VoIP Now

VoIPing For Profit - Skype Prime?

Skype once more releases a feature, Skype Prime [via], that's in direction competition with their developer community. While it's a very exciting feature - which allows you to bill for a Skype-to-Skype call - Skype is once more suggesting that you shouldn't even bother developing anything because they'll just take the idea or partner with someone else.

Then again, Jyve, Bitwine and other similar Extras are completely safe because Skype is charging an absurd 30% of whatever you charge your callers. As one commenter at the Skype Share blog says, isn't 30% a bit excessive. Someone charging $100/h would end up paying Skype $30/h for a call that is otherwise free.

Someone from the eBay side of things must have a plan to make Skype a laughingstock. I can't see Friis and Zenstrom's original team behaving like this. Something like 5-10% is reasonable. There's also Ether, by the way, which you can use Skype with.

Interactive Ads On Your Phone?

Where do they get this stuff? Ericsson, the telecom equipment manufacturer wants to push mobile TV while making it worthwhile for carriers. This means running interactive ads on mobile handsets.

Sorry but I don't now or ever want to see advertising on my cell phone, with the possible exception that my carrier not only pays my bandwidth costs but also increase my monthly bandwidth cap for my cellular data plan from 250 Mb to something more reasonable. Otherwise, buzz off already. On the other hand, this Ericsson proposal supposedly will not require extra bandwidth.

Now if that's true, there could be a bit of a mobile TV revolution. If you didn't have to pay to watch mobile TV on your puny handset screen, would you watch the advertising? Fact is, mobile Internet TV still needs some more features/ infrastructure, including larger screens - maybe roll-out style or HUDs (heads-up displays).

Palm In Trouble?

MarketWatch elaborates on a WSJ article that Palm is potentially up for sale, hurt by the competition. Recall that the PalmOS was once the most widely used platform for mobile devices. That's ceased to be true for a few years. I'm not sure, but I think Windows Mobile took over that status. And then there's Apple's imminent iPhone, not to mention a few Linux phones popping up. Symbian still commands a bit of presence in the market. So yeah, competition.

Nokia is being touted as a possible buyer. I have to say I hope it's Nokia; I have a lot of respect for what they are doing and the fact that they haven't ignored VoIP. As a Palm Treo owner who has increasingly grown to dislike my choice, I feel Nokia will treat Palm the best. This purely my own biased opinion.

Let Your Fingers Do The Clicking

Springwise talks about [via Etel] a digital product offered by Austrian company Herold: 4 million Austrian residential and business phone numbers, loadable onto your cell phone. Do you really need or even want such a product? That's a lot of memory, which could be used for other purposes.

Being old enough to have used computers when they had 128 Mb RAM, and having seen them increase, only to witness software companies producing bloatware, I'm really hoping that this doesn't happen to cell phones. With more sophisticated handsets like the Apple iPhone coming out soon, this is a very real danger. Request to mobile application developers: KISS = Keep it simple, stupid. Don't give us mobile bloatware.

BenQ Mobile Says Goodbye

It might be hard to believe that a mobile tech make would go bankrupt with the current economy, especially one that was a former Siemens division, but that's what happened to BenQ Mobile. The Taiwanese BenQ bought BenQ Mobile in 2005.

Since no buyers were found since the bankruptcy declaration, BenQ Mobile is being completely shut down. I don't know the full details about the company, but I'm surprised that some larger phone maker didn't snap them up.

A question poses itself about VoIP providers: what do you do if your provider goes bankrupt? Given that there are a multitude of VoIP providers offering free calling plans, it's likely some of them just might go down if they can't find a way to monetize their services.

VoIP Companies Taking In Profits

A number of VoIP-related companies are reporting profits for recent business quarters. VoIP, Inc., reported growth in minutes for Q4 2006. XFone also achieved a profit in Q4 2006. With the current VoIP boom, other companies are likely to be reporting profits for business quarters in 2007.

Texas Instruments particularly sees growth potential for providing VoIP to SMBs (Small to medium businesses) - a sector that has been slow to adopt VoIP for a variety of reasons including technical issues, project management, lack of skilled workers, and more. Nevertheless, this is a sector that should enjoy healthy growth in near future years - a growth that could very likely be exponential.

VoIP Roundup - Mon Feb 26, 2007

Apple TV Delayed
The shipping of the Apple iTV set-top box is being delayed until mid-March. The IPTV device allows you to wirelessly stream video content from your PC or Mac to a TV screen. I can hear TV junkie geeks everywhere going "damn!"

Some Communications Purchases
Two recent telecom purchases include Broadview Networks Holdings Inc.'s buyout of New York-based InfoHighway Communications Corp and phone maker Ericsson's plans to buyout Tandberg Television.

The Broadview combined company will serve 80,000 SMBs. Ericsson's planned purchase is in hopes of expanding their presence in the IPTV market.

How To Profit From VoIP
SmartBiz has an article with the enticing title How to profit from VoIP, which is actually an overview of Unified Messaging and presence. The crucial point of the article: it can't be done with the traditional PSTN system.

Vonage Passes One Year IPO Anniversary

On March 23rd, troubled VoIP provider Vonage passed their one year anniversary for going public, and their stock price has yet to improve. While recently developments such as Vonage pre-paid calling cards and possibly a service called Vonage Wireless might help boost their stock price, not everyone is holding out hope.

I've been saying from the very beginning of Vonage's stock price drop that there's a very real possibility that it was orchestrated by legacy telco interests so that Vonage could be bought out cheap. I still subscribe to that theory. If the stock continues it's trend, it's in a very real danger of becoming a penny stock that pretty much anyone could pick up for a song.

VoIP Roundup - Thur Feb 22, 2007

AT&T + GM Do A Deal
Thanks to a deal with five-year billion dollar deal with General Motors, AT&T will be building worldwide communications services for GM. There's no direct mention of VoIP, but "voice and data applications" integration is part of the deal. [TeleGeography]

Smaller VoIP Providers Consolidating
Smaller VoIP providers seem to be following a consolidation trend, with NYC-based DeltaThree being one of them, acquiring the privately-held Go2Call.com. [Telephony Online] This is a to be expected trend, with VoIP maturing and larger businesses keeping their options open for competing.

VoIP Phones Roundup
PC Mag has a roundup of several VoIP "phones", each different from the other in look and operation. Included is Vonage's V-Phone.

Watch Out For Tech IPOs in 2007

Om Mailk writes about Business 2.0's Michael Copeland, who says this year will be a big one for tech companies to go public. I'd have to agree. Last year was iffy for many tech firms, who delayed their IPOs or saw poor returns after going public. A fortunate few, especially in the RFID market, managed to get VC (Venture Capital) funding.

I subscribe to theory that there will be a tech bubble burst in 2010 or 2011. The economy in North America has gone into the tank at the end of a decade, or in the first year of a new one - every decade since 1970, that I'm aware of. I think that not even a Democrat becoming the next President is going to deflect that. However, if the right Democrat wins, I'm speculating that we'll see amazing growth in the stock market over the next 4-8 years. (Though I don't know who that person is, who the voters will accept, but I have a suspicion - someone who hasn't throw their hat in the ring yet.)

That said, I don't think this will be a big IPO year for VoIP IPOs, though things may change in 2008 or 2009. Investors are probably still wary because of Vonage stock's poor performance, and they and Skype are probably the two most well-known VoIP services around the world.

Agreement on the iPhone Name

Apple and Cisco have reached an agreement on the use of the iPhone name, which Cisco owns (except in Canada). iPhone is of course the name given to the new Apple keypad-less phone due out in the USA later this year. [Sacramento Business Journal, Red Herring.]

From what I can gather, they're both going to use the name, which Cisco has owned through their Linksys subsidiary since 2000. There's no mention of the Canadian-based VoIP provider Comwave, who is claiming trademark ownership of the name iPhone in Canada.

Interestingly, same day reaction in the stock market caused Apple shares to go up about 30 cents and Cisco to go down about 28 cents.

Skype Gives You The Virtual Human Assistant

Now this is great for small business: an appropriately qualified Skyper somewhere in the world to handle your customer calls. VoIP bloggers have debated VoIP-based telecommuting because the question is one of remote trust: who are you hiring? Who will monitor them? Aside from that, a bit of tweaking and a small but diverse team means the ability to handle client calls in different languages - a truly virtual, VoIP-based team.

A worldwide Skype-based "telephonist" team would essentially act as multiplexers, with each dealing with the customers of more than one client. There is an opportunity here for someone to set up a web services web site to broker VoIP-based business communications services between people to answer calls (telephonists) and companies that need it done. This is exactly the sort of functionality that VoIP/ vVoIP affords that regular telecom cannot.

That said, Varras Consulting is in fact doing exactly that, and the necessary or preferred skills to work from home include being multilingual. Varras is also resolving the trust issue by requiring a non-criminal background and a security check.

Now Varras Consulting is not a VoIP company, so they wouldn't qualify to be in the 25 most interesting VoIP startups, but bravo to them for pushing the edge of IP communications use. Let's hope that Skype call quality is not an issue.

Be Your Own VoIP Provider

Thinking about getting in one the VoIP provider market? VT White, the private label reseller division of VoIP provider ViaTalk, is offering e-911 (enhanced emergency) services as of Nov 2006. Additional offerings include Tolll Free number origination at US$0.045 per customer. You can resell VoIP as an add on to other web services such as ISP or hosting. The service will be launching in "early 2007."

If you do decide to provide VoIP services to your clients, consider as a loss leader, not as a money maker. There's already far too much competition in the marketplace for small players to make a profit. That said, VoIP service could be a nice add on for your web services customers.

What's with this Buzz about Web2.0 Apps?

It seems like all the buzz today is about a recent list of Small Business Apps from the guys over at Aviva Directory.

So what's all this buzz about? As far as I can tell, everyone is going gaga over some of the hot new Web2.0 apps that they've compiled. Admittedly, the list is actually a really helpful and interesting compilation of small business applications. But why is the VoIP world talking about small business?

The reason is that a good number of these tips build off a VoIP framework to achieve their connectivity. Take for instance ConceptShare which will allow you to modify graphic presentations in real-time with multiple users spread throughout the world. By bringing the global real-time connectivity of VoIP to projects that used to be mailed back and forth through email, small business owners are finding that outsourcing is becoming an increasingly viable option.

While some are arguing that the ability to achieve complete collaboration through a combination of voice, video, is going to eliminate third world poverty, I am understandably a bit more reserved. I would say, however, that the rising popularity of Web2.0 apps and their incorporation with VoIP technology will likely breathe new life into small business outsourcing, and should help all small businesses, foreign and domestic to lower their operating costs.

If you want to check out the article, there are also some great organizational resources which I'd recommend you checking out as well. Not specifically VoIP related, but if you're running a small business you certainly need them.

How VoIP, Presence and IP Conferencing Can Help Your Career

Phoneboy recently asked (on Web Worker Daily) whether telecommuting affects your career, in response to a similar piece at Network World. If someone asked me that in the 90s or even a few years ago, I'd have to say yes from what I've seen of other people. It's primarily because of what he said: executives tend to want/ need to meet their charges. It's been hard to do over traditional telecom and conferencing solutions that the average company can afford.

Now, we're entering into an era where VoIP, IP conferencing and presence applications are setting up the framework where I don't think telecommuting will be as much of a barried to career advancement. A couple of things still need to change: faster computers, faster Internet connections and attitudes. It might be years (maybe a half generation?) before being a full-time telecommuting executive becomes commonplace. It might become a reward of the job. (Part-time telecommuting has been allowed at all levels of staff for years, as I learned at IBM in 2001, even for meetings.) The acceptance may take time but the technology is already here.

Skype: The Price is Right?

At the end of the month, the SkypeOut rates for Canada and the US are going up to US$29.95. That's not a monthly rate; it's for unlimited calling for a full year. The current promo rate is US$14.95 for the full year - less than $2/m. I'm probably going to take advantage of the special rate on the last day of January.

I don't typically make a lot of long distance calls anymore, now that I work out of the house, and since I use text chat or email for the most part. However, I'm moving back to the big city, Toronto, Canada, sometime this summer or early fall, to be able to make it to various tech conferences and possibly do some teaching.

That means that if I want to stay in touch with my parents, it'll be a lot of long distance (two different places). And that'll be from my cell phone, since I haven't had a land line in around 10 years and don't plan to. That'll add up, even for the occasional call every month. Skype's price looks more appealing now (though they still don't have SkypeIn numbers for Toronto while Gizmo does).

Even at the doubled price after Jan 31st, it could still be worth it. Skype Journal's Phil Wolff puts the Pro Skype pricing in perspective: 4.3 SkypeOut minutes per day pays back the Pro calling plan, when compared to the new per minute rates - which are higher than they were last year, with no promise of quality. (He even offers a spreadsheet if you want to see the calculations.)

