The percentage of small businesses using the internet to make phone calls looks set to almost double over the next 12 months, it has been claimed.
Research commissioned by BT Business has revealed that 48% of small firms will be using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services this time next year, compared to 25% this year.
The research also found that the UK’s smallest businesses are most likely to use VoIP services.
More than half of companies with two to ten employees and 48% of sole traders are planning to use VoIP in the next 12 months, compared to 20% of companies with 31 to 50 employees.
According to BT Business, small businesses cited the lower cost of calls and convenience of VoIP as the main advantages for using the service.
In addition, a third of businesses with 31 to 50 employees said that increased mobility, including remote access and flexible working, was another significant advantage of using internet calling services.
“There has been a huge increase in the use of VoIP by the UK’s smaller businesses and that looks set to continue,” said Bill Murphy, managing director of BT Business.
“VoIP offers greater flexibility and the opportunity to increase productivity by bringing voice, e-mail, instant messaging and conferencing together in one place.”
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