IP Video Calling Usage Is Increasing
There has been a lot of buzz in the VoIP and Unified Communications industries about IP video conferencing over the last couple of years. Much of the talk has been about video conferencing for business meetings and collaboration driving the market. In “Niche applications driving video calling adoption,” Garrett Smith (Smith on VoIP) suggests that niche applications are also increasing IP video calling usage.
Smith writes, “it’s innovative video phone calling players like Skype and ooVoo that seem to be doing the most to foster new and exciting ways to use video phone technology. Introducing the technology to millions of new faces, in thousands of different ways.” I agree that niche applications will drive adoption of IP video calling by consumers. But, I don’t believe video calling will be widely adopted by the masses as a daily communication tool anytime soon. Communicating via SMS, email or social networks is causing a decrease in telephone usage. So even as IP video calling becomes easier and more reliable, people will be inclined to use it only in situations where there is some significant benefit to seeing the person on the other side of a real-time conversation.