And that's my main beef. The quality of my Skype calls weren't great in December. What's more, since my mother doesn't have a computer and my father doesn't want to use VoIP, for them to call me is going to be costly for them. One the one hand, it's a piddly sum for a full year of unlimited calls. On the other, both parents have complained to me of the quality of my Skype calls to them, even though we all live in the same town. The other problem, as mentioned above, is that SkypeIn doesn't support Toronto yet. It'll be expensive for my parents to call me (my brother just emails me).

That means I need some other option, possibly SkyNET-tel's 1-800 number and a Toronto VoIP number for inbound calling. Why can't there be a single computer-based VoIP solution for a city as large as Toronto (as large as Atlanta, Georgia, if I'm not mistaken). No doubt people in other cities are wondering the same thing. So is the price right or isn't it? I'm undecided.

VoIP Roundup - Thur Jan 25, 2006

TellMe: What's The 4-1-1?
TellMe, a new service for Java-enabled mobile phones, is a potential 411-killer, and voice-activated at that. See Techcrunch for details.

Skype Gross Profits Heading Upwards
Apparently in Q4 2006, Skype sold a lot of minutes: US$1.5 billion worth, compared to $1.1B in Q3. More at GigaOm.

Bring The Woize
UK-based Woize is bringing it stateside in February. All 50 states will have VoIP service and DID numbers. [via VoIP News] So the already competitve US market will have yet another contender.

I Think I Cracked My (Blue)Tooth
One flaw of Bluetooth is that it's susceptible to easy hacking. Well, that just got even easier with Bluetooth cracking tools released by a couple of German programmers. Companies apparently don't put as much emphasis on security for Bluetooth, and these cracking tools are proof-of-concept.

The All-New Ford/ Microsoft Car: Now With VoIP + Conferencing

Bwah ha ha ha ha. Just imagine it now: in the near future, all over North America, you'll see drivers talking to themselves.

What they'll really be doing is talking to Sync, the new automobile operating system from Microsoft, to become available in a number of Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury models starting in the 2008 model year. Like drivers don't have enough distractions such as mobile phones, now they can talk to a Ford car courtesy of Microsoft? What will Sync do when someone has a case of the road rage?

Couldn't Ford have come up with a better business partner? [NYTimes free reg needed] Like working with a company with operating system software that actually works? Microsoft's the company who in 2006 had 284 unsafe web browser days due to flaws through which malware attacks could be made (and they only issue software patches once a month). Do you really want to be driving a car that runs an operating system created by Microsoft? I'd considered a Ford for a future vehicle, but this move ensures I will never, ever buy a Ford.

Surely Stock Options Steve would have entertained the idea of an iCar. Or one of the Linuxes maybe? Ford Ubuntu. I like the sound of that: able to go where no vehicle has gone, and now with cron tables. You can grep your car. But Ford, being a fiercely loyal American car company, probably thinks Linux is for communists.

Let's just hope that when you have to inevitably reboot Sync, the car's engine doesn't shut off and restart. Unless you're already stuck in traffic Though the full Sync feature list is pretty impressive. Everything is voice-activated and Bluetooth-enabled, hence my quip about talking to yourself. There's VoIP, call waiting, call conferencing, a push-to-talk button in the steering wheel, and transfer of conversations from phone to car. But my feeling is that if a car company builds in conferencing abilities into their vehicles, the country has a serious workaholism problem. Can't wait until the first virus, worm or Trojan hits Sync. Color me unimpressed.

RIM Mum On Stock Options Review

The NY Times had a story on Christmas day regarding a RIM stock options review. RIM, maker of the BlackBerry, initiated the review in Sep 2006 themselves but have not provided investors or regulators much in the way of details. Even the letter submitted to the OSC (province of Ontario Securities Commission) didn't clear things up much. The stock jumped approximately US$50 between Sep and Dec. More details at the NY Times (free registration may be required).

RIM got out of a patent infringement lawsuit earlier this year and recenty levied a copyright infringement lawsuit on Samsung's Blackjack device, amidst a great Q3 2006 in terms of revenues. Regardless of the hubbub, RIM seems like teflon, able to weather the goings on, fair or otherwise. I've met former employees who retired early because their stock options made them young millionaires. My feeling is that the company will continue to make millionaires for a long time because of good overall management and vision. [I own no RIM stock, but may purchase some in late 2007.]

VoIP Is Movin On Up, To The Enterprise

CIO Today has an indepth look at VoIP in the enterprise, giving examples of planned rollouts at the Bank of America, the New York Times, Amazon, Chicago Public Schools, and more as an example of VoIP's scalability. They also point out that a shift in the telecom market from TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) to IP became evident in Q1 2006. The quote Current Analysis analyst Brian Riggs, who says "IP telephony has gone mainstream." Which is what Ken Camp was saying recently.

For those of us who write about VoIP, this is great news indeed, as I think we'd all agree that this is the kind of result we've all been hoping for.

The US Presidential Race: Pushing The Viral Video Angle

Senator John Edwards has already announced his plan to run for the 2008 US Presidential race under the Democratic banner. Edwards is the politician who had experienced a recent faux pas dissing Wal-Mart's labor policies on the same morning that one of his campaigners asked them to provide a (free) Playstation gaming console for one of his family members. Wal-Mart of course told him to stand in line like everyone else. Maybe they thought it had YouTube?

At any rate, he seems to have taken Peter Csathy's advice about video campaigning and had someone post an initial campaign clip on YouTube. Now if every politician listened to Peter, imagine how much in campaign savings they would garner. Wouldn't that show some proof of fiscal responsibility?

[sources: 21Talks]

Reading: Some VoIP/ IP Comm Lists

Light Reading presents Heavy Reading's top ten noteworthy tech research findings for 2006. Several them are about VoIP or are directly related. This is one of those must-read lists. While you're there, you may also want to check out bad tech demos, about tech show demos the writer does not want to see in 2007. To supplement these lists, VoIP News has top 10 VoIP predictions for 2007.

In terms of predictions, eWeek's Paula Musich talks about the new roles that VoIP will take in 2007 (via Ken Camp and Luca Filigheddu). She quotes Burton Group's Dave Passmore in sayiing that Microsoft's joint partnership with Cisco, which will allow MSFT "to develop IP PBX functions that can run on any Windows server," and that this "will in 2007 hasten the demise of the hardware-based IP PBX." The gist of what Ken says in response to the eWeek piece is that "2007 is the year to watch the small players, not the big ones".

What small to medium players do I predict might stir the VoIP waters some in the coming year? Gizmo Project. Or at least, that's what I'm hoping. SightSpeed, who are already stirring things up in the video calling arena, with their free video click-to-call web page buttons.

Verizon Will Allows Ads On Mobiles

Subscribers of Verizon Wireless who visit certain websites on their mobile phones will soon find advertising as part of the content served to them [NY Times]. As I've no doubt said before, I'm opposed to advertising if I have to foot the bill. Cellular data bandwidth is not unlimited everywhere, and some data plans are expensive.

So if someone is going to make money off of me, I'd expect that there'd some concession, such as free bandwidth or at least reduced monthly rates. At least the rumored Google phone is expected to be free, to counter the fact that you'll see ads. Or so the rumor says. So, if your cellular provider is planning hit you up with ads, protest to customer support until they either reduce your monthly rate or, welll... You decide.

More Tips For Video Calling Etiquette

Andy Abramson recently offered his own six tips for video calling and planning, in response to something Peter Csathy said about video call pre-planning. Andy's tips are sort of supplemental to my own video calling etiquette tips of past months. However, we seem to be of differing opinions on some issues. I guess it depends on who you are and whom you're talking to.

• Vanity. It should be more about appearance than vanity, per se. If you look like a slob and are video chatting with someone that doesn't know you, what'll they think of your work?
• Multi-tasking. Sorry, but I have to disagree. Most people would consider it rude, especially if they don't know you. People who know me don't mind, usually because they are busy themselves. But don't do it for a first time meeting, unless you're very discreet.

Microsoft Gives Laptops To Bloggers

So what's the big deal? Microsoft and AMD gave away [InformationWeek] Acer Ferrari laptops to select bloggers (six are identified in the InformationWeek article). It's not like they were the first to do this. Other companies have given stuff to bloggers, though Nokia only loans out their phones for review. Is this more integrity-preserving? Meh, I don't think so. I praised Nokia for their program, but unless Microsoft is demanding something in particular, I don't see a problem.

The laptops sound pretty sweet: over $2200, 64-bit processors, and the new Vista OS. I have no plans to switch to Vista, ever. Personally, I miss not using Linux and Mac, so my next two computers/ laptops are going to be Mac OS X and some undecided flavour of Linux.

So if anyone wants to send an Apple iPod Phone (when it comes out) or a Linux cell phone, I'll do a thorough review. I'm not proud and have no shame. Laptops with wireless and VoIP tech are welcome, too.

Skype Roundup - Tues Dec 26, 2006

Skype Journal
One of my fave VoIP blogs, Skype Journal, hasn't been been posted to in several weeks. Phil Wolff commented elsewhere on some technical problems that they are trying to sort out. But I just now looked and it appears the domain expired on the 19th. Jim, Phil, I really hope you guys get this sorted out, as it'd be a bloody shame if you lost the domain. Hopefully you didn't forget, while trying to sort out the other technical problems.

Share Your Music
A Last.fm playlist badge is one of the popular ways that bloggers let people know what music they've been listening to. Now, you can share your Last.fm playlist in Skype 3.0 with an Extra, as well as build a customizable radio for yourself. The Share Skype blog gives more detail.

Disruptive VoIP Pricing To Come
Skype has already announced disruptive SkypeOut pricing for North American users. But they've also let on that there'll be a disruptive pricing strategy for all 136 million users. That'll be revealed Jan 18th, 2007. Will this move forever set the standard for VoIP pricing around the world? We'll know in a few short weeks.

Skype For Business?
With a poor and subdued showing in Skype 3.0 For Windows - Business Edition, many of us VoIP bloggers have been wondering what it's really in store. A recent article quotes VP Mobile + Telecom Services Michael Jackson joking about no Skype trucks in the future (to configure business installations), though there may be independent Skype integrators. Also mentioned is that Skype for business functions will evolve, but that they'll be relying on an "ecosystem of third parties" in the short to medium term. Wait and see, I guess.

Communication Breakdown: Ahem. How's My Voice... Tech?

While Clearwire is pushing WiMax and attempting another go at an IPO, One IP Voice is filing Chapter 11. BCE Inc. (Bell Canada Enterprises) sold its satellite division for $3.4+B, and Nortel signed a $2B CDMA EV-DO contract for 5 years with Verizon Wireless. (Nortel is the Canadian company once known as Northern Telecom that pretends it's American. I think that's because it has so many American shareholders. BCE used to be part owners, but I don't know if they still are.) Google is planning a Google Phone, possibly with Orange, and Linksys/ Cisco beat Apple to the punch with their own registered iPhone brand. Apple's Steve Jobs is expected to announce their iPod Phone in January at MacWorld. Skype announced disruptive pricing for SkypeOut in North America, though they have more disruptive plans after Jan 31st, 2007, for the whole world. More to come.

More Cheap or Free VoIP/ Voice

Just a reminder that Jajah has free calls to 80 countries today, Christmas 2006. Vinay at VoIPGuides weblog also has several posts for free calling:

• 5 free VoIP providers for international calls (one of which is Jajah).
• A hack for free calls through Free Call Planet.
• MediaRing free calls from Dec 20 - Jan 6.

Nuno at 21Talks pointed out that Jajah is also offering ad-supported calling in Europe. This is something that Globe7 has been offering for quite some time, though in their case, you have to watch video ads and trailers. Of course, Google is planning to give away mobile phones in return for your eyeballs watching advertising on the phones.

RIM's Profit Cup Overflows But Balsillie Doesn't Get Penguins

RIM, who recently sued Samsung over their Blackjack phone name, had an overflowing Q3 2006, taking in just over US$800M, a near 50% increase from Q3 2005. This meant nearly $180M in profit and almost $1 per share. Part of this increase is due in part to the over 800K new BlackBerry subscribers, mostly from North America, probably thanks to their Pearl camera phone. European interest has not been as strong, though the Pearl is now offered by 20 mobile carriers there.

