ITEXPO Speaker: Cloud-Based Services are Altering the Communications Space

Over the last few years, a growing number of enterprises and SMB’s have begun implementing VoIP-based phone systems and cloud computing services to consolidate and better manage their communication needs. Companies that take advantage of technological advances in the voice space no longer need to install expensive, space-eating servers.

In an effort to gain a better understanding of voice telephone services and where they are heading, TMC CEO Rich Tehrani (News - Alert) recently sat down with Darren Schreiber, CEO of 2600hz, a provider of open-source telephony software that powers companies’ monitoring and maintenance tool sets, GUI and cloud-based telephony switches.

Service provided over data networks

Voice telephone service is becoming a service provided over data networks. The entire voice infrastructure is being upgraded or dismantled and replaced by data services, and voice is becoming a service provided on top of these data networks. The transition is over halfway down at the carrier level, but is only just beginning at the enterprise, consumer and small business level. The ability to move voice over data also implies the ability to move voice over new mediums such as cable, WiFi (News - Alert) and cellular data networks, opening up new opportunities for integration.

The costs involved in marketing have shifted dramatically and caused an integration of marketing and support services. Customers complain or promote services actively over the same channels that typical marketing activities occur on. This is difficult for most “older” style businesses to handle and the exposure of flaws scares some businesses.

Android. Google has spent a lot of money to tell the world that everyone is free to use the Android. Because of this, people are not just looking at putting it on mobile phones, but are also looking to incorporate it on business phones.

Wireless is making leaps and bounds in technology. Yet at this time the wired connection is still more secure and can handle a larger amount of bandwidth. With many companies going to video conferencing and video phones for communications, there will be desk phones for some time to come.

Huge impact

A huge impact. Our business model is to allow companies be their own VoIP providers. This is done by having their PBX (News - Alert) based in the cloud so we can spin up servers based on their cliental. No longer do they have to install expensive servers on site just to make a phone call. Cloud vendors can use our software to move around and negotiate better deals with data centers to reduce costs, as well as seamlessly failover. It's game-changing.

Absolutely in favor of net neutrality. It is important that the success of the Internet, which was based on free access for all, include high-speed access and not favor one type of data or technology over another.

We will be showcasing two very promising cloud-based technologies that will bring the barrier to entry for deploying VoIP to zero – literally – for both small businesses and carriers alike.