Research and Markets has announced the addition of the new Frost & Sullivan Report “North American Residential VoIP Services Markets” to their offering.

This Frost & Sullivan research service titled North American Residential VoIP Services Market provides insight into the drivers and challenges associated with shifting the consumer market for IP telephony into the mass-market adoption phase. Trends such as the use of softphones and new enhanced services are provided. In this study, Frost & Sullivan's expert analysts thoroughly examine the North American residential VoIP lines in service and associated revenues.

Market Sectors

Expert Frost & Sullivan analysts thoroughly examine the following market sectors in this research:

- Consumer services

Technologies

The following technologies are covered in this research:

- VoIP

- Broadband

- Instant messaging

- Wireless

Market Overview

End-user Awareness and Increased Broadband Penetration to Drive Uptake of VoIP

As the North American voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) market becomes mature and passes beyond its early-adopter phase, mass-market consumers need to be convinced of the service benefits of VoIP. It is possible that these targeted end users already have preconceptions of the service that need to be alleviated. In general, consumers tend to express satisfaction for landline telephony service and cite limited calling as the reason for their lack of interest in VoIP, according to Lynda Starr, senior analyst at Frost & Sullivan. The mass market is likely to be suspicious of lower priced services, and is expected to consider it as lacking in quality. It is the role of the service provider to overcome these challenges through the demonstration of the VoIP service to show ease of use and call quality.

VoIP awareness is higher among broadband users partly due to their interest in the technology and also because much of VoIP advertising is done over the Internet. Customers can opt for VoIP services from the same provider who offers video and Internet access services, thereby saving money and trouble. Subscribing to a bundle of services also has the advantage of having a single point of contact and receiving one bill for all their services.

The Technological Advancement of VoIP Combined with Customer-friendly Retail Distribution to Drive Mass Adoption of VoIP

VoIP-based services were originally associated with the PC-based services that allowed only PC-to-PC calling. While these services still exist, VoIP-based services are now usually more associated with voice over broadband and analog terminal adapter (ATA)-based services. Meanwhile, PC-based services are experiencing an increase in usage with services from ISPs that leverage e-mail and instant messaging functionality.

Despite challenges such as lack of end-user awareness and the slow pace of technology associated with VoIP, instances of retail distribution are increasing and positively impacting VoIP services. Retail distribution in stores enables demonstration of the service, which is beneficial in attracting customers. Customers are usually pleased to see that the service works the same way as traditional phone service does, adds Starr. Retail availability is likely to boost sales and increase uptake of these services.

Topics Covered:

-Market for Residential VoIP Services

-Market Forecasts and Competitive Analysis

For more information, visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c48740