Now as much money as CEO and billionaire Jim Balsillie probably will make due to the lovely quarter, he doesn't have what he really wanted: the Pittsburgh Penguins. NHL hockey commissioner Gary Bettman wouldn't allow the team to be moved, even though former player and majority owner Mario Lemieux has said the team will possibly be seeking relocation outside of Pennsylvania state. However, depending on what article you read, people still interested in the team include Pittsburgh native and motormouth Dallas Maverick's owner Mark Cuban, Canadian owner of Steelback brewery Frank D'Angelo, and even Jim Balsillie himself, who is reconsidering now that the Penguin's new stadium deal fell through. (They've got the oldest rink in the league, at 45 years.)

Nomadic Workers + The Global Village

Andy Abramson writes about his Working Anywhere project, which, as he puts it, is about the nomadic worker. He talks about how he has to work in a virtual office because of far-flung clients and colleagues. As a former nomadic worker myself, I know exactly what Andy is talking about. At one point, I lived in one city, worked in another, sometimes visited clients in several nearby cities, then hung out in yet another city at the end of the day, where most of my friends lived, oddly enough.

To swing this nomadic behavior, at one point, I had two pagers and two cell phones. One pager and one cell phone had 1-800 toll free numbers (which was allowed at the time; no more) so that friends could call me. The second pager was for work. The second cell phone was mine but had the same area code as work. I had to replace my trouser belt a lot, what with the weight of VoIP didn't exist then, or at least not reliable. And smart phones were just popping into existence. So mobile VoIP was not even an option. And high-speed connections were hard to come by due to poor coverage in my neighborhood, so telecommuting wasn't an option back then for me, either.

Now, I work entirely from home but regularly collaborate with people in at least six time zones across the world. I've been using text mode chat for many years, and it's helps me get by now, too. For collaboration, I have several desktop sharing options including AIM Pro and the Unyte add-on for Skype. And for voice chat, I've used Skype and Google Talk, the two most common VoIP and VoIM soft clients amongst my colleagues. Without IP communication, there'd be no way for me to work entirely from home, away from the rat race, road rage and traffic jams of my previous career. Yay VoIP.

The electronic global village is enabled by IP communications. Though strangely enough, despite the growing e-learning/ e-tutoring and online education markets, there are some things that just can't be done over the Internet: attending live workshops and industry conferences. And that means that despite all this great technology, I'll be moving back to the big city within the next year for that reason.

6 Ways To Give Your Customers Free Calls To You

There are oh so many ways to give/ get free calls via VoIP services and software. But if you are running an SMB (small or medium business), you're really close to the concept of value for money. And you probably want to reduce costs for your customers as well. Here are five ways you can give your customers free calls via web-based voice/ VoIP services, sometimes from anywhere in the world.

1. SkyNET-Tel 1-800 number.
   Forward your SkyNET-Tel toll-free number to any VoIP "call in" number (such as from Skype, Gizmo Project, and SightSpeed), and reduce costs on your end, too. Customers can call you from any phone.
2. Sitofono.
   Pay a flat rate, provide your business telephone number (no mobiles), add a click-to-call button on your website, and voila: free calls to you from your worldwide customers via their computer. That's Sitofono.
3. Sitofono, iotum, and GrandCentral. If you want customers to be able to reach you while you're about, read Andy Abramson's A natural hat trick, about combining these three services to route calls to wherever you are. There's so much going on in features with this trio, though you should understand all options as some may result in charges for some customers, depending on geography. That aside, this trio means being able to change your contact numbers without having to inform everyone, as well as being "found" whenever and however (office, mobile, etc.) you dictate. By the way, Phil Wolff shot a video of GrandCentral in action, and Luca Filigheddu explains some GrandCentral's options.
4. Gizmo Project + Voxbone.
   Brian McConnell gives a great explanation of how you can set up "local" numbers in 40 countries around the world. That means they can use any phone. You can also use just Gizmo Project, but that means that each and every customer would need to register with Gizmo first. (GizmoProject offers free calling in 60 countries.)
5. Skype click-to-call.
   Place a Skype Me button on your website. You will need to have Skype on your computer and so will your customer.
6. SightSpeed click-to-call.
   Now with video support. SightSpeed just released their "enhanced" Version 5.0. But what really excites me is the video click-to-call functionality. Your customers can see and talk to you, and it won't cost either of you anything for the service. Of course, they have to use a computer.

If you really want to cover your bases and satisfy the widest range of customers, use a combination of all of the above. Your total monthly bill will probably still be a lot less than with just regular telephony and an internationally-usable 1-800 number. So as not to clutter your web page, use a single custom "call me" button to link to a special contact page displaying all specific. Your customers will call you to thank you.

New North American Skype Promos

A quick glance at the Skype website shows not only a brand new home page but a new 50% off promo for North American users. If you'll recall, N.A. Skypers can call any phone in the US and Canada for free until Dec 31st. Now, you can get one full year of unlimited calling in these two countries for only US$14.95. (Skype has also had promos in the UK, France, and other places.)

Not a bad deal, and you can use PayPal to pay. Except that my most recent conversation using Skype, which was actually to another Skyper, was of terrible quality. It may have had something to do with my running Audacity to record the conversation, but having successfully used HotRecorder and Skype on a laptop with one less processor and half the memory, I'm not so sure of that. In fact, because of this, I opted to use my mobile phone to make a long distance call today to a tech support team (not Skype) instead of worrying that sound quality would suck.

The sum of $14.95 is paltry, especially if it'll save you more than $1.25/mth in long distance. But if the quality is questionable, you have to decide on your priorities. (That said, my cable Internet connection has been terrible the last few days, so maybe it's not Skype's fault.) Though if you do opt for it, they throw in US$50 in coupons for a Motorola headset, Netgear Wi-Fi phone, and Polycom speaker phone. What I would have liked to see is, say, an unlimited calling plan for $39.95-$59.95 for one year that includes a free Skype-certified Wi-Fi phone.

A couple of notes. After Jan 31st, 2007, the plan's price goes back to US$29.95. During the first three days after signup, you can only use Skype for 7 hours per day. Seriously. Even a chatterbox like myself has never spent more than 6 hours on the phone in a single day.

Talkster Interview With James Wanless

James Wanless, one of the three entrepreneurs behind Canadian-based mobile-to-VoIM service provider Talkster has been a busy man, flying here and there to promote the service. Talkster relaunched this past Monday, but he managed to fit in an interview chat with me last Friday - a follow-up to a previous chat.

You may have already read about Talkster elsewhere, so instead of repeating that Talkster is a cool mobile-to-VoIM voice service, I'll quickly synopsize what James told me about what's happening with the company.

Their plan, he said, is to market to businesses. As he mentions on his blog, in the post The Great Race (To Zero), VoIP/ VoIM providers can give some of their services away for free but they have to have a monetization model to keep the business going and offer quality. And when you're a company started by three self-employed, self-funded people, you have to find a way to monetize.

That said, James said that Talkster is not only looking for funding but channel partners. If you have an idea for a way to integrate Talkster into your own voice application, they encourage you to contact them. The interface is based on the open standard XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol), but their API is only revealed to channel partners. (This is the same approach that SightSpeed seems to have.) If you think you might have some ideas in this regard, contact someone at Talkster.

Show Me The Money In VoIP: Is Free A Four Letter Word?

Pat Phelan asks where will it all end, in regards to all this free VoIP and VoIM going around. How long can a free model sustain itself? Will ad-paid models like that of Globe7 be accepted? Will Google's rumored free phones in return for ad-watching take over the world?

I had a second chat last Friday with James Wanless, President and COO - one of three entrepreneurial spirits behind Talkster, a new mobile-to-VoIM service that just relaunched on Monday. He made a very astute comment to me regarding free services, and wrote The great race (to zero). I'm paraphrasing him (so any misquote is my fault), but he said that so many [startups] think that giving away everything for free and grabbing a subscriber list is sufficient enough for someone with deep pockets to buy them up. He then pointed out that while Skype gave away a lot, they still had a monetization plan that they implemented, including CallOut minutes.

Exactly my point. We can hope that maybe we'll have some sort of idealistic moneyless society as portrayed in the Star Trek TV series, but the truth in my eyes is that we are very distant from any such reality. And that means that if you're giving away your VoIP for free, without any monetization plan, you are not going to last very long. And as James Wanless said in his blog, quality costs money. Would you use a VoIP service because it's free but the quality was poor? [Irony of ironies: Skype was misbehaving when we had our chat.]

Acatel-Lucent Scores British University Contract

Alcatel-Lucent is the merger that took an American President to approve (ever heard of that before?) and already they are gaining large deals. The University of the West of England (UWE) is implementing VoIP with Alcatel-Lucent's converged communications solutions. The project will take place over several years and will tie 4,400 UWE users over seven campuses. The resulting system will have both IP and TDM (Time-Division Multiplexing) components instead of pure VoIP. The university claims that new buildings already linked have reduced costs and management overhead. What prompted the entire project is a new student village and sports center.

sources: Irish Dev.

Covad and Centrepoint Offer IP Phone System For SMBs

Small business owners cringing at the cost of telecom solutions may want to check out TalkSwitch from Centrepoint Technologies. Covad is offering TalkSwitch and a bundle of services for US$459/mth. The system is said to be easy to install and can handle eight simultaneous calls, which Covad feels is suitable for offices of up to 25 employees.

Another offering is SpeakEasy, which is priced by the number of users (minimum 10) plus the cost of a T1 broadband connection. SpeakEasy VoIP services is available in 22 countries. Covad's Chair Charles Hoffman was selected as one of the 50 most influential people in VoIP, for "leading a major push into small business VoIP."

sources: Sharewatch.

Show Me The Money In VoIP: Emerging Markets

Could emerging markets hold the key to the future growth of telecoms? That's what a new Gartner report says. There is promise in emerging markets, especially because of the large potential customer base. But the fact is, disposable income is smaller in many of these countries compared to developed nations. Thus cost per call is is higher relative to income compared to other parts of the world. (Then there's the minimum startup and infrastructure costs.)

Those are the hurdles telecom operators face. Regardless, the Gartner Group says that emerging markets will account for nearly 90% of the 1.5Bln increased mobile phone connections by 2010. Throw fixed connections in the mix and emerging markets may account for as much as 70% of all new total phone connections by 2010. Cellular News has several tables showing a breakdown of potential revenues by region.

VoIP Roundup - Sat Dec 09/06

MIT Runs VoIP Pilot
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is running a VoIP pilot involving 500 users. That's a tiny fraction of the 20,000 phone lines (desk, fax, form, circuits, elevators) at the educational institution, but the IST (Information Services and Technology) department will announce detailed plans in early 2007. [source: The Tech]

GPS Services To Enjoy Huge Growth
Currently in the North American, there are about a half million subscribers to "personal locator" services for their GPS-enabled phones. ABI Research says that this number will grow to over 20M by 2011. sources: Cellular News.

SunRocket Damage Control
Alec Saunders has been talking about the problems he had with cancelling his SunRocket VoIP account, which he tried to do via email and which they refused to accept. However he reported recently that SunRocket's PR guy and contacted him and the matter has been sorted out. The issue is simply that you can't cancel by email.

Show Me The Money In VoIP - Small Business Services

With all the innovative VoIP companies popping up, it's hard to keep track of them all, let alone the ones getting venture capital. One such company is the Canadian-based Natural Convergence, who recently acquired US$10M in Series "C" funds. They've been in business five years, serving SMBs (Small and Medium Businesses) in North America, parts of Europe and the Caribbean. [Light Reading].

Though Natural Convergence has only 10,000 active users, they're catering to a VoIP niche that many other companies have been ignoring: the SMB market. And the "Long Tail" theory applied to IP communications suggests that in terms of enterprise sales, the money might just be in the SMBs. This is simply a numbers game: take the sheer volume of SMBs, multiply by the high expected conversion ratio. Even inexpensive IP PBXes (i.e., under US$5,000) will generate a profit by volume.

On the other hand, the conversion rate of larger businesses and enterprises will likely be smaller, as they have more invested in traditional communications. Thus a per head cost of conversion may be much higher, especially in lost productivity if the implementation is stalled or runs into problems.

Show Me The Money In VoIP - Stocks

If someone offers you stock in an IP communications business, learn everything you can about it, including whether or not it'll make money. Pretty obvious, right? Well a man in Tokyo is suing an "IP phone" (VoIP) company for not telling him and other investors upfront that they might not make any money. The man, 61, invested millions of yen and is suing for 27M yen. He also wants his investment contract cancelled.

Now if I understand the story correctly, there may be some connection between the company, Kinmirai Tsuushin Inc., and the Japanese underground. That's just what VoIP needs, doesn't it? On the other hand, the man did receive just over 8Mln yen in dividends - less than what he put in. But does that sound like organized crime? There are other lawsuits pending against the company, who collected funds from around 1,000 investors. [via Asterisk VoIP News]

Interesting way to make money, but no evidence of wrongdoing, aside from not openly telling investors that returns were not guaranteed. It's certainly better than the two young Americans who were stealing VoIP service from other vendors and resold around ten million minutes worth.

