7526 0 3 econsultancy_xml <p> <a href="http://www.btplc.com/news/articles/showarticle.cfm?articleid=%7bf0d78e40-d8fc-4a55-92ee-406e95908ffc%7d">Research by Vanson Bourne</a> found London leading the way, with 33% of small businesses already plugged in to the lower-cost call structures, followed by the North East of England (24%) and the South West (23%).</p> <p>But Wales lags behind, with only 5% of firms currently using the technology, and only 7% planning to adopt VoIP in the next year.</p> <p>Yet Northern Ireland, which routinely joins Wales at the bottom of UK internet adoption tables, is most optimistic - half of businesses surveyed there plan on using VoIP in the next 12 months.</p> <p>BT offers VoIP as part of a business broadband package.</p> <p>Meanwhile, Ofcom has introduced <a href="http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2007/03/nr_20070329">new regulations</a> for the growing sector to ensure consumers know whether they can dial 999 and directory enquiries from VoIP services. Many VoIP platforms do not allow customers to make emergency calls.</p> <FormattedContent xmlns="http://www.e-consultancy.com/schema/formattedContent/"> <Paragraph> <Link URL="http://www.btplc.com/news/articles/showarticle.cfm?articleid=%7bf0d78e40-d8fc-4a55-92ee-406e95908ffc%7d" Window="New">Research by Vanson Bourne</Link> found London leading the way, with 33% of small businesses already plugged in to the lower-cost call structures, followed by the North East of England (24%) and the South West (23%).</Paragraph> <Paragraph>But Wales lags behind, with only 5% of firms currently using the technology, and only 7% planning to adopt VoIP in the next year.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>Yet Northern Ireland, which routinely joins Wales at the bottom of UK internet adoption tables, is most optimistic - half of businesses surveyed there plan on using VoIP in the next 12 months.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>BT offers VoIP as part of a business broadband package.</Paragraph> <Paragraph>Meanwhile, Ofcom has introduced <Link URL="http://www.ofcom.org.uk/media/news/2007/03/nr_20070329" Window="New">new regulations</Link> for the growing sector to ensure consumers know whether they can dial 999 and directory enquiries from VoIP services. Many VoIP platforms do not allow customers to make emergency calls.</Paragraph> </FormattedContent> 2007-04-02T10:04:00+01:00 0 1 econsultancy_xml <p> <strong>The number of UK small businesses making phone calls over the internet is set to double over the next year, according to research carried out for BT.</strong> </p> <p>The company said the number of firms using VoIP will rise from the current 25% to 48%.</p> <FormattedContent xmlns="http://www.e-consultancy.com/schema/formattedContent/"> <Paragraph> <Emphasis>The number of UK small businesses making phone calls over the internet is set to double over the next year, according to research carried out for BT.</Emphasis> </Paragraph> <Paragraph>The company said the number of firms using VoIP will rise from the current 25% to 48%.</Paragraph> </FormattedContent> false 1011 363002 Small firms' VoIP use 'to double' by 2008 false 2007-04-02T14:30:00+01:00 small-firms-voip-use-to-double-by-2008 2009-04-28T22:46:08+01:00 2009-04-28T22:46:08+01:00 120