FRAMINGHAM, Mass., June 12 (Reuter) - According to a new report by
information technology research firm International Data Corp (IDC), the
market for Internet telephony is expected to grow to $560 million a year by
the end of 1999, from current levels of $3.5 million.
As of the end of 1995, IDC said, there were estimated to be about 500,000
active Internet telephony users. That number is expected to grow to 16
million users by the end of 1999.
IDC said Internet telephony firm VocalTec Ltd <VOCLF.O> had the lion's
share of those users, with 94 percent.
Growth will be driven primarily by business users, IDC said.
Three factors that are necessary for the sector to be successful,
according to the report, are ease of connectivity, open standards, and
value-added features such as are available from traditional
telecommunications providers today.
Ease of connectivity provides that Internet users be able to connect to
telephone customers that are not on the Internet as well as those that are.
Open standards provide for support of a variety of Internet telephony
products that can connect to each regardless of which is in use.
--New York Newsdesk, 212/859-1610
15:07 06-12-96 |