VoIP Becomes More Free For Schools

The US FCC's E-Rate program means US$2B in federal grants for K-12 schools to Internet, telephone, and hardware costs. While that doesn't mean all schools will opt for VoIP, there are provisions on the application form for VoIP as well as mobile devices such as RIM's BlackBerry and Palm Treo. [via ExtremeVoIP]

A number of schools in the US have started using IP communications for their intercom system, and others for actual VoIP outbound calling. The most important technical issue for schools in this case should be the implementation of E911 emergency calling.

VoIP Roundup - Mon Nov 20/06

California Hospitals Implement Multi-Language VoIP Project
A number of public hospitals in California are implement VoIP technology with live multi-language call support in order to serve the large non-English speaking community AT&T is part of the project. Implementation was completed recently. [via TMCNet]

Phonezoo Ringtones Social Network
Diehard cell phone ringtone lovers now have a social network of their own. Phonezoo lets you create your own ringtones, share them with other members, and discover what they have. You can even rate and discuss each ringtone. [via Roam4free] Color me cynical, but do people have nothing better to do, or am I hopelessly out of touch?

How Now, Apple iPhone?
So if Apple really does come out with a so-called iPhone, how do you think it'll operate? Unlocked with SIM cards? Carriers? Daniel Raffel at O'Reilly Emerging Telephony provides his insights, concluding that a carrier partnership might be more painful to them.

VoIP Roundup - Fri Nov 17/06

Free Asterisk Voice Prompts Until Nov 21, 2006
Digium recently changed the deal on their Asterisk voice prompts, so Ward Mundy at Nerd Vittles has generously decided to give away a block of IVR (Interactive Voice Response) prompts, 20 words or less (hyphenated words are multiple) until Nov 21, 2006. If you don't know what voice prompts are, you probably don't need them :)

Verizon Business Conferencing
Everyone's getting into the VoIP conferencing market, and Verizon Business is the latest.

Google Maps Click-to-Call
[UPDATED]Thanks to the new click-to-call integration, you can find a business on Google Maps and then click on the displayed phone number to initiate a call to the business. Of course, you can't do this with Google Talk. You enter your phone number into an available form field on the map result, and a call is initiated. Google's service rings up the business and then you.

Show Me The Money In VoIP - What's With Vonage Shareholders?

Having once held share options, which couldn't be sold until they matured - thus costing me profit - I find this very odd on the surface: a bunch of major Vonage shareholders have petitioned [Russell Shaw] the US SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) to delay a change that would make it easier to sell their stock. Insiders and some other shareholders typically have to wait a grace period after an IPO before they can sell. But let's dig deeper.

As Russell points out, one of the petitioners is Jeffrey Citron, Chairman, once worth nearly a billion on paper. Are they trying to suggest to the public that maybe something good is going to happen, hence they don't want to sell their stock just yet? Maybe those with the greatest number of shares are pushing for this so that remaining major shareholders won't bail out and sell off their stock. That makes a great deal of sense. Even though the petitioners own about 2/3 of total shares, a sell-off from the remaining 1/3 might devalue the stock even further, causing the 2/3 owners to lose even more money. Keep in mind that the latter have been invested since the IPO, and they've lost about half their investment.

But pure play VoIP providers like Vonage are not the ones making money in VoIP. For them, I fear, it's going to be an uphill battle. And maybe being acquired might not be such a bad thing. Maybe.

Show Me The Money In VoIP - The Fabled Skype ROI

Recently, I did some rough math on how long it might take eBay to recoup their US$2.6B purchase of Skype last year. My admittedly rough calcs showed about 4 years (17 quarters), not counting inflation and taxes, based on recently observed quarterly increases in gross revenues. But Russell Shaw thinks that it'll take years for the ROI to show on Skype, which is in agreement with Kevin O'Brien's Where's the return on investment. Oh ye of little faith! Didn't I just agree with Andy Abramson that eBay has too many smarts to not monetize Skype in some manner? Granted they'll need some "disruptor" type management to replace those old-school Skypers heading for the door.

Russell also says that Skype doesn't understand how business users think, in relation to the quietly released Skype 3.0 for Windows - Business version, and explains his reasoning. Jim Courtney of Skype Journal echoes this sentiment, partly because Skype did so little to promote this version. Now I have to agree with Russell there, despite reserving judgement the other day. Their software, pre-eBay, was never intended for enterprise. This new "business" version has a few concessions for enterprises, but there's a lot that's left out, such as an IP PBX, etc.

If eBay is smart, they'll buy Canadian Pika Technologies, who've married Skype to an Asterisk IP PBX. Though I don't know how the open source license would work in this case. Still, an alliance with a company as smart as Pika would do post-eBay Skype a world of good in terms of business solution potential.

Business Skype 3.0 For Windows?

Skype's gone release mad these past few days. First it was Skype 3.0 for Windows Beta, then yesterday 2.5 for Mac Beta. They also released an update for 3.0 Windows Beta, and very quietly, Skype 3.0 for Windows - Business Version. What gives? Why not announce it? Are they shy because they themselves said Skype's not meant for the enterprise? The download page does say that it's only for experienced users, because they're still working on it.

The so-called "business friendly features" include a Windows Installer (MSI), increased security, easy deployment, admin control, and multiple account management from the "Business Control Panel". And then there's the standard features. I'll have to look into these further at some point in the near future (probably after it's out of beta), but this version could go a long way towards assuaging the fears that several companies and a few universities have had about security and other issues. And since it's still free, the monetization will have to come from SkypeIn, SkypeOut, and Skype-certified Wi-Fi phones, I guess.

Now, marrying Skype with an IP PBX, such as Pika Technologies has done, makes sense.

VoIP Roundup - Wed Nov 15/06

Skype Enterprise Features Coming?
Skype execs have hinted at upcoming enterprise and call center features. So maybe this will be how eBay finally monetizes Skype?

Speed Demons
The 100-Gigabit Ethernet (100-GbE) technology is here, being demonstrated by a number of companies and the University of California Santa Cruz. A test run sent a signal from Tampa, Florida to Houston, Texas, and back - a first for a live production network. If I understand this correctly, IP backbones will get this technology fairly soon. And as 100-GbE becomes commonplace, likely in several years time, it should mean some incredible real-time video conferencing ability, superfast downloads of movies, and live video broadcasts, to name just a few benefits.

Legal Issues Surrounding VoIP Enterprise Implementations
TechRepublic details legal issues to be aware of when planning a VoIP implementation. They have real alphabet soup of issues, some of which I've only peripherally aware of: SOX/ Sarbox (Sarbanes-Oxley Act), GLBA, HIPAA, E911.

50 Most Influential People in VoIP

Wow. VoIP News just published Brian Provost's 50 most influential people in VoIP and a lot of deserving people, communities and companies were listed there, along with some surprises (Microsoft, 3com, Intel, US Congress, FCC, and others), including this weblog, under the "daily show - voip bloggers" category. I clicked on the link twice, to make sure that my eyes weren't deceiving me. (Not so long ago, VoIP Now was on Garrett Smith's Top 30 and Luca Filigheddu's Top 30 VoIP blogs lists.) But I think some names were left off the list (more on that later, when I have the nads to come up with my own list, from a different angle). Though it's never easy compiling them, so hat's off to Brian.

If I had to pick just one person to add to the list, it would be Peter Csathy, CEO of SightSpeed. Why do I think he's an influential person in VoIP? Not just because he's the CEO of a company with an impressive video VoIP soft client but also because of his engaging blog, Digital Media Update, where he's been blogging a lot lately about vVoIP and video on mobile, it's importance, it's coming ubiquity, due to the number of camera phones that will ship.

Hey, I've been dreaming of videophones since I was a kid watching The Jetsons TV cartoon in the '70s. I've always figured it's just a matter of time and technology. So you can imagine how pleased I was when I first tried SightSpeed. Yeah, I fawn a lot over SightSpeed, but I make no apologies for doing so. Can't wait for mobile SightSpeed. But it'll mean buying a new smartphone, since my Palm Treo will never handle mobile video calling.

Microsoft Hearts VoIP?

You'd expect a software giant like Microsoft to have already been playing a big role in the IP communications market. But beyond the high number of users (active + inactive) of MSN/ Windows Live Messenger VoIM clients, it's hard to say they have any great involvement in VoIP and related services. They have announced this or that sort of IP communcations-related project in the recent past, but seemingly done little to compete with the dominant forces in the market (beyond launching Windows Live Messenger, which is okay, but not as good as Yahoo Messenger). But CEO Steve Ballmer indicates that they are going to change that with their new Vista operating system, come January 2007.

The Vista OS - which someone touted as not requiring anti-virus software - will integrate a variety of IP-related offerings including VoIP, IM (Instant Messaging), and video-conferencing in desktop and server applications. There will also be Microsoft PBX. * Yawn * I'm not buying it, sorry. They're late to the game (though Garrett Smith thinks otherwise) and can't offer anything new to the individual. However, the Microsoft brand name may encourage enterprise to get more involved in IP communications - so that could be a big sell for them. (In which case I do agree with Garrett.)

There was no word about whether Ballmer raged across the stage screaming like a lunatic while saying how much he loved "this company". This is your brain on Microsoft.

Think this will help your company's share price? Hmm. Could be. Dance little Ballmer, dance.

Why Switch To Asterisk IP PBX?

John Edwards lists 5 good reasons for switching to Asterisk for an IP PBX, and 9-step guide to getting started with Asterisk. Asterisk is of course open source software (OSS) so the full source code is available.

Open source IP telephony is getting a push by companies like Fonality, Digium (makers of Asterisk) and Polycom in terms of new partnerships, hardware and software. While I'm a big fan of open source, history shows a reluctance on the part of middle managers in larger enterprises to accept such software. I'm really hoping that this isn't the case with IP telephony, because such options afford robust, customizable solutions that have as much power as more expensive offerings.

If OSS IP telephony companies are smart, they'll go after the SMBs and not worry about enterprise, who'll want more "name brand" solutions from companies like Cisco or even Microsoft, who have vowed to integrate IP communcations into their new Vista operating system in Jan 2007. My feeling is that there are enough SMBs out there that would benefit OSS IP telephony, and would welcome such an option as well as the price. But since the cost and availability of "experts" who can add modules or debug problems may be a factor, solutions with a  set of plug-and-play SMB/ CRM modules will likely capture the most interest.

VoIP Roundup - Sat Nov 11/06

NZ Telecom Blocking VoIP?
A computer scientist at New Zealand's Otago University is accusing Telecom of limiting bandwidth use for VoIP software on some of their Internet plans, essentially discriminating against certain uses.

Google Talk By Phone On Camrivox
I love Google Talk but Camrivox's decision to offer a phone with Google Talk support just makes me ask "why?" With Google Talk, you can only communicate with fellow users and anyone with a SIP account. Unless I'm missing some crucial new piece of information, you can't call regular landlines from this VoIM client without Talqer. [sources: Digital Lifestyles, PR Web]

UK Businesses Lacking VoIP + VoIM Policy?
An online survey by YouGov suggests that over half of UK businesses have no VoIM or VoIP policy. Email use is generally more common, and policies for it are more likely to be in place.

VoIP Roundup - Thur Nov 09/06

Cisco Partner Education Programs
Unified communications (i.e., convergence of voice, video and data over IP) is hot, and Cisco wants its partners to be prepared. So, they're offering a "Master Specializations" certification in this niche. [via Extreme VoIP]

Google Talk Adds Offline Messages
Google Talk has a new feature to help deliver messages if one member of a chat (text) conversation in progress disconnects: offline messages. When the disconnected party signs back in, whenever that is, they will receive the rest of your message. This will also work with other open clients. [via Google Talkabout]

Alcatel Gains Huge Communications Contract
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) has awarded Alcatel a contract of US$300M over several years, starting next year. The contract work includes "the upgrade of UPMC's wired and wireless data infrastructure, enterprise telephony system, and contact platforms and applications to a converged IP infrastructure." The UPMC awarded this contract on several factors including Alcatel's previous installations. [via Lightwave] Earlier this year, Alcatel was awarded a Euros 70M contract by Telekom Malaysia.

VoIP Roundup - Wed Nov 08/06

FierceVoIP Declares Top 15 VoIP Companies 2006
FierceVoIP (love that name) website's editor Dan Rosenbaum has declared his picks for the top 15 VoIP companies for 2006. The list is presented in alphabetical order and notably missing are Skype, SightSpeed, and Vonage - though I'm not saying I'd necessarily put all of them in my own list. I'll be honest - I've only heard of about half of the companies on Dan's list. I guess I have some reading to do.

