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Two in Five Online Adults in Great Britain Are Interested in VoIP-Technology
In a nation where very few currently use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), approximately one-third (34%) of adults in Great Britain who are online have heard of VoIP and two in five online adults are somewhat (20%), fairly (14%) or very interested (7%) in the possibility of making telephone calls via an Internet connection.
These are some of the results of a recent HI Europe survey conducted online among 2,130 adults who are online, aged 16 and over, in Great Britain between January 25 and 27, 2005.
The survey set out not only to find the general online adult population?s attitudes toward VoIP, but also to see how the levels of interest or concern compare between those adults who have a high level of technology sophistication (40%) and those with average technology sophistication (60%).
Not surprisingly, whilst more online adults with high technology sophistication than those with average technology sophistication have heard of and are at least somewhat interested in using VoIP, more than one-third (38%) of these technologically savvy adults (those with high technology sophistication) surprisingly have not even heard of VoIP.
For those considering a second phone line via an Internet connection, the cost-saving features related to VoIP seem very appealing, and these findings are consistent among both those with high and average technology sophistication. Cost-saving features that appeal to adults who are at least somewhat interested in using VoIP include getting cheaper rates for calling mobile phones (49%), cheaper local/national telephone calls (47%), free calls between users of the same provider (43%), and cheaper international calls (25%). The only non-cost-related feature listed among the top five was Caller ID showing the caller?s name, with 29 percent considering this to be an appealing feature.
Nearly four in 10 (38%) adults in Great Britain who are online are not at all interested in the possibility of making telephone calls via an Internet connection. When asked what would deter these adults from using this potential service, the biggest deterrent is that they believe their current service is sufficient (45%), followed by a preference to use their landline (43%). Approximately one quarter (27%) report being deterred from using the service because they do not want to talk to their computer, which suggests a possible misconception about the way the service works.
Findings from this survey suggest that VoIP technology may not be adopted as quickly as some may have hoped. Many adults do not express an eagerness in obtaining the technology that allows for VoIP service or in switching to another supplier that offers the service if their current broadband supplier does not.
* Of those narrowband users who are interested in VoIP or who remain open to the possibility (i.e. are not sure at this time), nearly half (46%) report that they would not rush to upgrade to broadband, but when they did, they would probably select a provider that can offer this service.
* Moreover, broadband users who are interested in VoIP or who remain open were asked if they?d consider switching if their current broadband supplier didn?t offer VoIP and nearly half (45%) lent towards not switching providers, while a further quarter (24%) did not have strong feelings either way.
Though the numbers of online adults in Great Britain using VoIP are few and numbers of those interested are larger, but not vast, this signals a unique challenge for marketers in companies entering or pushing forward in this business?especially with nearly half of those surveyed saying they have never heard of VoIP, Companies that can effectively communicate the benefits of VoIP may capture that market?s attention and perhaps encourage skeptics and late-adopters to get onboard. 14.03.2005, Harris Interactive
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