By Sharla Sikes

I’m not sure I’d go so far as to say traditional phone systems are a thing of the past, but there are quite a few in the IP phone industry who think so.

This week’s DEMO conference showed a communication trend pointing toward VoIP and away from traditional carriers.

DEMO participants Toktumi and Ribbit worked to prove their versions of the future of communications by showing products including software tools to organize and connect calls, voice mail and conferencing, as well as solutions to merge and integrate mobile communications with online social sites.

“Many of us migrated to the virtual world of the Web as the first wave of Web-based and VoIP solutions began to emerge. But the flow of personal and business communication continues to evolve, and soon all of us will need to thrive in both worlds, and move between them with ease. That’s the vision behind voiceware and Ribbit’s Amphibian service,” said Crick Waters, the Ribbit co-founder and VP of strategy and business development, in a statement.

The companies are two of many VoIP service, software and hardware providers who are counting on the market to continue its past growth. Their products and services are some of many that bypass traditional phone providers entirely.

But does this mean that traditional phone lines are a thing of the past?

I’m not convinced.

There are always individuals and businesses who prefer to stick with the tried-and-true communications solutions, especially after 2007’s lawsuits. Some may make the switch after the fallout settles in the battle between smaller providers and behemoths like Comcast.

However, the current growth in the VoIP market means that plenty of businesses, families and individuals are willing to take advantage of VoIP low costs and (sometimes) ease of use. New combinations of communications methods continue to surface, giving the consumer plenty of options.

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