NTP Lawyers At It Again
Possibly buoyed by the hundreds of millions they grabbed from RIM, make of BlackBerry mobile devices, NTP is now after Palm, claiming patent violation for a mobile email product used by Palm Treos using the PalmOS platform. Palm already suffered lower than expected profits last quarter (Q3 2006) and obviously, this is the last thing they need. [sources: The Wireless Report]

Verizon Business VoIP
Verizon Business is targeting the international business market with their full offering of VoIP related products and services, which includes a Managed IP PBX, local languages, local ringtones and more. The current focus is on the European market. [via Press XTWorld]

Telecoms Trigger Canadian Stock Market Dive?

Telus Corp. and BCE Inc. (parent of Bell Canada) had recently announced that they planned to convert themselves into income trusts so that shareholders would receive larger untaxed earnings yearly. Telus and Bell Canada are Canada's two largest telecoms, and many pension funds have shares in either or both. But not long after their "income trust" announcements, Jim Flaherty, Finance Minister of the current Conservative government, announced new tax plans on income trusts, which reputedly triggered a Cdn$20+ billion meltdown in the Canadian stock market last week. The stocks of both companies dived between 11-13%, wiping out the value of some pension funds.

VoIP Systems For Chicago Public Schools

While public schools in Washington state are only using VoIP for their Electrocom intercom system, all of the nearly 700 public schools in Chicago, Illinois, are being converted over to VoIP phone lines over a four-year period by Mitel Networks. Because the new system can pinpoint the room that a call is made from, it will comply with state regulations for e-911 emergency calling. Teachers will also have voicemail, caller ID, and other features. This is considered to be the largest VoIP conversion of any school system in the US.

So you kids better watch out. Who needs parent-teacher night to discuss your troublemaking bottom if those "other features" allow IM chatting between your teacher and parents. But seriously this is good news for VoIP equipment and service providers. In fact, Mitel claims that 95% of all telecom systems they now install are VoIP-based (though not all of their customers are necessarily schools). Rauland-Borg is another player in the school VoIP market.

Ahead Of The VoIP Call Center Curb

While some call centers are still considering the use of VoIP, others are already on it. CampusUSA Credit Union installed their VoIP call center system five years ago, and did it in a single weekend. [SearchCRM] The key thing to rapid VoIP deployment is having a plan, of course - knowing what quirks to expect. While companies that have no phone system at all have an easier time of a switch over to VoIP, a relatively quick install can be done.

Small companies have an advantage. But larger companies and/or those with existing phone systems can reduce deployment time - whether for a call center or just a business IP telephony system. If you treat a VoIP system install as a software project, then planning and design should be 50-80% of the time spent. Do you know what network capacity you will need? Peak support hours? Backup systems? Call recording requirements? Start with a list of your required functionality and go from there.

VoIP Support Services Market To Grow

New research from IDC suggests  [CertCities] that the VoIP support services market will reach nearly US$1.3B by 2010. The growth will come partly from the use of non-proprietary VoIP software, which a single company will not have a stranglehold on in terms of services.

This would suggest that OSS (open source software) IP PBXes such as Asterisk will have a huge role to play in the coming years. Since the cost of startup is so much lower for IP telephony, there is likely to be a boom in the number of companies offering plug-and-play add-ons for Asterisk and other OSS VoIP solutions, as well as support. And since the support can be conducted using the solutions themselves (voice calling, video calling), support costs are lowered as well. Look into the future, and voice-recognition -activated animated avatars might be handling the support calls.

Nortel To Provide IP Telephony For NY Times

Nortel has been selected by the New York Times to outfit their new headquarters in Times Square for Spring 2007. Nortel will be setting up the IP communications system and VoIP phones for use by reporters and editors for collaboration through audio conferencing sessions. Services include unified messaging and audio conferencing. [via TMC Net]

The Times recently ran a piece on Wi-Fi VoIP phones, with the most prominent conclusion being that most of them were hard to configure. No indication is given of whether NY Times staff will be using such Wi-Fi handsets. Of course, if the new system supports video calling - something like SightSpeed - to allow reporters to interview people remotely,  that might up the ante. The NY Times website already uses some video content. With the web levelling the playing field between TV broadcasters and print newspapers, video content such as the way MTV uses it would be interesting to see on a newspaper's website.

Skype Employee Defections

Andy Abramson points to Om Malik's reflection about pre-eBay Skype employees that have been leaving recent - some of them highly placed. Not to be a cynic or rain on anyone's parade, but when a huge company takes over another company that wasn't as profit-driven, shakeouts are normal.

Having worked or consulted for many large companies since the early 1990s - including a large telecom- I've seen this happen over and over. There are always people who liked things the way they were and either cannot or do not want to be part of the change. There's nothing wrong with that. Doesn't anyone remember that Skype's URL used to be skype.org - a TLD often but not always associated with "no profit". At least, I don't remember the .com before eBay took over, but I could be wrong.

Now eBay paid a lot of money for Skype - what was it, US$2.6B? And eBay wants Skype to pay off. Well, I've worked in companies that had 20 employees and left after they a hundred. The atmosphere always changes. And telephony and pure Internet companies end up being quite competitive in atmosphere.

VoIP For Telecommuters

If you watch Jon Stewart and The Daily Show, you know that the United States hit 300 million people in October. As you might know, The Daily Show is a humorous look at World and US news. But VoIP providers are smiling, not chuckling. As total workforce population grows, daily traffic becomes an increasing nightmare in many cities and even towns. More people are telecommuting for work, or working at home. And VoIP is being promoted towards this particular niche of the residential market: the telecommuter.

Especially happy are the cable companies, who are promoting the benefits of their services over other types of broadband Internet connections. Since telecommuting typically requires an Internet connection throughout the day, the old slow 56K modem over dialup just isn't going to cut it for work. Some companies will pay for broadband installation in their telecommuting employees homes. Then there's the work-from-home types with their own business, who could loosely be classified as telecommuters (for lack of a more accurate term).

Telecommuting in either case requires communication with others, of course, and thus the potential for added long distance calls and costs. VoIP in both voice and video forms can save them a considerable amount of money over regular phone lines and mobile phone services. And cable companies are hoping to get a fair share of converts from dialup.

While other types of VoIP providers might promote themselves as well (they'd be crazy if they didn't), my money's on cable, simply because of the triple play they can offer: TV, Internet, VoIP. A convenient package. On the other hand, don't count out other types of broadband providers. If someone is working at home part or all of the week for their employer (as opposed to running their own business), the broadband service may be paid for.

Consider that in the average North American city, operating costs (office space, electricity, equipment leasing, telecommunications) for each employee is $40-60 per square foot per month, maybe more. Many employers would be happy to spring for broadband access for the occasional/ regular telecommuting employee - especially since their telecom costs are lowered, and there are even free or inexpensive video-conferencing options.

That may mean, for accounting purposes, that the employer wants a separate billing account for the broadband connection and any VoIP services. If an employee already has cable (TV or TV and Internet), they may have to get a second connection for work. Putting in a second cable line may or may not be an option in some areas. Which may mean that other VoIP providers, such as highspeed dialup or satellite types, may still be contenders in the market for VoIP for telecommuters.

[additional sources: Computerworld Networking, Telephony Online]

Skype For Business?

I missed this announcement from last week. Businesses can now get premium VoIP-based Skype conferencing services through a site called Highspeedconferencing.com. The latter licences a conference bridging service from Vapps. What it amounts to is Skype for business, something people have been wondering if Skype was ready for.

Skype themselves said, late last year, that they were not ready for a place in the enterprise. However, this service seems a step in the right direction. And the price is fair: only US$4.99/month. For that fee, you get moderated services, "hand raising" for conference participants, recording and downloading, high speed conferencing, and more. A regular speed conference call is free, as is a virtual conference room. You can also use regular phones instead of Skype for an additional fee.

[sources: PR Newswire via VoIP Watch]

17 VoIP + IPTV-Related Xmas Suggestions

If you are not already familiar with VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) or vVoIP (video and voice over IP), it's a means to voice and video calls from a computer. Most VoIP services also let you call to regular phones. VoIP is a great way to save money on long-distance calls, as PC-to-PC calling is free, as is some PC-to-phone calling. IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) refers to a variety of TV-watching services on the Internet, and loosely includes streaming video.

Here's a short-list of some things that might be nice to give as holiday gifts this year, for the VoIPr in your life. I am going purely on specifications and my knowledge, not necessarily because I've tried something (although I have tried some). These are in no particular order, and are not endorsements of any product or service. The suggestions are for both mobile and stationary VoIP calling.

1. VoIP soft phone. There are tons of choices for VoIP software, all free. Some IM (Instant Messaging) clients such as AIM Pro, Windows Live (MSN) Messenger, and Yahoo Messenger also have the ability to call out from computer to regular phones. Google Talk cannot, but if you add Talqer, you can.
2. Calling credits. SkypeOut credits for Skype, or the equivalent for SightSpeed, Gizmo Project, Hullo, etc. This lets you call from your PC/ Mac to a regular phone. Gizmo Project already offers a lot of free calling to landlines in 60 or more countries, but only if the callee is registered.
3. Call-In phone number. A "Call In" phone number for Skype, SightSpeed, Gizmo Project, Hullo, etc. With one of these, people can call you on your computer as they would your regular phone. Skype is limited in the cities that they support; SightSpeed has a bit more variety.
4. 1-800 number. SkyNET has a reasonable plan for internationally-accessible 1-800 numbers, which can be redirected to a VoIP Call-In number. If you live in an area where Skype or SightSpeed (or whatever) do not offer local phone numbers (for Call-In), you can get a SkyNet 1-800 number and redirect it to whatever Call-In number you get. SkyNet also has local numbers, but that means you have to purchase their VoIP calling plan instead of Skype's, etc.
5. Webcam. Mobile video may take a while, but desktop video calling is free and functioning, courtesy of SightSpeed and Skype. MTV's Total Request Live (TRL) even incorporates fan input via SightSpeed, right into the show. My suggestions: For a laptop, get one that clips on easily. For a desktop, get both a flat USB port and webcam with a "snake" cable, so that it's easily adjusted.
6. Microphone. You don't need an expensive one, if you are not doing podcasting. But most built-in mics on laptops are relatively low-quality. Alternately, you might want to give someone a headphone/ mic combo headset (#7) or Bluetooth headset/ earpiece (#10).
7. Speakers or headset.
8. New smartphone or PDA. Pretty much any new Nokia N or E series phones, most of which, I believe, support VoIP (properly). Some PocketPC or Windows Mobile-based devices might as well. I don't know all the specs on the RIM BlackBerry Pearl phone, but it is a cool phone. Many phones will allow "mobile VoIP" services such as EQO or Mino Wireless, etc., to function correctly. These services essentially call you back, once you activate a call, so your cost per call is only your cell minutes, plus the cost of your cellular Internet usage. Of course, if Apple actually releases the iPhone/ iSmartphone, that might be nice, too.
9. Cellular wireless data plan. Great for accessing the Internet from your mobile phone, and making mobile VoIP calls. Just make sure that an "unlimited" plan really is unlimited. Many cellular providers only allow 250 megabytes per month, and cut you off after that.
10. Mobility. Bluetooth earpiece or headset, to give your voipr some mobility around the house or office - or for hands-free operation while driving. Also nice for when it's cold out. You might want to test earpieces, as some chafe the inner part of the ear. A headset is another option, or the Motorola Bluetooth hat, or the Motorola/ Oakley Bluetooth sunglasses. But Bluetooth devices are not only more expensive than regular wired headsets, they eat power for lunch. And mobile phones operating in "find Bluetooth devices" mode will also need to be recharged more frequently. A new Nokia wireless protocol called Wibree may change that in the very near future.
11. Mobility, part 2. Wi-Fi VoIP phone - maybe even a Skype-certified one. That, or maybe a dual-mode Wi-Fi/ cellular phone. These are going to be hot, with all the municipal Wi-Fi projects going on all over the world.
12. Wireless router. If you want to be walking around the house while VoIPing, one way is to use a Wi-Fi phone. Depending on the type, you will probably need a wireless router attached to your broadband Internet connection. Most large office supply or consumer electronics stores have these.
13. VoIP call recorder. You may want to record VoIP calls for posterity, business reasons, or even interviewing or podcasting. HotRecorder is my fave, but there are lots of others. HotRecorder activates itself when a Skype call comes in - and it's supposed to work with other VoIP soft phones. It's only about US$15, but if your budget is running a bit thin, there's the free audio editor Audacity, which has to be manually activated, but works fine.
14. Business VoIP. An iBlue IP PBX, made with a Mac Mini. Great for that Mac-lover who also has a small business and wants to use IP telephony for communications. Or for a larger business (including call centers), there's Pika Technologies' bridge over troubled VoIP. It marries the Skype interface with Asterisk IP PBX.
15. VoIP knowledge. A copy of Ted Wallingford's VoIP Hacks, where he'll teach you to make your own iBlue with a Mac Mini and Asterisk software.
16. Cinema screen. For all the good little boy and girl voiprs, if they've been extra special this year, get'em a 50" Apple display, to watch both IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) and video calls via Skype or SightSpeed, at the same time as the do other stuff on the screen.
17. Plug'n'play VoIP adapter. Know someone who can benefit from inexpensive VoIP calls but does not like/ have/ want a computer? I know a few people like that. For them, you can get plug-and-play adapter/ router that (usually) configures itself once you plug in a broadband Internet connection, your regular phone line, and your regular phone. Of course, if you don't have a computer, why would you have broadband Internet? Well, if you have cable TV, for a bit more money each month, you can have broadband, and all on one bill. Your cable company will try to sell you their "digital phone" plan, but they usually charge a lot more. You'll have to decide.

