28 September 2006

According to the Yankee Group Report, the build-out of voice services including Skype, Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger with Voice, Microsoft's Windows Live Call and AOL's AIM Phoneline have heightened consumer awareness of VoIP by enabling free calling between PC-to-PC users.

However, it is the new and unique contextual applications for voice that will be a draw for the technologically advanced consumer over the next five years and challenge telecom, mobile and cable companies to provide comparable voice services. Yankee Group finds that contextual applications for voice - where users discuss their interactions while gaming, shopping or building content - is the most compelling service that will drive consumers to greater usage of web-based VoIP services. Currently, gaming has the greatest potential for unique web voices for consumers in this arena.