Effect of Technology on Consumer Behavior: A Case Study of VoIP Industry - Dissertation Example

According to the research findings, the VoIP industry has recently started its period of explosive growth as a result of the higher penetration levels of broadband that is the platform upon which it needs to operate. The preceding, as well as other developments that are uncovered herein, represents factors that came into consideration in the exploration of “Consumer Behavior in the VoIP Industry”. As is the case with any industry sector, its success is determined by consumer and or client acceptance, the need it fills, timing of the introduction and or advancement that meets the dynamics of the marketplace.

When these factors align, explosive growth potential looms on the horizon. As the means to understand the underlying factors attributed to the study, an understanding of the state of the VoIP sector was developed as a foundation to bring forth important points and facets that aligned with consumer needs, concerns, trends and wants. The foregoing was important in that it provided an understanding of the thinking as well as a direction of the communications segment with regard to the consumer, competitive factors in the industry, and new technological developments acting upon it.

With the preceding as a foundation, research into consumer behavior in the VoIP industry uncovered that the desire for low priced calls had always been present, but that VoIP had a limitation marked by its computer-based set up that confined the convenience factor due to the lack of portability. The foregoing factor, lack of portability, has been removed in that smartphones permit for VoIP applications to work in a mobile environment thus opening up the service to the present state of the telecommunications segment whereby more calls are made over mobile networks than fixed line.

Thus structural and trend shifts have created a climate whereby developments in the industry fit changes in the consumer sector. The study uncovered that the primary consumer behavioral point was and is represented by price, followed by utility and then convenience. This triumvirate alignment is being filled by the penetration of broadband and smartphones that provides the utility element that fits with the change in communications that is based on portability and convenience. These facets are developed herein.