Forty per cent of IT decision makers say they lack the resources to manage voice over internet protocol (VoIP) networks, according to research published this week.

The study, carried out by research analyst Quocirca on behalf of CA, finds that 88 per cent of companies surveyed are using or planning to use managed service providers for network security alone.

The report says while businesses are now reliant on IP (internet protocol) for the majority of communications, IT managers lack the capability to proactively manage the network that supports key business functions.

Increasing pressure from the business to provide greater functionality across a single network means IT teams will continue to lack resources and skills.

IP is being adopted as the single protocol of choice because of its ease of management and cost effectiveness, but this also leaves businesses vulnerable as IP network failure means a total communications failure.

‘IP is becoming a double-edged sword, while it has allowed a proliferation of devices to be connected together, this must be backed by tools capable of managing them all,’ said Bob Tarzey, service director at Quocirca.

‘Only this will ensure that the increasing importance of IP does not drift too far from our capability to manage it. This decision is in the hands of IT managers and directors,’ he said.

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Further reading:

Residential VoIP users to hit 267m by 2012

NEC develops anti-spam for VoIP