UC & VoIP
VoIP and the IoT
As the Internet of Things scales, and smart devices continue
to grow in numbers and capabilities, VoIP will become an
even bigger player. By leveraging IoT technology, VoIP’s
potential and future value will grow as it’s able to integrate
with, and interact with these ‘things’.
Due to a host of concerns around privacy and security,
integrating the two won’t be easy but it does have rewards.
While it will require significant strategic investment from
businesses looking to leverage their joint capabilities, it will
more than pay off in the long run. With the continuing shift
to mobility, the relationship between the two technologies is
only just beginning, further primed to evolve and innovate.
Keeping it in check
As with any technology experiencing high growth and
commonplace in society, regulatory bodies start taking
notice. The opportunity for mobile broadband users to
access Skype on smartphones resulted in a handful of
European operators blocking its access over their networks
in a bid to prevent loss of revenues. More recently of
course, regulators have been looking to stop access on the
grounds that it’s inconsistent with net neutrality laws.
Voice telephony may move solely to VoIP in the future,
but until this happens and while VoIP network operators
need to interconnect with incumbent operators’ PSTNs,
regulations will need to be put in place to manage the
technology, its providers and their users.
Such regulations are often necessary to ensure that
technology is used appropriately and fairly by all parties
- for a recent example of this just look at the European
Union’s General Data Protection Regulation, which is set to
transform the way organisations handle consumer data.
The future’s bright
Fifteen years after VoIP first proved its cost benefits, ten
years after ‘telephony’ reinvented itself as UC, and five since
it all became ‘just another app’, we’re now witnessing the
consumerisation and democratisation of enterprise-class,
personal communications and messaging, by going ‘over
the top’.
Moving forward, by incorporating UC platforms to
include VoIP, enterprises will quickly realise immediate,
palpable benefits such as enhanced productivity and greater
communication flexibility and, cost savings.
Add to that the increasing advancement of technology
and the possibilities with the IoT, it will be interesting to
witness how VoIP and softphone providers will be able to
harness these new capabilities to benefit their users. But one
thing is clear, exciting times are on the horizon. n
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