
Internet voice calls (VoIP) will see solid growth next year as it becomes more popular for people on the move, it has been suggested.
Noting that Chinese culture would make 2008 the year of the rat which is said to bring prosperity, Vocalocity president Phil Hill said that VoIP will follow this tradition.
"People born under the sign of the rat are considered to be energetic, versatile and able to overcome obstacles," he writes for TMCNet.
"Versatility and the ability to overcome obstacles are qualities VoIP may indeed share."
Mr Hill highlighted the growth of flexible options for VoIP services which allow it to be used by people on the move.
He suggested that 2008 may be the year that the technology breaks through more widely, and pointed to a recent Disruptive Analysis study that predicted the number of VoIP users accessing free voice calls over mobile internet connections will top 250 million by 2012.
Using
VoIP services is becoming easier to do when away from home or travelling, with
Vonage's pocket-sized
V-Phone one option for those wanting to stay in contact when mobile.
Plugging the
V-Phone into a USB socket on a laptop with a broadband connection lets the user access unlimited free calls from
£5.99 a month to around
25 countries.