AMI Partners releases updated research on VoIP market for small business

Research Company AMI-Partners has released a report predicting growth in the VoIP market among small and medium businesses (SMBs). The research says that more than 30 percent of small businesses (1 – 99 employees) and 50 percent of medium businesses (100-999 employees) determines that VoIP will become basic form of voice communications in their business operations.

AMI’s 2010 report delivers an in-depth analysis of VoIP implementing by U.S. small and medium businesses. AMI considers that the market for IP-based voice communications, i.e. VoIP, IP PBX, will merge finally. However, last several years have been under the tensions of a tough recession and many small and medium sized companies put serious technology decisions on stand by mode. Nevertheless, the migration of voice and data will continue, the assets to leverage data networks with voice communications will get the boost, and the boarders for greater market penetration of IP solutions among the small business community remains wide open. Karen Nielsen, senior consultant with AMI, foresee that the facts and findings will be good news for the industry. “Most SMBs have limited IT resources; they will rely heavily on channel partners for VoIP installation and turnover, and to help with the crossover from analog to digital," Nielsen said. "The moment of conversion from analog to digital voice is the single biggest pain point for SMBs. Suppliers and channel partners should be prepared to make this switchover seamless. Partners should also understand and be able to prove that economic benefits stem not only from lower ongoing costs but also from a lower TCO." “From a supplier perspective, it is still early," AMI said in a prepared statement. The players are not fully known. The architectures are not completely defined. The markets are not structured. But AMI believes that down the road, the same things that are important to analog/TDM users will be important to digital/IP users: reliability, security, and quality. The winners will be those providers who can provide not only a reliable service, but an alternate back up, as well as the channel expertise to serve SMBs from soup to nuts if needed."