Will there be no Telephones in Guestrooms?

I recently read two interesting articles from a magazine-Hospitality Upgrade Spring 2010. These two articles talk about whether the telephones in guestrooms will disappear or not? The authors of the articles are holding two absolutely opposite opinions.
Wibecke Vinke, Managing Director of Hospitality IT Systems and Consulting, thinks that “there is no longer a need for a phone in the guestroom because the telephone revenues are minimal and telephony costs are increasing.”
However, Derek Wood, Managing Director of Derek Wood Associates Ltd., holds a view that there is always a place for the telephone in the guestroom. Reasons for that are 1) there is the legal requirement for installing telephone in case of any emergency; 2) some form of internal communication will always be required with reception/front desk. 3) The average international calls revenue for a 500-room hotel at 80% occupancy is $15,000-$20,000 per month. Another fact is that compare to cell phone charge, it is cheaper to make international calls by using hotel telephones. International guests, of course, would like to use the guest rooms’ telephones to make phone calls.
In my opinion, I do believe there will be always a place for telephone in guestroom in, but the technology will transform the traditional phone to a “smart” phone. And the IP touch phone will be the telephone of the future. An IP phone uses VoIP (Voice over IP) technologies to make calls over an IP network. IP phone can be simple software-based phones or purpose-built hardware devices that look like an ordinary telephone. Although the installation fee for IP phone is 25% higher than the traditional phone, there some functions of IP phone do contribute to both guests and hotels. With different applications and hardware devices, the IP phone can performs different tasks. For example, the guest can see who is outside the door at any time by using the IP phones that connect with a web camera at the guest room door. Or the guest can check out by just simply touch on the screen on the IP phone, streamlining the check-out process. Moreover, innovative in-room technology and newly room design would always elements for attracting guests and delivering enhanced services. Therefore, I believe there will be phones in guest rooms in the future.