IP communications systems 'can still improve'
Despite the steadily growing demand for online communications systems witnessed over the past few years, the technology is not yet advanced enough to offer a serious challenge to PBX within the business-to-business market, industry experts have claimed.
According to the market analyst group IDC, internet protocol communications will develop into a strong service option in the short-term future, though significant developments still need to be made.
In particular, security of online communications systems need to be tightened up in order to increase both corporate and consumer confidence in VoIP technologies, with the recent case two-day long outage of Skype - caused when millions of global users logged onto its network at the same time shortly after an installation of a security patch from Windows - highlighting the progress still to be made.
Commenting on the prospects of VoIP services, Rebecca Swensen, a research analyst at IDC said: "Some of the early implementations were flawed, leading to customer cancellations and botched deployments.
"Although there are plenty of examples of smooth implementation and satisfied customers, the stain of poor service hangs over hosted IP voice like a dark cloud," she added. 
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