VoiceSA conference highlights the opportunties of alternative providers

The inaugural VoiceSA conference (presented by Even Flow Distribution), took place last week in Johannesburg, drawing together a mixed crowd of traditional and alternative telecoms providers – a clear indication that the mindsets around telecommunications are changing towards a more converged approach.

Presentations were provided by well known industry experts, namely Douglas Reed (Vox Telecom), Rob Lith (Connection Telecom), Brian Seligmann (Cell C), Wayne Speechly (IS), Steve Song (Shuttleworth Foundation), Frederic Dickey (Sangoma), Gerrit Hurter (Voipmagic) and Doug Hill (Patton).

Most of the common challenges facing telecoms were raised, such as deregulation and bandwidth penetration, however, interesting new developments were also discussed, with the common theme being ‘Unified Communications’ – and how the mindset of consumers is changing, as they become more empowered by new technologies. Other interesting points raised included: Cloud Computing, and its impact on telecoms, the future of VoIP in South Africa and adding value in a commoditized market.

Delegates also had the opportunity to engage directly with leading hardware manufacturers and providers, who occupied a separate exhibition space: Vox Telecom, Yealink, Sangoma, Patton Electronics and Gigaset.

In his presentation, Gerrit Hurter, observed: ‘Why has it taken us so long to come together like this?’ – echoing the sentiment of many who attended, and acknowledging the value in bringing the industry together to share and collaborate.

For those who missed out on the conference, the slides from the presentations will soon be available on www.voicesa.co.za

Yealink exhibition stand at VoiceSA

Sangoma exhibition stand at VoiceSA

Gigaset exhibition stand at VoiceSA

Staff members of VoiceSA and Even Flow Distribution

Demonstration of RSAWEB Cloud Servers