Poll Points to Rising VOIP Revenues

The market for VOIP services and equipment roared back into life in 2003 and is likely to grow even more strongly this year, according to the results of January's Boardwatch Poll.

So far, 59 people have taken the poll, which asks people to say how fast they expect markets to grow for VOIP services, VOIP equipment and VOIP applications software. It also asks respondents to name the hottest equipment and software product categories.

VOIP Services: 31 percent of respondents think revenues will more than double this year and a further 27 percent think they'll grow between 50 percent and 100 percent. Only 4 percent expect zero growth, and nobody expects a decline.

VOIP Equipment: 33 percent of respondents say revenues will more than double this year, and 29 percent think they'll increase by between 50 percent and 100 percent.

Media gateway equipment will grow the fastest, according to 29 percent of responses, followed by Class 5 switches (22 percent).

VOIP Application Software: 27 percent of respondents say revenues will more than double this year, and 29 percent say they'll rise by between 50 percent and 100 percent. Only 9 percent believe revenues will stay the same.

A plurality of respondents -- 39 percent -- predict IP-based hosted contact centers will be the fastest-growing applications. This is followed by IP Centrex (29 percent) and Unified Messaging (14 percent).



To take the poll and see the results in full, click here.

— Nicole Willing, Reporter, Light Reading