Can you guess which country was the most successful in terms of growth in the twentieth century? No, it wasn’t the United States, Britain, or Japan. Believe it or not, the title goes to a nation that is still commonly referred to as a third-world country — Brazil. Will this growth continue?

Though there will always be skeptics, in recent years Brazil has answered its critics and it has answered them emphatically. Under a new president (Lula), Brazil has managed to repay all of its debts to the International Monetary Fund years ahead of schedule. It is also home to the fastest growing trade surplus in the world. Not to mention that fact that its exports are exploding, growing faster than both China and India.

This is all happening in a giant nation that is currently fifth in both population and size. But can Brazil’s amazing growth continue, or was it simply a flare up from a country that is infamous for its political and economic instability? One particular area of concern is local businesses in Brazil who have been cutting costs with new technologies like voip internet phone service .

If you have never heard of it, Voice Over IP (VOIP) phone service is the cheapest way to make international calls today. Basically, this new service gives businesses the ability to bypass the phone companies and to make long distance phone calls over the internet virtually for free.

As you might imagine, a service like this is indispensible for businesses in Brazil who rely heavily on foreign investors and trade. The only cost associated with the service is the price of a standard internet connection.