Europe has become an innovator in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) over the last two years, research has found.

Further growth is predicted and technological advancement has led to a robust market in 2008 for VoIP, Research and Markets reports.

Worldwide, there has been an increase in subscribers, with China, the US and Japan having particularly impressive markets, it adds.

Packages including stand-alone, triple play offer, or fixed-mobile convergence bundles are thought to have all contributed to the growth of VoIP in Europe.

But problems such as security and how it should be regulated still need to be addressed, the survey advises.

Providers of voice services should make customers aware of any restrictions of VoIP and this code should be compulsory for relevant communications providers, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) advised in 2006 when VoIP was developing.

As the market and technology developed, the code should be reviewed, Ofcom said.

Digital transmission and digitizing are in place with VoIP, but it is necessary to authenticate and encrypt the existing data stream.

Source:zycko