Happy voiping.

Telecoms Scared Stiff Of VoIP?

My mother, a woman who refuses to have voicemail and who shirks a computer, told me last night that she thought the telephone and cable companies were worried about all this "computer calling". That was in response to my mentioning that she could make some free long distance calls over the computer. Now I assure you, my mother doesn't really know anything about VoIP, other than that I sometimes use my computer to talk to her.

But she is like a spymaster, with a network of two dozen or so people who regularly inform her of goings on in the world. She constantly surprises me with what she's learned, even if it may sometimes be superficial knowledge. She does know that the bottom line is that if she gives in and starts using VoIP, that she'll be saving  money: several hundred dollars per month in her case. And that scares the telecoms. Want more reasons they are worried? Here are 33 reasons why VoIP is destroying traditional telecoms.

Enterprise: Ways To Marry Skype With IP PBXes

Not too long ago, Pika Technologies announced their bridging solution for Skype and Asterisk, perfect for enterprise use. And there's also VoSKY's solution which combines Skype and an IP PBX, aimed at SMBs. They even have a VoSKY Skype Call Center. And I won't pretend to know exactly what this does, but last week, Instant Solutions released their ChanSkype Skype channel driver for Skype. But from what I gather at O'Reily Emerging Telephony and other sites, it seems like you can use it to run Skype clients off of an Asterisk IP PBX. They tested it off of a Dual Xeon 3.0 Ghz with 6 Gb of memory. Hmmm. Wonder if it might also function as part of a Mac Mini IP PBX, since both Skype and Asterisk can run on one.

Skype For Business VoIP?

The jury is still out on this one, as far as I'm concerned, but things are looking up. Skype generally has high call quality, and even polls users after a pc-to-phone call. Then there's Pika Technologies VoIP bridging solution for Skype clients and the Asterisk IP PBX, which holds great potential for business use: inexpensive calls in a great interface, coupled with a great SIP-based IP PBX. Then there's the customer testimonials. According to Jerald Downs, owner of a US-based fruit company

In the past all my business was done by e-mail. Now I use Skype a lot to keep in touch with my growers -- it increases the lucidity and trust between us and it's clearer than any landline.

Well said. Successful business relationships rely a great deal on human interaction. VoIP offers an interaction that supplements face-to-face meetings. And I know from personal experience that high-quality calls seem to engender more trust than when you have to put up with rattle and hum, crackle and pop.

So any VoIP solution that can satisfy the above conditions for business use has an advantage over all others.

[sources: ZD Net Australia]

Tips For Easing Enterprise VoIP Deployment

In the Oct 2006 issue of Networks & Servers, Mary Shacklett provides some valuable tips for easing the deployment of VoIP in the enterprise. Since the majority of businesses have little experience with VoIP installations, integrators and resellers have to be sought out, and each one is not the same as another in their skills. And it's not just about the lowest perceived price of a system.

Choose a person or team that will willingly make you aware of all the aspects of deploying VoIP, walk you through the process, and suggest what is best for your company, even if it means a hybrid VoIP/ PSTN system - a pure VoIP system is not always the best, especially for an established company, who might experience significant downtime if their entire telephony system were to be replaced.

Enterprise IP Telephony: It Costs How Much?!

While there are a number of reasons that businesses have been slow to adopt Internet telephony, there are companies doing big deals for enterprise VoIP migrations. Williamette Dental in Midwest USA operates 69 offices in the states of Idaho, Oregon and Washinton. They signed a deal with Qwest Communications International Inc. to set up a data networking and VoIP system over three years. At a cost of US$3.8M. The VoIP system will be used to transfer calls from customers to their call center.

The amount took me aback. That seems like a lot for VoIP. That's just over $55K per office. Now I don't claim to know the costs of traditional telephony systems - despite having worked for a large telecom - but $55K per office sounds like an awful lot. Then again, they may need to lay down coaxial, put in IP PBXes, interconnect offices. configure the software and the system, do any necessary training, and possibly manage the services. There's also the cost of call minutes and reportage, although these will likely be less than for PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) systems.

But the good news for businesses that cannot afford to spend $55K per office is that there are probably probably plug-and-play IP PBX solutions that are SIP-based (open standard) and which cost less than that. One possible option is an Asterisk solution, maybe even the hybrid Skype-Asterisk solution for businesses, from Pika Technologies. I'll try to expand on business options in future posts.

VoIP Roundup - Mon Oct 16/06

New Bloggers: Sightspeed CEO
Peter Csathy, the CEO of Sightspeed - the video and voice calling software - has joined the ranks of bloggers with his DigtalMediaUpdate weblog. [via VoIP Watch]

AllWorx Wins Telephony Award
The 2006 Internet Telephony Excellence Award, issued by TMC (Technology Marketing Corporation). has been given to Allworx for their 24x VoIP system. Allworx is a division of inSciTek, who earlier this year received US$2M in VC funding to expand their Allworx line of VoIP products.

Intrusion Prevention For VoIP
Industry Canada, an agency of the Canadian government that promotes the "knowledge-based" economy and business innovation, including telecommunications policy, etc., is working with Third Brigade to test "intrustion prevention" technology that safeguards converged networks (data, voice, video). [via InterGovWorld] Brian O'Higgins, co-founder and CTO of Third Brigade will be giving a talk in Ottawa, Canada, on Thurs Oct 19, 2006, about the state of the art of intrusion prevention in computer and network security.

VoIP As A Teaching Aid

VoIP is increasingly being used in a number of ways that traditional telephony never could. One such way is in online tutoring. Using either a VoIP or VoIM soft client, you have access to a host of free (or inexpensive) functionality ideal for remote teaching: text chat, voice chat, file sharing, video calling, conferencing. Some soft clients, such as AIM Pro, also have the ability to do desktop application sharing. There are even a number of options for collecting payment for your time: Ether or Skype + Jyve.

If you plan to tutor online, using VoIP or VoIM software is an ideal way to supplement the learning experience. See more details at 8 reasons to use VoIP and VoIM in teaching.

Call Center Fraud In India

Moshe Yudkowsky talks about the "call centre" fraud going on in India, and the British documentary that will air on TV in the UK. The problem is that financial institutions who outsource their call center support are susceptible to employees stealing confidential information, such as credit card numbers, and selling it on the street.

In light of that, maybe using VoIP to reduce call center outsourcing isn't going to be much better. At least not for financial institutions. Because if employees are stealing data at call centers under the noses of supervisors, those working at home might be even more tempted. On the other hand, that does not rule out using VoIP for call centers, where everyone works at a bricks-and-mortar center.

Sightspeed: SMBs and Video Conferencing

Back when I was working on a Master's degree, one class I was in was part of a trial with another nearby university. The course was being jointly taught by two professors, one in each town. The room my class was in was a small amphitheatre with a large screen usually obscured by the overhead projector's screen. The other university had a similar setup. Occasionally, our lecturer would turn on the transmission and we'd see the other professor, who would conduct the rest of the lecture - or vice versa with our professor. This only happened a few times during the semester, and the transmission was over a satellite link. It was video-conferencing of a sort, but very expensive, if I recall.

This was back around 1993-4. I know the room is still there, although I don't know if they still use the satellite link. The campus had access to the "web" back then, which consisted only of email, ftp, gopher, archie, newsgroups, etc., access. The full Internet was only a few months away. Today, there is Wi-Fi across parts of the campus, accessible if you have a student or alumni account. But video-conferencing is not only a lot more accessible these days but far less expensive. Anyone with an internet connection and a video-calling soft phone like Sightspeed can have a video conference.

In fact, several SMBs (small and medium businesses) in the United States are using video-calling functionality. A small teacher certification business in Texas uses Sightspeed's video-conferencing feature to communicate with their students. The founder of a consulting firm also uses Sightspeed to communicate with both clients and colleagues (in another office). Yet another company uses Skype and the Festoon add-on, which bridges both video and voice calls between Skype and Google Talk.

VoIP itself can save a small business. Video conferencing can save a business even more, coupled with the ability to share clickable URLs, documents and desktop applications, the need to travel even locally between offices can be reduced significantly. This not only saves money but valuable time.

What The? RIM Buys Pittsburgh Penguins?

A quick clip just passed by on CNBC TV saying that Jim Balsillie, Chair of RIM, makers of the addictive BlackBerry mobile communication devices and cell phones (e.g., BlackBerry Pearl), has signed something or other about their intent to buy the Pittsburgh Penguins. Now, I'm not knocking the team, but WTF? RIM is head-quartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, about 1.5 hours SouthWest of Toronto, surrounded by Mennonite country (similar to the Amish culture). Balsillie denied a few weeks ago that he was the frontrunner to buy the team.

Why on earth would Balsillie buy a team in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania? Amish country, right? Is there some connection here? (And why a hockey team?) Well, according to the Penguins website, he's an amateur hockey player. Maybe there's also the fact that Sidney Crosby, a young Canadian player, recently joined the team.

One assumes that since the Toronto Maple Leafs were not for sale, Balsillie might have tried to create a team in Hamilton, Ontario, a city of several hundred thousand that my hockey-loving Canadian friends tell me having been dying to have a team. I mean, Balsillie supposedly spent about Cdn$100M of his own money to build a quantum physics research center (Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics) in Waterloo a few years ago. Surely Hamilton would have welcomed his money.

When I said yesterday that Microsoft and Nokia's coming "email push" communication devices were no threat, and that RIM will survive and innovate again, this wasn't what I was thinking about. But good luck anyway. If the NHL board of governors approves, Balsillie takes over ownership from Mario Lemieux's Lemieux Group LP. On the other hand, RIM might find new clients this way.

HP Scandal: Pretexting and Phone Record Privacy

In spillover activity spurred on by the recent Hewlett-Packard "phonegate" scandal, Verizon is suing 20 data brokers for fraudulent activity re pretexting. Pretexting is where someone pretends to be someone else so that they can access their phone records. Interestingly, the president and vice chair of Verizon is on the HP board of directors. Verizon says it has spent $100,000 investigate the pretexting fraud.

In related news, Democrats in the US House of Representatives, controlled by the Republicans, stalled a bill to make pretexting illegal. The activity is illegal in some states, including California, where the alleged activities took place. As part of an US House of Representatives probe into the pretexting scandal, five private investigators and at least two HP executives have been subpoenaed. HP is also under investigation in California.

SkyNET: Single Geek Male Finds Single Toll-Free VoIP Number

Well, I didn't find it, exactly. After I posted my Single geek male seeks single toll-free number article, Michael Steverson from SkyNET-tel.com posted a comment saying that they can do what I was asking for right now: a single 800 VoIP number. Do my eyes deceive me? Really?

The deal is US$9.99/month for a Personal 800 Number. That has to be teamed with the One Cent Plan, which is $4.99/mth. Calls are then $0.01/minute. While I haven't been as much of chatty kathy lately, if I were to resume my old talk habits of 800+ minutes per month, well that'd still only be 14.98 + 8.00 per month. My old toll-free number cost me about $35/mth, if I remember correctly. So even if I used 1000 minutes per month, that'd still be just under $25/month. There's also the unlimited plan of $23.99/mth (first month free) or the unlimited business plan of $39.99/m.

Coupled with a personal 800 number, that's not a bad deal at all, if I can find a reasonable VoIP call-in number plan and suitable area code, then I'm set. The 800 number requires a local number, but if I can get a local area code with VoIP when I move to the big city, then I'm good. (That might be a problem, as most popular VoIP services do not cover the city I'm moving to, including SkyNET, from what I can tell.) But the 800 toll-free number is apparently good for 36 international locations. People from all of these locations can call the number as if it were local. Man, am I excited. I can finally enjoy vishing and annoying telemarketing calls from all over the world.

