Small businesses in the US are increasingly considering converged communication solutions, a new report suggests.

Data gathered by AMI-Partners shows that small firms are increasingly copying larger organisations and combining their voice and data networks. In particular, IP products are becoming popular.

The US market for IP products for small businesses is predicted to grow by 15.6 per cent year-on-year until 2010, according to AMI-Partners.

"SMBs (small and medium-sized businesses) are migrating toward converged communications solutions over a single IP network for voice, data, video to support ubiquitous communications, and outsourcing processes which their internal IT staff are unable to manage," explained Sanjeev Aggarwa of AMI.

"The SMB IP communications market is sizzling, leading to increased interest and competition from global and regional voice/data vendors, software vendors, internet/portal vendors, and large traditional telecom service providers."

Elsewhere in the report, it was found that small business managers are increasingly prepared to outsource "non-core IT services".

Early this year, a report from Forrester suggested that IT outsourcing to small firms in the UK could grow rapidly in the coming five years.