Voice over Internet Protocol pioneer Jeff Pulver has announced a number of predictions for what will happen to the VoIP industry in the year ahead.
Pulver, the chairman of Pulver.com Enterprises, is responsible for creating the Voice on the Net (VON) events. His predictions for 2005 are:
* VoIP in the USA will cross the "early-adopter chasm,"
* Broadband penetration will begin to snowball in the US, but not at a pace fast enough to raise America's mediocre global standing in broadband penetration,
* There will be a restart of VoIP IPOs, and there will also be some VoIP startups burning-out due to lack of marketing funds and customer base and vision,
* There will be more major carrier VoIP announcements, as well as significant product announcements from major non-carriers (including software and Internet giants),
* New battle lines and tangling alliances will form between and among carriers, vendors and application providers and debate will grow over the continuing role for unaffiliated, non-carrier VoIP providers.
Pulver also says that governments around the world will look harder at VoIP regulation, and service providers will respond by stepping up their efforts to deploy industry-based solutions for many of the social issues confronting the industry. These issues include emergency response and lawful intercept. He also says the pace of wireless replacement of wireline will increase.
"We are in the midst of a VoIP communications revolution," says Pulver. "The buzz surrounding the international VoIP industry continues to grow, and it's important for everyone to understand and take advantage of the changes taking place. IP communications is 'disruptive' communications in the most positive sense, and it will dramatically enhance the ways in which we communicate."
Pulver.com Enterprises is based in Melville, NY. For more information visit
www.pulver.com.
