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How long do you think VoIP technology will last?
VoIP has been a pretty popular topic over the past few years, but I’m wondering how long it will take for the fad to die down. Do you think VoIP has already hit its peak, or is there still much to be done with the technology? What types of systems do you think will replace VoIP systems in the future? Do you think video conferencing will become a more integral part of our communications infrastructure?
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5 Answers
What a loaded question, Glenn! I wouldn't call VoIP a fad, that's for sure. I could write a book on this one, and will just say one thing here. VoIP's time has passed in terms of how most people think of it - as a Vonage-style home phone replacement service.
However, VoIP has a lot of life left, but in a different form. I don't see much future as a standalone service, but it's got lots of upside as an enabling technology that integrates with other communications modes, especially those that improve business processes. The key here is to use VoIP to voice-enable applications that previously relied on other modes. It's harder to monetize this way, but the business models will come, are voice mashup companies are doing this today and making money.
Thank you for your great input, Jon. Your response has restored my faith in VoIP. I always seem to think that all technology gets outdated, but I think you swayed me to the other side of the fence this time. I think you hit a key point with integration with other communications modes to improve business processes. As long as VoIP can continue to improve it's technology with new updates. I see it staying around for a while too. Thanks again for your input.
The numbers tell it all, there are more VOIP systems being sold today, and it's anything but a fad.
Communications in general is changing still in very big ways. VOIP enables one big thing, the elimination of the central processor for telecommunications. Just like the PC was not a fad, and the mainframe became a dinosaur, SIP telephones move the processing of calls to the edge, and small servers replace the dinosaur and legacy PBX that has been the mainstay of telecommunications.
Picture the changes since the mainframe went away - mobile processing on cell phones, connectivity to your office, email, web, it all came with the growth of the distributed processing power that PC's brought to the market.
The same thing is happening to telecommunications. The central office of yesterday is going away. The portable communications device that is integrated to the web, your IM, your email, and all other business processes is the name of the game today.
VoIP (or IPT) is evolutionary - the evolution of voice communications, not a fad.
"What is next?" would be a better question to ask since integration of voice and data networks is here to stay. Remember when PCs and main frames had their own networks? Doesn't that seem silly now?
Video over IP was expected and is happening already, but more opportunities will come with integration of processes in which voice and video will be just tools in a great big tool box called convergence.
We are seeing Mobility, Customer Service, Presence, and more come to be part of this evolution. The evolution will never stop. It will get better.
As Timothy says VoIP is evolving, its certainly not a fad as the benefits it brings will push delevment and open ideas for future uses... From my point of view and after installing and supporting very large systems, upwards of 10,000 user installs I see one key area that needs developing and one that will be focused upon more, and that is in the energy efficiency of VoIp solutions on a large scale.. This is a key area and one that is overlooked quite often, in the old PBX work you had a powered core, now all your devices rely on power; swiches phones server "often many". providing resiliance to your organisation becomes difficult. This I feel is one area that VoiP is lacking, but one which will see some signifacant changes... The technology behind IPT has been building for the last 20 years into what it is now and I dont see this as chaging radically now for another 10-15 years.
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