Mobile VoIP specialists are expected to favour alliances with social media, gaming and software partners over partnerships with mobile network operators in coming years, as social media becomes ever more mainstream, finds Juniper Research.

Juniper Research anticipates that the role of voice within the broader communications market will change, and it will become increasingly available as an extension to other applications. Companies such as Vivox are pioneering such services in the gaming industry, and Skype's acquisition by Microsoft and several Facebook alliances with VoIP providers will accelerate this trend, finds the report 'Mobile Voice & Video Calling: Strategic Opportunities & Business Models 2011-2016'.

Meanwhile mVoIP clients downloaded to the smartphone will account for four fifths of 640 million mobile VoIP users by the end of 2016, as momentum behind carrier alliances and mVoIP start-ups diminishes.

Improved technology, more intuitive interfaces and increased user awareness all account for the increasing dominance of the app download model for mVoIP, finds Juniper Research.

Further findings include:

• The number of mobile video calling users will exceed 130 million by 2016, spurred by the launch of mobile video calling by major players and technology improvements.
• Mobile VoIP and mobile video calling services will develop significantly faster in developed markets due to a correlation between 3G and 4G roll outs and the take up of mobile VoIP and mobile video calling.
• There is as yet no clear role for advertising within the mobile VoIP and mobile video calling business model, though this is beginning to come for VoIP on the desktop.

The mPublishing whitepaper is available to download from the Juniper website together with further details of the full report.