Three quarters of managers in UK small businesses (SMEs) haven't the foggiest idea about VoIP, according to research from internet telephony outfit Inclarity.

A survey of 500 SME execs found that only one in eight firms are using the net to make phone calls which helps them save money on telecoms and IT costs.

At the same time, a whopping 76 per cent of those quizzed said they have "limited or no understanding at all of VoIP".

"SMEs can't possibly be equipped to drive more efficient operations without fully understanding the technology options available to them," said Inclarity COO Paul Anthony Beaumont. "It would be like cutting bread with a spoon." [Oi, don't knock it 'till you've tried it, Ed]

While VoIP outfit Inclarity clearly has an interest in promoting internet telephony, not everyone is convinced.

According to the results of a Network Instruments survey, half of IT experts were concerned about the "robustness and reliability of VoIP as a technology for serious business use". ®