Mobile VoIP is expanding its reach, and going mainstream. It is therefore vital for mobile operators to start integrating mobile VoIP platforms into their service offerings, creating value-added services that end users are willing to pay a flat fee for since it saves them money in the long term. Handset makers also must start including mobile VoIP clients into their devices as standard.

Sundman: Mobile VoIP provides huge savings for subscribers calling internationally.

Revenue increases
Both customers and operators stand to gain from mobile VoIP.  A flat fee monthly package setup will mean that customers make more and longer international calls on their mobile phones using VoIP.

The biggest potential savings for customers will be making mobile VoIP calls when abroad, thus bypassing international roaming charges. As more people are attracted to low cost international calls and monthly flat fee setups, operators are set to increase their revenue thanks to these low, but regular, monthly contributions.

This trend already has been witnessed in Singapore, where two mobile operators have seen a steep rise in the amount of international calls after launching their respective mobile VoIP service offerings.

Generous pricing models
Operators are set to gain considerable revenue from providing mobile VoIP services as the technology generates new proceeds.

Adopting a mobile VoIP strategy early on is set to be a good investment for the future. Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) services, used in Internet telephone calls, are expected to generate some $150 billion by 2012, according to ABI Research.

Such services will quickly “develop into the norm” and come to rule the world’s telecom markets, according to another study by ABI Research. In fact, the research firm expects that half of all telecom customers will use multiple devices and services – including Internet telephony - in the future. Such forecasts and the current trends for all things mobile bode well for good revenue for early adopters among mobile operators.

The key is to offer a service that is user-friendly and clear about pricing. It also has to be easy for consumers to make Internet calls to both landline and mobile numbers using Wi-Fi, 3G or GPRS connectivity, as well as rerouting incoming calls to a mobile phone.

As both customers and operators stand to gain great cost savings thanks to mobile VoIP, the onus is now on operators to step up the challenge and take the lead in offering user-friendly telephony on mobile handsets.

Sundman is CEO and co-founder of Challenger Mobile Group, which provides platform solutions for mobile service operators.