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	July 01, 2004 VoIP a Misleading Label? Captured by Smart Mobs. What do Americans think when they hear VoIP and are the questions researcher are asking really relevant? This week the Pew / Internet & American Life project released data that perhaps doesn't tell the full story. 27% of online Americans have heard of VoIP telephone service; 4 Million are considering getting it at home. Report So what concerns me about the data and the VoIP label? The report talks VoIP telephony and specifically mentions Vonage, VoiceGlo, Voicepulse, Net2phone and FWD. It doesn't mention Instant Messaging and new cross-over products like Skype are not visible or understood. So there is also no mention in the data about "presence" information. Apparently only 15% of 18-24 year olds have heard of VoIP. This contrasts with 32% of 25-34 year olds who are most aware. According to the data the 18-24's are also least likely to have made a phone call online. While the PEW report explans this in terms of "mobility" and a penchant for the cell phone I think this is one of those paradigm definitions. I'm sure many 18-24 year old have talked in a chatroom or used and IM client to make a voice connection. To the research that isn't a phone call. Then SMS and texting isn't a phone call in the traditional sense either. Yet in many instances and countries texting substitues for a phone call. Of the four million that considering a VoIP purchase two thirds are male, are twice as likely to have college degrees, and well off economically. Two-thirds of those who have heard of VoIP have high speed Internet connections. I'm willing to bet they have heard of IM, social networks, dealing with spam and have concerns about privacy and security. With only four million considering a VoIP purchase compared to 27% of Americans who have heard of VoIP this data would suggest that current VoIP platforms fail to be really compelling.