Packnet Blog

Technology giant IBM has conducted a survey of more than 2,000 medium sized businesses and how they plan to take advantage of technology such as business VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) over the coming 18 months.

The results, which account for firms in over 20 different countries, indicate that budgets will increase for customer service solutions, collaboration, analytics, and most notably, cloud computing.

A market research company has claimed that headsets making use of IP telephony are set to edge out traditional landline phones.

According to Tavis McCourt, MD at internet telephony analysts Morgan Keegan, business phone systems will soon jettison traditional landline telephones altogether as more companies turn to the internet for all of their communications.

Telecoms hardware manufacturer Plantronics has announced an upgrade to its flagship range of Bluetooth headsets, which gives them enhanced IP telephony capability.

At a presentation at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), which took place at glamorous Las Vegas between 10th and 13th of January, the company lifted the lid on the redesign of the Voyager Pro UC Bluetooth headsets. The range was designed to function as VoIP headsets, as well as traditional Bluetooth ones, and was popular with the business owner and VoIP reseller alike, but Plantronics felt it was time to upgrade them.

Snom, the provider of business phone systems, has announced a new programme to train telecoms companies in the best use of IP telephony.

The snom Certified Engineer (SCE) course will be headquartered at the company’s training centre based in Leeds to meet the demand of many VoIP reseller businesses looking at the best ways to tackle the IP telephony market.

A market research company has predicted that 2011 will be the year that mobile voice over internet protocol (VoIP) technology will really take off on a global scale.

When predicting revenues for VoIP resellers and providers of business phone systems, market researchers In-Stat noted the technology is increasingly being adopted by small to medium enterprises (SMEs) worldwide.

Draytek, the Taiwanese manufacturer of business phone systems, has announced the launch of the VigorIPPBX 3510, a telephone system aimed at small to medium enterprises.

The new hardware can support a network of up to 50 people, and can accommodate up to 100 internet protocol extensions, which can be used by office bound staff and employees working from home or out on the road.

Marketing firm Gartner has forecast that 2011 will see a worldwide rise in spending on IT, with business phone systems set to increase more than any other area.

The firm’s estimates have been revised, and now give a much more positive prognosis than was originally thought. Hot on the heels of the recent overall increase in hiring and a recovering stock market, Gartner predicts that global spending on information technology will swell by over 5 per cent, and anticipates the total to be in excess of $3.6 trillion (£2.3 trillion).

SiTel Business Solutions has unveiled its brand new business VoIP processor, which it claims will mean energy savings for small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The SC14461 Green VoIP chip is central to the brand new IP8802 desktop business phone launched by hardware manufacturer LG-Ericsson.

In a surprising move that has signalled a complete about-face, the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has declared that it completely supports IP telephony.

Recent reports from China indicate that the country’s government is clamping down on what it terms “illegal” IP telephony systems such as Skype.