By 2017, the Enterprise Softphone market is predicted to reach a value of over $200 million and account for nearly 3 million units in volume sales. An immense figure indeed, which has been powered and pushed forward solely by the ever growing pervasiveness of Voip networks.
For anyone not in the know, don't let the name confuse you. A 'Softphone' rarely resembles a phone at all, per se, but rather a piece of software/ computer application that enables users to make calls directly from their computer - in effect turning their computer or laptop into a telephone.
Softphones can take a myriad of different forms, with communications being directed through either a headset and microphone arrangement or a special USB phone (which looks like a standard phone but plugs into the - you guessed it - USB port of a computer) in order to mimic the function and looks of an actual telephone.
Although Softphones are not as yet an application to pose any serious threat to the use of desktop or mobile phones, their continued growth - in particular in the enterprise space - has been sizeable and consistent.
The enterprise workspace includes call centres - an area where Softphone rise is nothing short of phenomenal - where the advantages offered, such as the opportunity to remove all wired hardware requirements along with drastically increasing mobility, are just too great to overlook.
The other main area of growth is the ever increasing number of mobile workers and the need for companies to keep in touch with them wherever they are in the world at all times. Because of the advantages offered by Voip, any employee with a Softphone can gain instant access to HQ at anytime via any broadband connection.
At present, the latest findings published in the New Market Research Report on Enterprise Softphones show that although the US represents the largest regional market, Asia-Pacific is by far the fastest growing market in terms of both volume sales and revenue, growing at a rate of more than 19% & 13% respectively.
But whether you prefer to talk into a regular phone of a microphone or even a glorified speaker, the only thing that really matters is the quality of service and support provided by your Voip service provider. As they say, its not what you say, its how you say it - so make sure you say it good.
For anyone not in the know, don't let the name confuse you. A 'Softphone' rarely resembles a phone at all, per se, but rather a piece of software/ computer application that enables users to make calls directly from their computer - in effect turning their computer or laptop into a telephone.
Softphones can take a myriad of different forms, with communications being directed through either a headset and microphone arrangement or a special USB phone (which looks like a standard phone but plugs into the - you guessed it - USB port of a computer) in order to mimic the function and looks of an actual telephone.
Although Softphones are not as yet an application to pose any serious threat to the use of desktop or mobile phones, their continued growth - in particular in the enterprise space - has been sizeable and consistent.
The enterprise workspace includes call centres - an area where Softphone rise is nothing short of phenomenal - where the advantages offered, such as the opportunity to remove all wired hardware requirements along with drastically increasing mobility, are just too great to overlook.
The other main area of growth is the ever increasing number of mobile workers and the need for companies to keep in touch with them wherever they are in the world at all times. Because of the advantages offered by Voip, any employee with a Softphone can gain instant access to HQ at anytime via any broadband connection.
At present, the latest findings published in the New Market Research Report on Enterprise Softphones show that although the US represents the largest regional market, Asia-Pacific is by far the fastest growing market in terms of both volume sales and revenue, growing at a rate of more than 19% & 13% respectively.
But whether you prefer to talk into a regular phone of a microphone or even a glorified speaker, the only thing that really matters is the quality of service and support provided by your Voip service provider. As they say, its not what you say, its how you say it - so make sure you say it good.
About the Author:
Saul Saresi writes regularly about the world of Voip practices and technology business voip More information about Voip can be found on his site Voipdito voip for business