VOIP is a commodity. Don`t believe me? I would be surprised to hear of a company that hasn`t been offered this technology in one form or another. Hard VOIP users topped the 100 million mark, based on research conducted in the UK and released in 2010. VOIP was being used in South Africa before it was legalised in 2005, it`s been six years since the technology was official, and it`s even more of a topical subject today then it was back then.

The only difference now is that VOIP has a new face, says Mitchell Barker, founder of WhichVOIP. There used to be a clear distinction between VOIP, IP telephony and unified communications. Going forward, it`s going to be about users (not devices) and applications (not features).

I am terming this piece `VOIP 2.0` with the intent of highlighting what I believe to be `survival mode for VOIP`. Those not moving with the times will struggle to retain their customers until they can wrap enough value around what it is they are offering. The market is ready for providers to step up to the plate.