If you’re a network engineer with knowledge of Voice over IP, your future is looking bright. At least according to Forrester Research who expect a growth in demand of network and data communications analysts of 6% in 2007 and another 6% in 2008. This will add up to about 200.000 network and data communications analysts in 2008 and is a direct consequence of investments in IP networks done in 2005 and 2006.
According recent reports Microsoft’s new small business VoIP solution fails to impress. Response Point is a VoIP platform for businesses with 100 employees or less. It provides support for VoIP and traditional phone lines and has a voice activated web interface. Microsoft will be selling the solution through three hardware vendors: D-Link, Uniden and Quanta.
Yesterday we took a look at consumer VoIP adoption, today we’ll have a look at the IP PBX sales in the first quarter of 2007. Sales figures across the globe (with the exception of the Asia Pacific region) are impressive. With the Middle East and Africa marking a 29% increase in sales compared to Q1 2006, Latin America 11%, Eastern Europe 7% and increases of 5% and more in Western Europe (with the exception of Luxembourg, Netherlands and Italy). Even the USA marked an, albeit less spectacular, increase of 4% in sales.
The gap between Europe and US VoIP adoption continues to grow according a recent report from research firm In-Stat. While the total number of VoIP users in Europe amounted to 19 million in 2006, only about 10.6 million Americans were using the technology in the USA. The adoption in the EU is expected to double in 2007 to 34 million, the US is only expected to grow 50% to 15.9 million by the end of 2007.
With its latest acquisition, Google has officially entered the VoIP business. Some may say that entry was made earlier with the introduction of Google Talk but GrandCentral’s acquisition seems more significant. While Google Talk is merely a nice implementation of some open standards and a direct hit on Skype, GrandCentral provides a more unique product but also an ever growing tighter grip of Google on its users.
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