US VoIP services have topped the $20 billion mark in first half of the year.
It seems that there may have been some truth to VoIP services being an affordable alternative to traditional phone systems.
Businesses and homes have been capitalising on the internet telephone system and more growth is set for the second half of the year.
Home use is still where the majority of the revenue is coming from, with the number of subscribers growing 14% from the end of 2008 through until the first half of 2009.
Businesses are expected to get involved with VoIP more and more as unified communication grows; unifying all company correspondence.
According to TechCrunch Google has acquired skype-like VoIP venture Gizmo5 in a $30 million cash transaction.
Similar to Skype, Gizmo5 allows users to call other Gizmo users at no charge, offers cheap call rates to landlines and mobile phones and allows for SMS and Instant Messaging.
Google has not confirmed or commented on the buyout but the general consensus amongst industry experts is that the deal has indeed been done.
VoIP Watch blog author Andy Abramson considers the search giant’s acquisition a key component of its VoIP strategy. The Gizmo5 technology serves as a PSTN (public switched telephone network) link for Google allowing users to make conventional landline or mobile calls. This, combined with Google’s own Google Voice call management application and Google Talk (its voice/chat application), the path to a whole new all conquering service, “a lot more powerful than Skype” has been laid.
How exactly Google will shape its new masterpiece and what this will mean for consumers is still unclear but Abramson speculates that Google may offer a “free, ad-support phone service”, that is a service that is free and driven by advertising revenue.
Regardless of the details, VoIP is bound to change the face of telecommunications as we know it.
In-Stat expects a huge rise in the popularity of VoIP over the next four years.
In spite of many mobile operators trying to delay the development of online VoIP it is expected to create revenues of £21.3 billion by 2013. The number of users is predicted to rise to 287 million.
Reportlinker.com predicts that VoIP will have a dramatic effect on the way we use mobile phones to communicate. VoIP is no longer just a cost effective way to bypass international call rates but is developing into a sophisticated mobile application.
While some operators try to stall technological advancements in a bid to preserve revenues from international call charges, others such as WiMax and 3G have started harnessing the potential of mobile VoIP. As more operators join, this will further increase the speed and quality of technological development.
Business travelers can benefit dramatically from VoIP as an internet business solution when they are not at the office. This demand is expected to rise significantly in the next year in London, Paris and Berlin.
A great variety of VoIP headsets have been developed specifically to meet the growing demand for this up and coming technology and to provide quality and comfort to business people, professional and amateur talk-aholics alike.
No VoIP apps for iPhone just yet.
Last month, the phone giant AT&T Inc. announced that they would begin allowing iPhone owners to use VoIP calling services on its wireless network. The move came two months after the Federal Communications Commission sent letters to AT&T, Apple and Google Inc. asking why the Google Voice messaging and calling application had not been approved for use on the iPhone.
Everybody applauded this decision, but more than one month has passed by and applications such as Skype, Nimbuzz, Truphone or Fring still don’t work on the iPhone outside of Wi-Fi spots.
Those connections generally have limited mobility and therefore present less of a competitive threat to AT&T’s core wireless calling business. Nevertheless it is seemingly Apple the one who is preventing this to happen. In fact, an AT&A spokesman said: “any questions about why VoIP isn’t 3G enabled should go to Apple.”
Meanwhile Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris said in an email that they are still working on the update to their development agreements in order to get VoIP apps on the App Store as soon as possible.
Dubai operators stand to make revenue from VoIP if legalised for international use.
VoIP is currently illegal for international use in Gulf states and punishable by deportation in some cases. However, Dubai has a large number of expatriates creating great demand for VoIP services to make calls across the border. With this in mind the telecommunications industry is currently reviewing the legislation.
Concerns are that if VoIP is legalised, the demand for mobile and fixed-line calls will be heavily reduced, causing the industry financial loss. Analysts, however, point out that a change in legislation may actually be an opportunity for operators to make revenue.
Senior analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media Mohammad Hamza explains that with VoIP legalised for international use operators will be able to claw back some of the revenue currently made from illegal use.
If legalised, VoIP for international use would be run by operators rather than third party providers and instead than being offered as a stand-alone product, it could easily be bundled with other offers allowing for added revenue.
