Social media, gaming spheres increasing VoIP prevalence

Recent reports have shown that an increasing number of business owners have begun to recognize the value of VoIP telephony service for increasing their unified communications. However, experts say other sectors are also embracing this technology for other uses.

Juniper Research recently released a study entitled “Mobile Voice & Video Calling: Strategic Opportunities & Business Models 2011-2016.” In it, the firm reports that social media networks and gaming developers are integrating VoIP technology into their applications with increasing regularity.

These trends are driven by demand for mobile VoIP technology, said the report. By 2016, the research projects roughly 640 million consumers will be using mVoIP applications, in part because major social media and gaming providers are encouraging its use.

“Eventually voice may become one of several options in an environment where multiple methods of communicating are possible on the same platform,” Juniper Research’s Anthony Cox said in a press release.

However, while the report touched on the benefits of VoIP and mobile VoIP for consumer applications, business owners may also see value in these technologies. That reality prompted research earlier this year from In-Stat, which projected spending on mobile VoIP infrastructure to reach or surpass $6 billion by 2015, led in part by a surge of interest from businesses looking to adopt better network communication.

Analysts with that group said the technology presents employees with the advantage of enjoying the functionality they receive from their VoIP-enabled desk phones on their mobile devices.

“Business-oriented solutions will essentially enable the users’ cellphones to become an extension of their desk phones and will deliver, in addition to voice, a unified communications experience, including email, IM, and collaboration,” Amy Cravens, a market analyst with that group, said in a press release.

Analysts with that group said the technology presents employees with the advantage of enjoying the functionality they receive from their VoIP-enabled desk phones on their mobile devices.