HOUSTON, Nov. 26, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Expect connected devices to integrate even further into the way humans live, work and play, which will accelerate adoption of an ever-expanding array of highly specialized over-the-top (OTT) services and further fragment the telecom ecosystem. These are among the top five predictions for OTT in 2014 issued today by Voxofon, a rapidly growing provider of OTT voice and messaging services.

Voxofon's top 5 predictions for OTT communications services for 2014 include:

1. People around the world will be more connected with the continued adoption of "smart" devices, and the use of these devices and OTT communication apps will be further woven into the fabric of all aspects of our lives. We will see new use-cases and categories of OTT apps that integrate our experience with "wearable" technology like smartwatches and smartglasses.
    
2. Hyper-specialization of OTT communication apps will drive the introduction and viral adoption of new categories of communication and social networking apps. Considering the advantage of being the first mover in any market segment, those who can identify emerging needs and rapidly deploy new tools will have a tremendous competitive advantage.
    
3. The telecommunications ecosystem will experience significant horizontal fragmentation, prompting carriers to launch new services and adopt new sources of revenue. In 2014, we will see carriers introduce new data-only plans, support a broader range of connected devices, and introduce OTT services that complement their current model.
    
4. Attempts to inhibit the pace of innovation and adoption of OTT communication services – whether by governments or telecommunications companies – will fail. Many unstoppable forces are in play, including the inherent human desire to connect with one another, which will doom efforts to pull the plug on OTT communication services.
    
5. OTT communication apps will see significant growth in Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging apps and use-cases. As the use of our devices becomes more ingrained into our daily existence, the world around us – our automobile, toll booth, parking meter and navigation system to name a few just during the drive to or from the office – will interact with our devices to enhance our experiences by making life more simple and comfortable.

"On the surface, the hyper-specialization of apps might seem counter-intuitive in an era of device consolidation, but highly specialized apps enable users to outfit their connected devices with the specific set of functionalities they want, which is what makes device consolidation practical," said Alexey Goloshubin, CEO of Voxofon. "In 2014, the view of the device as an electronic version of the Swiss Army Knife will take hold, with each app serving a single specific purpose. Users will gravitate to those apps that do the one thing they want better than any other, and they will quickly switch when their needs change or something better comes along."

Voxofon is continuing their focus on building an application ecosystem that allows for multi-device and multi-platform support with a seamless user experience. To take advantage of these new opportunities for specialized OTT apps, Voxofon plans to develop and launch several new apps in 2014.

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Plus Voxofon: https://plus.google.com/108971441430961016446/posts

About Voxofon

Voxofon, a provider of OTT (over-the-top) voice and messaging solutions, develops simple, easy-to-use apps (iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry) that deliver free and low-cost calls and texts globally. Designed to enable both smartphone and feature phone users, Voxofon delivers a cloud-powered platform that makes it easy to have real-time communication with practically anyone in the world.  Voxofon is based in Houston, Texas, and was founded in 2008. For more information, please visit www.voxofon.com.