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Simpler IP telephony increases SME take-up

Sep 20 2007

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The reductions in cost and the improvements in the usability of IP telephony systems has made the technology more attractive to small firms, experts have claimed.

The Communications Management Association (CMA), has suggested that the initial complexity and high cost of the technology put it out of the reach of SMEs but now that has all changed.

'In the early days, IP telephony was expensive and only justified by the need to install new technology anyway - perhaps because the old phone system was no longer fit for purpose or because the business or organisation was moving to a new location,' says Maren Bennette of the CMA.

She adds: 'It is the fall in the price of IP handsets, together with the simplification of IP telephony systems (at the lower end of the manufacturers product portfolio) that has made it more attractive for smaller companies and organisations to install IP telephony and make use of VoIP services.'

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