workforce is going mobile
- Customers are expecting more for less.
This Article has been provided by VoIPInvite – Providing cost effective VoIP solutions at high bandwidth via extremely fast next generation network
