Posted on Wednesday, April 5th, 2006 at 12:48 pm
Skype said 30 percent of its 75 million customers already use its service for their businesses, most of which are small companies. The service will be targeted toward businesses with fewer than 10 employees.
Based on data from 2002, there are 4.5 million establishments employing fewer than 10 employees, according to Yankee Group analyst Steve Hilton. The U.S. business voice market is worth $80 billion a year, with Internet-based services worth about $2 billion, according to Ovum analyst Jan Dawson.
The market Skype is targeting is worth less than $100 million. While it is expected to grow, this market shouldn’t exceed $500 million in five years, he said. Of the total small business market, only a fraction — 3 percent — use an Internet phone service, also known as voice-over Internet protocol.