Sounds like a deal. Currently, most of my voice chat minutes are local. I've been taking advantage of Skype's SkypeOut free calling promo in North America, to test quality and generally freak friends and family out with my pc-to-phone calling. On the other hand, I did say I was moving. I would still need a soft phone Call-In number for the new locale. If I find one, basically for not more than what I used to spend only a regional 800 number, I can get pretty much what I was looking for: a single toll-free 800 number, not counting a local number. (SkyNET will have their own soft phone in the future. Just a suggestion, but guys/ gals, base it on SIP, so that it can communicate with users on Gizmo Project, iPhox, and others.)

Incidentals: There's a shipping charge of $25 for the free SkyBOX, which I assume is a VoIP adapter for the broadband connection. They're charging sales tax, even though it's the Internet. Maybe it has to do with where I am. And there's a $19.99 activation fee. Okay, I'll stop being a cheapskate. This still seems like a pretty good deal

I'm listening to Roy Orbison, the man with the soothing golden voice, right now as I write this. So maybe I'm a bit sentimental at the moment, but this might just be the beginning of a beautiful VoIP relationship. Thanks, Michael. The only things that worry me are (1) the secure HTTP server certificate on their website has expired. So I hope they'll fix this before I decide to commit to a serious relationship. And for those of you that don't use credit cards, like myself, they accept payment by Paypal. I'm not moving just yet, but when I do, I'm itching to try this. Although if Skype ever gets real mobile support going, I'll have a grand time combining Skype and SkyNET.

Odds On Vonage

VoIP News has a well-thought out post about Vonage, complete with financials, estimates, and most interestingly the odds on several scenarios occuring. These scenarios are pretty much in line with what I've been saying about Vonage's future paths. Vonage is one of the first (if not the first) VoIP provider to go public, and that automatically raises their profile.

That means they are a threat to traditional telcos from the telcos' perspective for many reasons. And for those countries that regularly wiretap phone calls, VoIP is also a threat to intelligence and law enforcement agencies. CALEA in the US stipulates that regular telecommunications has to have a backdoor for recording calls, even though experts question whether CALEA can be implemented for VoIP.

So the question is why aren't other companies going through the same sort of thing, if VoIP is such a threat? Well, just my opinion, but besides Vonage being one of few publicly-traded VoIP providers (not hardware manufacturers), I think it would be kind of obvious if every VoIP provider was having problems. If there is in fact intentional financial and technical sabotage, it has to be subtle and not widespread..

VoIP Roundup - Fri Sep 29/06

Should Web Traffic Be Prioritized?
Matt Brunk at VoIP Loop considers the types of web-based traffic and makes an argument for why certain types of traffic might need to be prioritized, especially since media convergence is pushing a lot of public services into IP-based access.

Testing Your VoIP And IMS
Ixia has just announced their IxVoice software for testing VoIP and IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) protocols. via Light Reading] IMS is a core part of media convergence. That is, offering a variety of media over via Internet Protocol (IP), and communication between networks.

Telepresence Via Video VoIP
Be Here is offering their TotalView "VoIP Collaboration Phone" which gives a full-room view for conference participants. TotalView was announced at DEMOfall 2006 earlier this week. [via VoIPLoop]

VoIP Roundup - Thur Sep 28/06

Vonage: Charging To Cancel Accounts
Andy Abramson says Vonage charged him to cancel his account, but explains how he was able to keep his phone number (a form of phone number portability). The VoIP Girl also cancelled her Vonage account, as did Tom Keating, who recorded his call to customer service. What is this? VoIP bloggers-cancel-Vonage week? Current cancellations not withstanding, Vonage still holds the most VoIP market share.

Rebtel Picks Up $20M In VC
Rebtel Networks in Stockholm just picked up US$20M in Series A funding from Index Ventures and Benchmark Capital. [via Light Reading]

Skype And eBay Facing Civil Suit
Why a civil suit I don't know, but Skype and eBay are facing one from a company called Mangosoft Intellectual Property, a division of Mangosoft, regarding a supposed patent infringement. [via The VoIP Weblog]

Smart Telecom Lays Off 180 People
While Comcast, the US cable company leading in the cable VoIP subscriber race, is planning to hire 4000 people, UK's Smart Telecom just laid off 180 people last week. There are another 70 jobs threatened. The company is taking a loan from a co-founder and major shareholder to keep going, and needs more to upgrade its broadband infrastructure. [via The Register UK]

VoIP and SOA

With click-to-call and embedded VoIP apps gaining popularity (witness Adobe's plan to embed VoIP in Flash players and Google's deal with eBay/ Skype), you can expect to see more offerings like BlueNote Network's SessionSuite SOA software [eWeek]. SOA, or Service-Oriented Architecture, software is hot in the web services arena. SessionSuite essentially allows developers to build web telephony CRM apps that work together as a suite.

SessionSuite does not require any hardware (other than a web server) to bulid voice data applications with. Software such as this, some people feel, spells the future of VoIP and the beginning of extremely sophisticated voice-based online applications.

VoIP Roundup - Tues Sep 26/06

Here's a quick roundup of what other VoIP/ IP media bloggers are talking about for IP communications ....

Om Malik at GigaOm says that VoIP loves small business but that maybe too many new VoIP startups are focusing on SMBs as their customers.

Cameron Sturdevant and the gang at eWeek Labs have been able to prove that VoIP can coexist with server security such as SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). Which I think means that businesses (and universities) can implement soft VoIP without the same concern for security as they might have had. Andrew Garcia, also at eWeek, offers an option for IT managers at SMBs who want to use VoIP but don't want to replace hardware: virtual PBXes. When you finish that, look at Garcia's article about some new VoIP gear from D-Link, including routers aimed at the small business market.

I have no previous knowledge of QQ is, but Phil Wolff at Skype Journal is speculating on a merger between them and Skype (as well as something eBay China being purchased by Tom.com, a Skype partner). Wolff also wonders if Skype could be like Mercora's IMRadio service, allowing you to build and broadcast your own Internet radio station. The technology's in Skype already. Hey, I've already watched Japanese TV from Skype.

Speaking of Skype, The VoIP Girl gives the lowdown on the meaning of all those shiny little icons in the Skype interface. She also throws in a list of VoIP services for Canadians, to supplement the ones Canadian tech blogger Mark Evans listed.

More VoIP Crimes

Not too long ago, 23 year old Edwin Pena and his accomplice Robert Moore were arrested for stealing and reselling 10M minutes of VoIP service. Pena recently went on the run and is being sought by authorities for skipping bail. Now five Asian men have been arrested in Namibia for selling VoIP without a license, based on the country's 1992 Postal and Telecommunication Act.

Bail was set at N$3,000 each and was paid. But the group will have to return to court at the end of October and may face jail time. This seems way out of whack. Wouldn't a fine be sufficient? Skype had been told by the Korean government recently that they did not have the appropriate license. No fine was levied, and Skype stopped taking new memberships from Korean citizens.

The primary difference in crime between Pena/ Moore and the five foreign nationals in Namibia is that the former group stole service from other VoIP providers. But they went to great technical lengths to do so, and got away with it for quite a while. The Nambian five were caught when they tried to sell VoIP service to a member of the public.

Additional sources: VoIP News Australia, All Africa, TMC Net.

VoIP Roundup - Fri Sep 22/06

How To Choose A VoIP Provider
Ron King offers some tips on how to select a VoIP provider, and deciding what service is appropriate for your needs. VoIP Lowdown has a brief overview on types of VoIP service, which may help you decide.

VoIP TV Ads Attack Australian Telstra
Television ads promoting VoIP service Soulmate gently attacking Telstra, an Australian telco, will not be blocked according to decision by the Federal Court in Melbourne. Sounds like Soulmate struck a nerve. [via SMH]

German Telecom Converts Contact Center To VoIP
German telecom O2 is migrating its customer contact center platform to VoIP. This will reduce costs for customers of their platform. [via TMC Net]

VoIP Systems Subject To Security Risks?

Some experts are saying that VoIP in the enterprise represents serious security risks [CIO], making a company vulnerable to vishing (phishing via VoIP) attacks. One anonymous security researcher claims that bank networks will be subject to penetration and the phone lines to hijacking - thus leading to the theft of credit card numbers and bank account data.

Now I'm not a VoIP security expert, but I can make an educated guess, based on my many years of computer experience, that this guy, who goes by the pseudonym "The Grugg", is grossly exaggerating the security issues, potentially to gain some attention. It's absurd to think that banks, who have been dealing with electronic security issues for several decades now, would even think to put their data and VoIP networks on the same lines. Besides telecoms, I've worked at a big mutual fund company. Even they had backup and redundant networks, with firewalled access to account information.

While it's likely true that little technology exists at present to filter out vishing attacks, there's nothing that says a bank's data network has to run on a VoIP network. And just because a bank's telecom system is converted to IP telephony doesn't mean the data network is suddenly at risk. In fact, if someone wanted to mount a vishing attack on a bank, they could do so already using an existing VoIP system (sorry, not going to tell you how). And they wouldn't have any more or less success than if the bank had a VoIP network or not. (On the other hand, a VoIP phone system could potentially be taken offline by a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack if a load balancing system is not in place.)

Despite what The Grugg (give me a break) is saying, I'm not so sure that bank data networks are at risk. Of course, I could be proven wrong, but let's hope I'm not, as this expert is saying that vishing attacks on banks will probably start later this year. I wonder how he knows this.

VoIP Roundup - Wed Sep 20/06

Cable VoIP Really Gaining Ground
Cable giant Comcast is so pleased with their one million VoIP customers that they are apparently adding 4000 new jobs [GigaOm]. as Om says, it's proof of the success that cablecos will enjoy because of offering triple play services. People want simplicity, and getting a single bill each month satisfies that demand. Comcast only got into the VoIP business earlier this year.

New VoIP Consortium Member: Anue Systems
The University of New Hampshire's Interoperability Lab is overseeing a VoIP Consortium, where members can jointly test products with a VoIP system emulator as well as variety of hardware and software provided by Consortium members. Anue Systems is the latest member. Get more details at TMC Net.

Intel Offering Plug'n'Play VoIP Development Kit
Intel is branching out into other hardware arenas with a development kit for plug'n'play VoIP. The kit, the Intel UPDI (Universal Phone Device Interface), consists of a software framework that is intended as a uniform platform for soft phone and hardware device interfaces. [via MyBroadband] Earlier this year, Intel launched a phone adapter to allow VoIP calls over regular phones.

VoIP Roundup - Tues Sep 19/06

What's Digium's VoIP Business Strategy?
Garrett Smith reflects on what he thinks might be Digium's plan of action for their future. Digium is the company that offers the Asterisk breed of SIP-based open standard IP PBXes and related software and hardware. While they've been giving away their software, presumably to sell their hardware and support services, Garrett thinks that Digium may take a different approach now that they have US$13 M in venture capital. Go have a read.

Cable VoIP Gaining Ground
Vonage may have reached 2 million subscribers for its true VoIP service, but  cable VoIP providers in Canada and the US scored over a million new subscribers in Q2 2006. This isn't it all suprising, since cable companies have the advantage of offering a "triple play" of services, including TV programming, telephony, and Internet access in a convenient bundle.

Summary of Weak + Strong Areas For VoIP
Light Reading has a recap of a report from Keynote Systems of some areas that VoIP is either lagging behind in or ahead of traditional telephony. And if you're in the mood for overview, Andy Oram at O'Reilly Net summarizes the report from VON. Both articles are worth reading.

BigBand Networks To Go IPO?

Vonage may be taking a drubbing in the stock market since going IPO, but Israel's BigBand Networks Inc. may be going IPO anyway.  Some experts are questioning the wisdom of VoIP companies going IPO, but BigBand is a cable equipment provider that sells broadband access and VoIP tech. So they're in a different niche than a company like Vonage. Light Reading's discussion pegs the potential IPO value at US$500M.

That's not so much money that someone might not decide to buy them out. It'd certainly be a good investment, generally speaking. And with all the other VoIP acquisitions going on (such as ATG's acquiring of eStara [TMC Net]), there might be a suitor waiting in the wings. Wake up, Microsoft. Here's an opportunity for you to branch out and prop up your stock - considering you're showing some interest in VoIP. In fact, why wait until they get listed on the NASDAQ. BigBand has not yet filed an S-1 form with the SEC. Make'em an offer they can't refuse.

Cellular VoIP vs Fixed VoIP

VoIP Central (via EFY Times) indicates that revenues from mobile VoIP will outdistance that from fixed VoIP in Europe and the USA, but especially in the latter, by 2012.

