VoIP Telephony - A viable business Option

Companies which have their own PBX, no matter how small, can also buy a `black box' addition to allow VoIP calls to interface directly with landline calls on the company PBX.

Choosing a `black box' addition to a company PBX is a complex matter and, as with all matters involving VoIP technology in all but the smallest of small businesses, it pays to take advice from a reputable supplier, as the consequences of not doing so can be costly.

The cost savings from moving to VoIP can, nevertheless, be quite significant, which perhaps explains why a growing a number of UK companies are moving their telephony systems over to VoIP.

And the conventional telcos are starting to notice. A report released in February by IDC says says that revenues from voice telephony are now declining in most European countries, mainly as a result of VoIP services.

IDC estimates that the European fixed-voice market will decline from $108 billion in 2003 to $95 billion by 2008, an annual contraction of three per cent a year. This is despite the total telephony usage amongst consumers and businesses being expected to rise by a similar amount year-on-year.

From his base in Sheffield, England, Steve Gold has been an IT journalist specialising in communications and security for 22 years, 18 of them full-time.