There have been people behind and in front of the scenes that make VOIP a popular name these days and we’ d like to applaud them for that. However, a handful are considered as cream of the top.

Based on VOIP News, there are 25 individuals that are helping in shaping how VOIP will be in the future. We will be focusing on three of them:

Jeff Pulver: In many ways, Jeff Pulver is responsible for the huge growth and success of VoIP, and every time someone thinks that he is retiring or becoming less of an influence, back he comes for more. Suffice it to say that founding VON; brokering deals; and turning his attention to applications, Internet video and many other projects are all keeping him a primary VoIP influencer.

Thomas Howe: Thomas Howe is less well known than most on this list, but what he’s doing is highly significant. He is at the forefront of implementing the kind of change in businesses that VoIP is enabling. Rather than focusing on the technology side, like so many others in VoIP, he focuses on the business and how to effectively use technology. For example, the new way UPS Inc. uses business systems and VoIP — to see if you are going to be home if a package must be signed for — is all thanks to Thomas Howe.

Lee Dryburgh: For the past two years, the best place to look into the crystal ball at the future of communications, and telephony in particular, was the ETel (Emerging Telephony) Conference. When O’Reilly Media Inc. closed it, Lee Dryburgh stepped in and spearheaded a more open, even more forward-thinking conference to take its place. Lee is the guiding light behind eComm2008 and thus the original broker to all the developments that will come about because of the meetings and ideas the conference will throw out.

To see the remaining people on the list, kindly go to this site.