Voice evolution

Consultancy STL Partners' Telco 2.0 program has been tracking the evolution of the telecom industry and the emergence of new business models such as two-side services, advertising and more. But what about the “traditional voice” business? What's happening there? In its latest study, “Voice and Messaging 2.0,” STL posits a future where the sources of voice revenue — which it says remain about 80% of the industry's global revenue — are flipped on their heads. On the mobile side, broadband data enables an “over-the-top” voice market while non-operator short message service and instant messaging attack lucrative messaging businesses. On the fixed side, voice threatens to become “just another feature” in online collaboration and productivity suites, particularly in the enterprise.