After Google, AOL and Microsoft to enter VoIP market

Google has already made their entry into the much hyped up VoIP market with the launch of their instant messaging solution in Google Talk. However, the company has yet not clarified whether they would enter this segment in a mass scale with corporate plans or non-PC based VoIP service. Vonage is currently the market leader in the United States with standalone VoIP services and Skype rules when it comes to software based service.

The latest news in is that both America Online and Microsoft are now planning to make an entry to this market. Time Warner Inc. has announced that their AOL unit would introduce a new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service called TotalTalk early next month. And Microsoft is collaborating with Qwest Communications International Inc. to launch Internet phone service to small and medium-sized businesses, starting in 2006.

VoIP technology uses broadband internet connectivity to transmit voice signals between the two parties. It has proved to be a much cheaper technology compared to traditional telecom mechanisms and is gaining popularity amongst users and corporate alike. AOL claims that their services would prove to be around 40% cheaper than existing telecom technologies to their customers.

AOL plans to roll out their services early next month.