Is There Such a Thing as Too Much VoIP?

There is no secret that smartphones are taking over the mobile communications market, and possibly the entire communications market as well. It is estimated that by 2015, in the US that spending on mobile will surpass that of fixed-line communications, according to Pyramid Research. Whether your particular cup of tea is the iPhone, Android or Blackberry, there are applications available to assist you in your personal or professional life.

One of the more popular features of smartphones is the ability to use VoIP technology to connect with friends and family all over the world. Even though the mobile phone market is one of the few businesses actually booming during the poor economy, growing at 17% since the recession started; can multiple VoIP applications on the same phones be successful?

Skype, available as an application on both the Android and the iPhone, is perhaps the best known name in VoIP communications, as it gained popularity for its free computer to computer video chats. The Skype application allows users to chat, or video chat using the 3G network as opposed to having to use their cell phone minutes, saving money on out of network or international calls especially. Skype 2.0.1, at least on the iPhone, now allows users to multitask, permitting you to use other applications while currently on a Skype call.

Vonage, another big name as a VoIP provider, now also offers an application for the Android and iPhone as a free download. Working over Wi-Fi, 3G or 4G networks this application allows users to place calls by simply clicking on the Vonage logo next to their friends, those who have the app, on their Facebook contact page. It gives the user the added convenience of not having to dial a number and as much like the updated Skype, the recipient doesn’t need to currently be in the application for the call to go through.

Both applications seem fairly similar, with the exception of Vonage being limited to those users on Facebook (limited may not be the correct term), but is there enough of a VoIP demand to carry them both? Probably, but only time will tell.