Snom, the specialist manufacturer of IP phones, has released a study that reveals current attitudes towards business communications across Europe, including the role of ‘fixed’ desk telephones and VoIP technology.

The study – which surveyed 2,046 people across the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain – revealed that smartphones and PCs are far from undermining the crucial role of desk phones as a tool for professional use, with 83.5 per cent of respondents still preferring a ‘fixed’ office desk phone over other alternatives.

When asked whether individuals were incorporating VoIP into their business, over 42 per cent of those who had a desk phone have either already migrated to VoIP (28.3%) or were planning to migrate within the year (13.8%).

The discrepancies among the five countries are interesting. Among those who intend to adopt VoIP this year, the share of Italian companies (16.7%) came second only to Spain (18.6%). The bottom line of the ‘new adopters’ is France with 8.8 per cent. On the other side, the share of those who already adopted VoIP in Germany (38.9%) and in the UK (over a third of companies) is much higher than the European average.

When asked about the advantages of VoIP for their business, cost reduction topped the list in all 5 countries, with 64 per cent of respondents saying it was the most important benefit – followed by increased mobility and better voice quality.

Fabio Albanini, Head of International Sales at Snom said, "it’s clear that users are starting to see the intrinsic values of VoIP and reap the benefits of this versatile and quality-driven modern telephony solution. It’s hugely encouraging to see so many users having either made the move to VoIP or on the journey, as well as those that are asking questions about what else VoIP and new generation IP terminals can help them achieve.”