VoIP gaining ground among hotel-staying business travellers

Business travellers who are asking for a solution to the high phone bills incurred when they travel are forcing hotels to rethink their strategies for long distance communications and this could just be the spark needed to finally change the whole paradigm on communications.

The evolution of the cell phone has already resulted in a general lowering of hotel call charges because most guests now prefer using their cell phones to call rather than accrue long distance charges on their room rate. Unfortunately, for overseas travellers, the exorbitant cost of roaming as well as incompatible networks are forcing them to use hotel phones to make overseas phone calls.
But with more and more hotels offering broadband internet access, hotel guests can now take advantage of using VoIP as a means to make cheap long distance phone calls to their home offices or to their family and children.
One of the services that is becoming a favorite VoIP application is Skype, a downloadable program that, with a microphone and headset attached to the PC, enabled users to converse with overseas contacts who are also using the same internet equipment from their end.
VoIP technology has a huge potential of helping save millions in the global corporate travel sector – and hotels are now realising this too.
In fact, there is a growing trend for hotels that are offering free VoIP in their rooms. When VoIP has gained a firmer foothold in the market expect a lowering of rates for “traditional” overseas calls. It could even be possible that VoIP may render it obsolete. That would be quite an interesting scenario.