Corporate VOIP equipment sales to bring in $4.42 bln in 2005

The market for VOIP equipment sold to corporations and other enterprises, including phones, hardware and software, grew 78% to $3.07 bln in 2004, according to Synergy Research Group, and is seen rising to $4.42 bln in 2005. By 2009, it should represent nearly $11 bln in sales. Price is especially important as companies install VOIP systems in hopes of saving money in the long-run on their phone bills. Synergy estimates it costs about $100,000 for a mid-sized US company with 200 work stations to replace its traditional switchboard phone system with VOIP equipment. Beyond costs, customers demand intelligent VOIP features such as sophisticated call tracking and inventory management.