It is pretty big news when EarthLink and Circuit City team up to do anything. With all the market research out there showing VoIP growing by leaps and bounds, both EarthLink and Circuit City see an opportunity to grab some share by working together. Certainly Circuit City is an arms dealer of sorts, working with lots of other VoIP providers as well.

But when there is an entire aisle of competing VoIP products and services to consider, one wonders how these companies who provide VoIP service will be able to differentiate themselves. For example will name brands be enough? And on wonders, is AT&T a stronger brand than Vonage? Perhaps not.

Some companies are differentiating their VoIP offerings by focusing on small business and others are providing broadband and VoIP as a package, allowing them to control voice quality.

In the end, having retailers pick up the pace of marketing VoIP products and services, the industry can't help but grow faster. After all, as there is more education on all VoIP can do for the consumer and small business, increased sales must follow.