As we become more and more connected through our mobile phones, service providers have a lot to think about. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services are on the rise, and many companies have started developing applications to make your mobile phone a more VoIP-enabled device. VoIP offers many benefits over traditional calls: the costs to conduct a call are lower, the need to travel and related costs are reduced or eliminated, and it’s even better for the environment. There are tons of applications out now causing a lot of churn and also revealing new opportunities.

Businesses are using VoIP services like Skype to conduct meetings when travel is cost-prohibitive or otherwise not possible. The substantial cost savings can really help out small and mid-sized businesses, reducing overhead while providing enterprise-grade communications for a very reasonable monthly subscription fee. Despite the benefits, VoIP still some drawbacks such as lack of service during power outages and quality problems if the internet connection is poor.

In the continually evolving and converging worlds of digital and mobile telephony, the victors are still to be determined. Considering the many options and opportunities for cost savings, it will be interesting to see which solutions gain popularity.  Soon, placing an international call could be no more unusual than placing an order for pizza delivery. Which app will win? Is voice over IP sustainable? Only time will tell.