According to the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority mobile and fixed-line call rates would not be affected much as they have already been heavily reduced.
VoIP call rates will be most beneficial when calling another VoIP user. If using VoIP to call a mobile or fixed-line, there will be a charge.
Many people would happily accept using the VoIP service at a small charge And are keen to get this legalised.
VoIP calls made with mobile phones are going to undercut the tariff costs set by mobile phone providers according to a new report.
The findings proved that mobile calls taken using a mobile network will be 15 times cheaper than a 3G mobile phone call. The allure of low cost calls, will of course increase the desire for VoIP.
Those could greatly benefit from VoIP will be those who want to avoid the exorbitant roaming charges from international calling.
The report did point out that 3G VoIP was not reliable as web coverage needed for this services was poor. However, as handset technology improves and web advances are made, 3G VoIP will be become more dependable.
As VoIP takes off, it is likely that mobile phone operators will design their own VoIP applications to capitalise on the technology, as currently the software must be downloaded.
The number of people using their phones to access the web has greatly increased with the figure last year reaching 14.4 million.
The Voice over Internet Protocol services provided by Google are being investigated for a possible breach of telecommunication laws.
The Federal Communications Commission are investigating the possibility that Google Voice has allegedly been refusing to connect the Internet Protocol service to some rural areas.
The Chief of the Wireline Bureau at the Federal Communications Commission has expressed their interest in gathering facts in order to have a clearer understanding of exactly what has been going on.
The FCC bans blocking carriers so that consumers can implement affordable broadband networks of their choice.
It is not fully understood how Google Voice’s VoIP services works and so the FCC have been brought in to investigate this and discover exactly how many people are using the service.
Currently the service is available only by invitation allowing those special individuals to make, receive and take calls – even conference calls. Users can also record calls should they need to and store them on the internet.
The investigation continues.
Edwin Pena, 26, was arrested in Mexico last February for computer hacking and fraud and finally faces these charges this week.
The Venezuelan, who was a former Miami resident, fled the US justice system in August of 2006. This was two months after being bailed following phone hack charges and stealing VoIP call credits.
It is estimated that Pena and his accomplice stole $1.4 million by selling on 10 million voice call minutes taken from unsuspecting telecoms suppliers.
Pena’s accomplice, Robert Moore, pleaded guilty and is currently serving a two year jail sentence. Pena is alleged to have used ‘brute force’ tactics to extract information and activation codes from susceptible telecom supplier systems.
Pena used the proceed of his dirty dealings to live a life of luxury, buying himself a 40 foot boat, a BMW M3 and not to mention the estate in Miami.
The United States have been clamping down on hackers, working with other countries to bring criminals to justice and extradite them back to receive punishment. This case will be the beginning of many.
The debate continues over whether or not in-flight VoIP calls should be allowed.
It seems that discussions have erupted amoungst U.S. travelers, airlines and regulators regarding the use of in-flight cellphone usage via voice over internet protocol.
Travellers have been able to use their mobile phones to make calls over wireless internet access on airliners. The objection comes as mobiles use normal wireless spectrums that are banned because of the potential disruption to an aircraft’s equipement.
A total ban has been urged by some in Congress and a poll has learned that 45% of fliers believe that mobiles should be completely banned. 40% want to know if mobiles pose any threat, and then if there is none, they would like to be able to use the VoIP service.
The other issue will be in-cabin noise levels that will no doubt increase as a direct result of the use of phones onboard.
The debate goes on.
According to a study by Dimension Data, businesses and companies can improve their customer services by using mobile VoIP.
Howard Spink who is the Director for Customer Services and Interactive Solutions at Dimension Data, said that VoIP will push the boudaries of customer services beyond current expectations.
A company using VoIP solutions will also have an integrated customer services department, instead of a separate, margainally isolated department.
Voice over Internet Telephony technology would be combined with other technologies to ensure that the needs of customers would be easily met.
According to research by In-Stat, who analyse the industry, by 2013, there will be 278 million registered VoIP users worldwide. This works out at annual revenues of £19.5 billion.
We already know that VoIP saves money, so how long will it benuntil everyone knows this?
