VOIP market set to grow

The Voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) access and services market is expected to build on its 40.1% growth in user base and 22.3% in revenues, reports TMCnet.

Frost & Sullivan analysts found that enterprises are looking for alternatives to their legacy time division multiplexing-based communication infrastructure.

The researchers claim "intense market competition and the resulting price pressures, at least at the lower end of the market, are likely to keep the subscriber base growing at a faster rate than revenues, translating to lower margins for the providers”.

More than 50% of consumers in the Middle East and Europe are switching to handsets with advanced features such as VOIP, states Gulf News.

The UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority has given the green signal to both telco operators in the UAE to offer VOIP services.

Gigaset Communications CEO Hahzad Ahmad says the fixed-line telephone market is not shrinking despite speculation. He says Gigaset is set to grow following VOIP policies opening up in the Middle East.

Telecommunications distributor DMSL is looking for resellers to branch into hosted VOIP, says Channel Web.

DMSL managing director John Carter claims resellers should act fast to become involved in a buoyant market. “For the next two years, this is going to be the sweet spot,” he says.

DMSL's fixITlocal programme, which links end-users with IT problems to resellers in their area, has also been overhauled. Since its inception, the scheme has been fraught with concerns over dwindling membership and modest call-out volumes.