Is VoIP Poised to Take Flight?

If everything goes as projected, VoIP penetration will increase from 10 percent of U.S. businesses and organizations in 2005 to 45 percent by the end of 2007, according to the findings of a study conducted by Osterman Research.

The study was based on two online surveys of IT professionals conducted in December, 2004 and January, 2005. The first survey polled 106 respondents selected from Osterman’s online panel of approximately 1,000 members, the second polled 103. All were at the manager or administrator level, or ”hands-on operations professionals below the CIO level”, said Michael Osterman, president of Osterman Research.

”Our study basically found two things,” Osterman said. ”VoIP is definitely gaining traction in enterprise, and the primary reason is the perceived cost savings that comes from the technology.”

Roughly 60 of survey respondents said the most attractive thing about VoIP would be a reduction in telephony costs. They were also optimistic about the potential benefits of running all their videoconferencing, conference calls, e-mail, instant messaging, and Web access through a single Internet channel.

The survey also found that, while only a minority (16 percent) were in the later stages of integrating their voice and data networks, approximately 75 percent of respondents saw the benefit of such integration and already planned it.

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