Firms sceptical of web phone service

Small firms are increasingly wary of new internet voice communication technology but are not letting their concerns deter them from adopting it, a new study shows.

Research from Viatel found that nearly half of IT directors believe that Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), a technology used to transmit voice conversations over the internet, is inherently insecure, yet these perceived security issues are not keeping them from advancing their IT systems.

Most IT directors said they feared VoIP leaves their firm's system vulnerable to DoS attacks, viruses and eavesdropping hackers.

But the study found that as businesses adopt the technology, their fears are assuaged.

"In reality, when you cut through all the hype, securing voice traffic really isn't any different from securing data traffic; it’s all about ensuring your IP network is secure," said Roberto Bonanzinga, senior vice present of business development and marketing at Viatel.

"There has been a lot of miscommunication in the industry which has created mistrust in the technology.

"In addition to this is the lack of awareness and education on the differences between business VoIP services and internet-based consumer services such as Skype.”

Consumer services are not secured on a private network but on the open internet, he said.

He added that companies can follow simple security measures, such as encrypting voice traffic, running over a private network and making sure firewalls are properly configured to help better protect themselves.