Voxbone (News - Alert) is a provider of virtual local phone numbers, also known as direct inward dialing, which enable service providers and enterprise contact centers to extend the reach of their voice networks internationally both quickly and affordably. The company is a regular participant at TMC’s (News - Alert) ITEXPO events, and Voxbone will again be involved at ITEXPO Miami, which takes place later this month at the Miami Beach Convention Center. 

So we thought now would be a good time to check in with Hugh Goldstein (News - Alert), vice president of strategic alliances at Voxbone, to learn what the company has been up to recently, hear about his plans for ITEXPO Miami, and get his take on some of the recent developments in the marketplace.

What are you looking forward to at ITEXPO (News - Alert) Miami?

Goldstein: Meeting new business contacts, customers, friends and peers. A bonus perk is that Voxbone will be giving out beach flip-flops and our famous Belgian chocolates, so stop by our booth (900) and enjoy Miami Beach in January.

What is your ITEXPO session about and why should attendees come to it?

Goldstein: If you are interested in globalizing your communications services, I recommend attending my session “Innovative Mobile Solutions for Global Communications”. The panel will be held Jan. 27 at 2 p.m., and I'll be presenting with colleagues from Telinta and IDT. It will explore MVNO, OTT and messaging services, and I will particularly focus on how service providers can apply mobile and geographic telephone numbers from around the world to enter new markets and increase ARPU. 

How has the technology landscape changed in the past year?

Goldstein: The strong economy and low interest rates in the U.S. have fueled tremendous investment in technology start-ups. NASDAQ has nearly reached its peak level last seen nearly 15 years ago. Many technology companies are confidently expanding as fast as they can, particularly into Europe, which has translated into increased demand for Voxbone’s services: international DIDs and SIP trunking in 55 countries.    

What is the most exciting recent development in communications?

Goldstein: Voxbone added SIP trunking and DID services from Colombia, Turkey, Malaysia and South Korea this year as well as our WebRTC beta. We hope our customers and partners are as excited and intrigued as our team is about it. 

What is one announcement or product you would like to see announced in 2015?

Goldstein: I may be a bit biased, but I am very excited about Voxbone's second generation WebRTC offerings and new country coverage. Stay tuned.

How is WebRTC enhancing communications, and what is its potential in the longer term?

Goldstein: So far, WebRTC has been a blockbuster holiday toy that was designed for kids but became popular with their parents instead. The intended audience was Web developers, but it seems as though the telecom vendor community is more enamored [with it]. The next phase will start when developers take advantage of all the APIs and tools that are now out there, and start to build voice and video into experiences that are not necessarily branded WebRTC. A great deal of WebRTC’s future potential also depends on Apple and Microsoft (News - Alert) supporting the standard.

How have technology innovations changed how you work in the past two years? What product had the greatest impact on your business?

Goldstein: In the last two years, I've taken more advantage of apps and cloud services. I anticipate the WebRTC applications, such as the services Voxbone is developing, will make video and collaboration even more dynamic.

How often and in what situations do you use video for business communications?

Goldstein: Voxbone is a rapidly growing global organization and our staff is split between San Francisco and Simi Valley, California with headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Video is a great tool for maintaining close cooperation despite the distances, and we are experimenting with WebRTC video solutions internally. 

Has your business implemented unified communications, and how has that changed the way you and your colleagues operate?

Goldstein: Voxbone provides DIDs that globalize the world's leading unified communications solutions. In house, our global DIDs and WebRTC make it easy to stay in touch. For example, we provide DIDs in 55 countries on our own conference bridge, and include a WebRTC option that is sent with each meeting invite. It has made a substantial difference for users in countries where we can't offer DIDs due to local regulations, or for those that want to test out the new technology.

For more on all the latest technology and trends happenings, be sure to register to attend ITEXPO, the business technology event that brings together service providers, enterprises, government agencies, resellers, vendors and developers to demo, discuss and network all the latest innovations changing the marketplace. ITEXPO is being held January 27-30, 2015, at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami, Florida.   Stay in touch with everything happening at the event -- follow us on Twitter.