The year 2009 was not a very good year for most world economies as the global recession from previous years continued to take its toll. Now that it’s halfway Levitra through 2010, these economies are slowly bouncing back with renewed vigor in various markets for products and services; and one such market VoIP telephony for home, businesses and industries.

Although many VoIP users are motivated by cost, they are also motivated to switch by the several advancements in VoIP technology that have been shaping the industry. These include improved features and enhanced capabilities, as well as the improved integration of standards based applications with voice and video services. Interconnection of VoIP services is picking up steam as the growing worldwide interest in high definition VoIP capabilities continues to spread.

The following is a brief overview of some of the latest movers and shakers in VoIP networks and technologies as well as a brief look into upcoming trends that will set the pace for what’s next in VoIP for the years to come.

The Latest Advances in VoIP Technologies

The world has recently been introduced to a wave of new mobile devices with VoIP interoperability that industry experts say will be the future of mainstream telephony. This shift could happen in just a few years. The technology already exists; VoIP calls made on a cellular phone can be “handed off” to a Wi-Fi network the moment the user steps into their office network or into a wireless hotspot. VoIP over carrier networks is also in its infancy, and improvements to mobile networks can only mean greater adoption for VoIP calling. Soon, mobile VoIP will be commonly used.

Most VoIP providers right now charge users for all inbound and outbound calls to PSTN networks. But with the integration of separate services such as the acquisition of Gizmo5 by Google who provides unlimited free calls to North America through Google Voice, users will be able to enjoy the compounded benefits of free calls to the US and Canada and cheap calls to any destination worldwide using only their broadband-enabled personal computer.

Integration of video and multimedia is another key element of VoIP that will move this technology to the next level. Soon, two-way video calling using smartphones equipped with VoIP clients may be just as common as voice calls.

An Inside Look at What’s Next

VoIP is more than just voice. The next generation VoIP networks and technologies will likely focus more on multimedia and video capabilities that will further improve telecommunications and change what it means to be connected in highly interesting and innovative ways. The end user experience is further enhanced with the introduction of high definition video and high definition audio.

Already, VoIP is being integrated into the video conferencing and chat capabilities of upcoming digital TVs. This will inevitably affect both social networking and eCommerce portals by allowing users to interact more freely and directly with other people in separate networks.

VoIP is also growing in household deployments. Users can make calls from any telecommunications device in their homes without a landline. Using a softphone connected to a PC, a mobile VoIP phone device, or an SIP-enabled phone, household members can make inexpensive calls even to international destinations. Similarly, business VoIP makes it easy for management and staff to communicate and collaborate even if members are travelling halfway across the world.

Author Bio: Andrew is a VoIP and business software expert specializing in hosted business phone service and SIP provider solutions.

Category: Technology/VOIP
Keywords: SIP provider, business VoIP, mobile VoIP, hosted voip, hosted phone system, business phone service, hosted pbx