The more we understand how a technology like VoIP evolved, the better we can know how to leverage it to benefit our business. Having already discussed how VoIP came about, let’s talk about how it became a dominant force for both business and personal use and where we believe it is going in the next few years.
2000s – VoIP Comes into Its Own
In the next few years after VocalTec introduced the InternetPhone in 1995, VoIPs popularity really began to take off. More companies began introducing VoIP service, and more people began to realize they could use it to communicate over long distances while avoiding pricey telephone tolls. One major breakthrough was the emergence of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) in the early 2000s, which opened the door for hosted VoIP and provided a more secure network for Internet calling. In 2003, a company called Skype changed the game further by allowing user-to-user calls to happen for free from anywhere in the world—eventually expanding its features to include video chat (for which it is mostly known today) and the ability to call any phone number from one’s computer. Roughly 25 percent of all voice calls in 2003 were done through VoIP.
2010s – VoIP Dominates the Market
As more and more features were introduced and Internet technology itself kept improving, VoIP use began to grow at unprecedented rates between 2010-2020, often by as much as 28 percent per year. Another milestone was reached with the evolution of Unified Communications technology during the twenty-teens, which utilized VoIP to integrate a whole array of device-to-device communications services—including conference calling, video conferencing, softphones, website chat, team chat messaging, CRM integration, and much more. By the time the 2020 pandemic hit and many businesses pivoted to remote work environments, VoIP technology became the platform of choice to help team members stay connected with customers and with each other.
Future of VoIP
As VoIP use now approaches a threshold of 90 percent of the workforce, many experts are predicting that traditional phone lines may become a thing of the past over the next decade. VoIP itself continues to expand and evolve as more companies are turning to mobile VoIP and softphone apps to replace traditional handsets, and VoIP integration with CRM allows teammates to communicate with clients within the platform without having to pick up a phone. Today, more and more small businesses are discovering that VoIP technology and features give them an affordable way to compete globally with much larger companies while giving them the agility to work from almost anywhere.
Ready to leverage the power of VoIP for your Orange County small business? We are here to help. Call 1-877-NetServ today to discuss your options.