VOIP users to reach 288m

The total number of mobile voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) users will reach 288 million by the end of 2013, reports Maintel.

Market research company In-Stat has released findings showing that one third of VOIP users will use mobile VOIP with 3G operators and 11% with WiMax operators.

In-Stat also projects that by 2013, mobile VOIP applications will generate annual revenues of $35.2 billion. Also the number of WiFi and cellular dual-mode handsets will be over 400 million by 2013.

Nokia and Skype have signed a deal to offer VOIP calls to Nokia's Symbian handsets, states Tech Radar.

Skype says it will soon introduce VOIP to Symbian mobile devices from other manufacturers, including Sony Ericsson.

Jo Harlow, Nokia senior vice-president for smartphones, says: "We're seeing around 1.5 million downloads a day on Ovi Store now and believe that the Skype client for Nokia smartphones will have wide appeal to Symbian users."

Beijing PowerUnique Technologies, one of the subsidiaries of China VOIP and Digital Telecom, is driving its virtualisation technology in China, says TMCnet.

The subsidiary is collaborating with system integrators to gain more government and enterprise customers as well as increase its market share.

Li Kunwu, president and CEO at China VOIP and Digital Telecom says: “Using our own sales force and leveraging the system integrators, we should be able to accelerate the pace of gaining a larger market share, which will create a solid foundation for our long-term development in the virtualisation industry.”