Security woes hampering VoIP's fast track

In a post today, TechRepublic blogger Peter Spande makes an interesting observation: The two topics that get the most white paper downloads, voice over IP, and wireless networking--and are currently at the top of the list of our IT Priorities research program-- don’t get much play time in TechRepublic's discussion areas. Spande says that the reason for this is simple; it boils down to security. "The discussion groups suggest there are still a great many companies that aren't convinced the technology is ready for their business... yet."  Viewing the other side of the coin, Spande sees opportunity for vendors:

Vendors positioned well for both VoIP and Wireless LANs are in for huge growth. However, the best way to get that growth started is not to push the technology but pull potential customers into discussions that minimize their concerns. IT pros don't lack interest in these topics, they lack a sense of security.

Using BT Trax, a quick look at the most downloaded VoIP content in our directory shows that IT pros are currently researching multimedia titles predominantly from Avaya and ShorTel (disclosure: ranking not scrubbed for effects of vendor content promotion). The titles show interest in the early consideration stages of deployment: What you need to know before deploying VoIP; VoFi: Taking VOIP Wireless; and How To Prepare for IP Telephony.

If security is the final hurdle as Spande's observation suggests, vendors should start following the discussion and address the concerns of the "early majority" with focused content.