VoIP PBX Software - What's Coming Next?

Have you noticed the frenzied activity amongst developers of VoIP PBX software over recent years? There are dozens of options to choose from. The impetus behind this activity is apparently the conviction that VoIP phone systems have now well and truly superseded the TDM PBX. As a consequence we expect to see the profiles and fortunes of those large organizations that dominated the PBX market for the past 20-30 years change dramatically. At the same time new players not previously associated with telephony will possibly emerge and come to dominate the market.

There are hundreds of millions of potential buyers of VoIP PBX software. In the first wave it was universities, hospitals and government offices. They proved that the technology was viable in large scale deployments and that secured the interest of big business. As costs came down, medium sized business began to sign up.

In the next wave Open Source options made their appearance, most notably the Asterisk OS PBX. Cost was less of a barrier to adoption. It became clear that the VoIP PBX software market was going to be much bigger than simply a refresh of aging TDM PBXs. Every businesses, even SOHO business operators would be potential candidates for a VoIP PBX and beyond that there was a market for PBX software in the home as well. It's already possible to buy a VoIP phone system for less that $250 and eliminate monthly phone bills.

Consumers will install VoIP PBX software on their home servers. Every member of the family will have an individual phone number and access to voice mail, conferencing, presence .... Others will sign up for a hosted VoIP PBX service or residential VoIP virtual PBX service.

These developments will challenge the traditional manufacturers of PBX systems. The question is whether they can react quickly enough and survive in a software centric world. They are up against stiff competition from companies including Microsoft and Apple. We suspect that the multi-billion dollar brand names associated with PBXs over recent decades will be relegated to footnotes within a few years.

We are confident these developments will come to pass because there are parallels from the recent past. Consider the solutions used by business before commodity office automation software and desktop accounting packages became ubiquitous. They included typewriters, accounting machines and mainframe computers. The companies that manufactured them: Olivetti, Remington, Olympia, Brother, Burroughs, Univac, NCR, Control Data ... were large multi-national enterprises. Most of them have now slipped out of view with the exception of IBM.

IBM survived because it reinvented itself as a software and services business, but not before dropping the ball long enough for Bill Gates to take ownership of the PC software market. It's yet to be seen whether or not the multi-national corporations that currently own the enterprise VoIP PBX market will be able to change their business models quickly enough and avoid becoming victims of the shakeout. Very shortly VoIP PBX software will be ubiquitous and the verdict will be in.

Will we be able to install VoIP PBX software by ticking a Microsoft Office check box? Probably. Will Apple release a VoIP PBX appliance that fits in the hand and plugs into a power socket? Probably.

Microsoft has already entered the market with a small business VoIP system and Apple is undoubtedly working on a stylish option that matches the minimalist mobile life style. In a convergent world, where the walls between voice and data have been demolished it's an obvious next step. The VoIP PBX solution is well on its way to becoming ubiquitous.

Apple or Microsoft could very quickly dominate the home and SMB VoIP PBX phone system market and then seriously attack the business phone system market.

See also: VoIP PBX System - it's a winner at last and Cisco VoIP PBX.

Skype Phone Number - it's your local phone number

From VoIP PBX Solution to VoIP Phone Systems

From VoIP PBX Software to Business Phone Tools