Optus says IP networking growing dramatically

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 26 October 2005 17:48

Business IT - Networking

Optus has released the fourth edition of the Optus IP Index - an annual survey of IP networking conducted with 71 Optus Business customers, users of IP networks, of all sizes.

The survey respondents, IT&T managers, were from a range of industries, including information and communications technology, banking and finance, government and education.

According to the survey: 37 percent of businesses provide access to corporate networks via wireless or mobile connections; 47 percent of businesses have partially or fully deployed VoIP; 27 percent use IP networks for videoconferencing; and 83 percent VPN access to home workers.

According to Optus, "Mobility and convergence are driving dramatic growth in IP networking with businesses connecting more users and deploying more applications over IP."

John Simon, managing director Optus Business, said: "A growing proportion of IP traffic is over wireless or mobile networks. 37 percent of businesses currently provide wireless access via WiFi, GPRS or 3G with 27 percent providing access for employees via a mobile broadband connection.

"Among the businesses that have actually deployed VoIP, more than half report cost savings and better call management as the main benefits. More than one in three businesses reported improvements in productivity and 39 percent saw an improvement in customer satisfaction.

The survey found that 27 percent of businesses already use IP networks for videoconferencing, and this figure is expected to double in the next 12 months.