I think that there will be a fair bit of growth in business use of fixed VoIP, especially since communications costs for SMEs [VoIP Central] is expected to be reduce by 20-40%. This cost reduction can be enough to save a small business. As for cellular VoIP, there are a few solutions that work like a charm, but it has farther to go than either true (hard) VoIP (e.g., Vonage, SunRocket) or soft VoIP from a desktop or even laptop. However, SME and SOHO owners who see the benefit of fixed VoIP are likely to add cellular VoIP to their business comm toolkit, and then tell their friends about how much money they save. Hence, eventually cellular VoIP can most definitely outsell fixed VoIP.

VoIP Thief On The Run

Steal VoIP, go to jail. Or if you're Edwin Pena, barely out of his teens, you go on the lam, possibly using your 40-foot speed boat, which was paid for by resold stolen VoIP service. Pena was arrested by Miami police a few months back, along with his buddy hacker. They supposedly stole and resold around 10 M minutes of VoIP service and were facing up to 35 years on a couple of charges. Pena skipped bail and is suspected of heading somewhere from where he can't be extradited. Time to bring in the CSI: Miami crew, though I'm not sure they've covered any telecom crimes to date.

These two guys are obviously bright minds, given the way they engineered their whole set up. Had they thought just a bit further, they could have been doing VoIP security consulting and making good money, instead of doing time. Given the shortage of skilled workers in the IP telecom industry, it's a waste. A good mind is a terrible thing to waste; a good VoIP mind even more so.

Vonage VoIP Installations Courtesy of Endeavour

Having never used services like Vonage, I can't tell you about any experiences trying to install any necessary hardware. But I can tell you that even for a long-time computer person like myself, I occasionally run into some weird glitch while trying to install hardware related to my computer - such as my wireless router for Internet access around the house.

So anyone just a little reluctant to use Vonage and similar true VoIP providers will be happy to know that the company will be offering installations [ZDNet IP Telephony VoIP] courtesy of a new deal with Endeavour Telecom. Installation costs start at US$99.95 and are aimed at both residential and business customers. Endeavour field techs will represent themselves as being from Vonage, which will be a psychological plus for most people.

As Russell Shaw says (link above), this deal will be a good thing for Vonage. Not only will this increase the chances of new customers, but support calls will be likely be reduced, and only those customers who feel they need the service have to pay for it. And considering that Vonage is reputedly cutting back on their advertising campaign, despite reaching a 2 million customer milestone, it's little things like this that might make the difference between gaining customers or losing them. Of course, adding services like ReVos long-distance calling packages (courtesy of RNK Telecom) will also help.

VoIP Roundup - Fri Sep 15/06

President Asks For Warrantless Wiretaps
US president George Bush is asking for warrantless wiretaps, particularly in relation to prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay. [via CNBC TV] Recently, US District Court Judge Anna Diggs Taylor ordered a halt to the wiretapping program, concluding in her report that warrantless wiretapping is unconstitutional. CALEA allows a backdoor for law enforcement agencies to wiretap calls if public security is threaten. However, the wiretapping program in question was secretly signed by President Bush in 2001.

Telus Corp Wins 5-Yr Telecom Contract
The government of the Province of Ontario (Canada) awarded Telus Corp (second-largest Canadian phone company) a five-year, Cdn$140 M contract to manage and supply various network services, including IP communication. [via CNW] Telus recently announced that they were converting to an income trust.

Yahoo Messenger Plugins: Pandaf Sudoku Battle
Not sick of the immensely popular Sudoku number puzzles? The Pandaf Sudoku Battle plugin for Yahoo! Messenger 8 lets you battle against an opponent. I assume you race to finish first. This is of course quite the variation on the puzzle, as it's traditionally a one-player challenge.

Stratus Techologies Acquires Emergent
  Stratus Technologies announced the US$10 M buyout of Emergent Network Solutions [Extreme VoIP], a VoIP infrastructure company.

LumenVox Speech Recognition Engine for Asterisk

Asterisk Business Edition will now be including [Asterisk VoIP News] the Speech Starter Kit and Speech Engine from LumenVox at no extra cost. Or you can get the Kit and Engine for US$245 if you're an Asterisk open source community member. Speech processing solutions can be built over the Speech Starter Kit. (LumenVox also has a number of other voice processing packages, including Speech Tuner and Speech Assistant. Their Speech Engine received a Best of Show award at TMC's Internet Telephony Conference earlier this year.)

This is good news for anyone wanting to build advanced voice data applications for VoIP systems using Asterisk, based on the open source VoIP standard, SIP. In fact, this Speech Engine could spur the development of inexpensive voice-triggered CRM (Customer Relationship Management) applications for SMBs and even SOHOs, not to mention enterprises. And now that Pika Technologies just built a seamless integration package for Skype and Asterisk for enterprise use, I can see some pretty sophisticated VoIP call center solutions being created as well. Call Center/ IVR and CRM in a box anyone?

By the way, you can try out the IVR demo for ordering a pizza or checking the weather. Neither my SkypeOut call nor a call from a cordless phone seemed to register too well, but the "woman" for the pizza demo is pretty darn funny. So since she psychically knows where I live, I should be getting a gigantic pizza in about a half hour.

Telus Corp To Become Income Trust

Canada's Telus Corp, the next biggest telecom after Bell Canada, plans to move to becoming an income trust, with the intent to improve the stock price. As part of the plan, the yearly trust payout will be approximately Cdn$4/ unit compared to a current per share dividend of just over Cdn$1. Trusts are also tax-exempt, which is part of the motivation of the conversion. Shares will be converted to trust units on a one-to-one basis, provided shareholders vote their approval in January 2007. [via Bloomberg]

Late last year, Telus merged their fixed-line and wireless divisions. This seems to be part of a growing trend of telecoms to present a single brand instead of separate services, as well as to streamline business to cut costs. If traditional phone service revenue is going to decrease dramatically as expected, then moves such as these are better done sooner.

VoIP Roundup - Mon Sep 11/06

Yet More VoIP Acronyms: FoIP - Fax over IP
8x8, Inc., launched their new fax over IP service (aka FoIP) today. [via Sys-Con] They are not, however, the first company with fax support over IP. Other companies already offer support in their IP telephony routers. Companies like Tiger NetCom have VoIP adapters which will support fax.

Atreus Receives IP Telephony Award
Internet Telephony magazine awarded Atreus Systems their 2006 TMC Labs Innovation Award. [via Sys-Con]

New VoIP Services: ROK Viper
ROK Entertainment Group is offering ROK Viper, which they claim is the world's first free no-contract mobile-to-mobile VoIP application [The Engineer Online]. Though the service seems kind of limited as it apparently connects from a mobile phone via Bluetooth to a computer with broadband Internet access. Doesn't seem particularly mobile to me. ROK apparently also created technology for the first mass-produced mobile TV.

Skype Available In More Than 27 Languages
While Skype is officially only available in 27 languages, there are actually translations for Thai and several European languages.The translation work has been done by members of the Skype community.

Enterprise VoIP: Pika Combines Skype and Asterisk

Big news on the enterprise VoIP front. Pika Technologies, Inc., a Canadian call center services company, has come up with a solution that seamlessly combines Skype and Asterisk. Free plus free equals free. Get more details on Bill Campbell's post at Skype Journal, or the Pika press release.

Wow. It's amazing how flexible Skype seems to be, considering it's not open source like Asterisk. Regardless, anyone with a small business should be salivating at this news. This sounds like the perfect enterprise VoIP soution, both for SMBs (aka SMEs) and large enterprises. And here even Skype was saying last November about how it wasn't suited for enterprise use. Pika (and Asterisk) save the day. Expect to see an aftermarket of solutions and hardware for Pika.

VoIP Roundup - Thur Sep 07/06

Vonage Needs To Watch Their Back
Vonage may have passed the two million subscriber mark, but apparently cable providers aren't too far behind. Om Malik adds that Vonage has already spent over half a billion dollars to get those 2 mln customers, but needs 3 mln more to make a profit.

New Yahoo Messenger Plugin: Typing East Indian Scripts
For our East Indian readers, you may like to check out the ChitChat plugin from Vishal Monpara for Yahoo! Messenger 8. With it, you can type text in eight different East Indian scripts including Hindi.

Oregon: Wi-Fi Investment Leader
According to a study of all 50 US states, Oregon leads in Wi-Fi investments.

US East Coast VoIP Services
The areas of Boston, New York, Philly, and D.C. will have new VoIP services offered to SMBs (Small and Medium Business, aka SMEs) from a partnership formed by BroadSoft, Inc., and mindSHIFT Technologies. Broadsoft is a VoIP app software provider and mindSHIFT is a managed services provider. The VoIP service will work through hosted PBXes. [via New Telephony]

Social Networking For Networking + Communication Types

WIP Connector is a website that hooks up business partners focused in the areas of 3G, RFID, Wi-Fi and WiMax communications. It was launched by the Wireless Industry Partnership (WIP) and is designed as a social networking site. [via Silicon]

Full membership costs US$300; a partner membership costs $200 but is currently limited to MX Alliance, Ottawa Wireless Cluster, and WINBC (Wireless Innovation Network of BC) - at least two of which are Canadian. Let's see. A Canadian website (I think) charging US dollars for membership and being promoted on a British website (Silicon). That's IP communications for you: enabling the global village.

Avoiding The Fate of Dixon's Freetalk VoIP Service

The Dixons Store Group (DSG) recently pulled the plug [VNUNet] on their Freetalk VoIP service, after barely a year. Oddly enough, they told existing customers they'd be switched over to Vonage, an obvious competitor. The company feels the VoIP market hasn't "lived up to its expectations".

Sure there's a lot of competition, and sure some providers won't survive long. But if they have such a short term view as this, their failure is guaranteed. They can't expect to make money on VoIP in just one year. The revenue potential in VoIP is not in service but in hardware (phones, adapters, IP PBXes), consulting, and enterprise integration. There is also a great deal of potential in voice data applications.

For those companies focused on only a residential market, it's the hardware where you'll make any real money. If you sell only service, you might as well just hand your customer list over to your nearest competitor. Of course, cable providers do have the advantage of being able to offer the triple-play services - TV, internet, telephone. Other types of VoIP providers better be innovative if they want to live long enough in the market to compete.

Can VoIP Reduce Call Center Outsourcing?

One of the primary reasons that so many companies in Canada and the United States ended up outsourcing their call center help was due to a lack of local staff that would do the work for $13-16/hour. But now that nearly half of North American call centers are moving to VoIP by the end of 2007, other companies may want to consider what this means. Robert Poe at VoIP News thinks that VoIP could help keep call centers at home (i.e., in North America).

Now I'm not holding back any punches here. One of the biggest complaints I've heard from some people who have spoken to call center employees stationed outside of North America is that a representative's English isn't always that good. My experience has been, of the outsourced call center people I've spoken to, they seem to know their technical concepts well, but don't always explain things well if they have poor English. That frustrates callers. That's not to say that all outsourced call center employees have poor English. But if you had to wait in the caller queue for a long time, only to get a someone whom you cannot understand , regardless of the language, you'd probably be frustrated too. This person supposedly represents the company whose product or service you're calling about.

It's not an issue of which country a call center rep is from, just whether they can be understood by native speakers of the language that the help service is in. That applies to call centers providing help in any language. For example, I wouldn't expect, say, a native Spanish speaker to be happy to talking to me after a long wait in queue because of my mediocre Spanish language skills.

Getting back to Robert's article, he is saying that VoIP could help keep call centers local, and people could even work from home. While I think that the idea is a good one, I'd have to say that not every person is a good candidate to work from home. There are all sorts of distractions, and it takes a great deal of discipline not to be distracted. I also cannot see call center clients being happy with such an arrangement, unless they hand-picked the representative. Otherwise, the temptation might be for the company to want to pay on a pro-rated basis - say just for the time taken up by actual calls, plus a few hours of guaranteed "on-call" time. If that happens, then it may not be financially feasible for a worker to accept such work (exceptions below).

As well, a proper home office would have to be set up if the employee is to be reimbursed for equipment used, etc. Not everyone is going to want to do this. Which means that virtual call centers using home operators might take a while to catch on, if at all. Large companies would probably prefer the convenience of going with a call center instead of hiring their own reps. (Or they might pay bonuses to existing company - not call center - employees who are willing to handle calls during a specific block of time, from home. Willing employees could be trained for handling irate customers.)

On the other hand, with all the work starting to be available online, anyone who can find multiple streams of income from the Internet, is technically savvy, and has the typically qualities of a good call center rep might find a pro-rated, per call payment exactly what they want. Such an arrangement would give them time to manage their own online businesses, and when a call comes in, they could take it or pass it to the next available person. That way, both sides feeling they are being treated fairly.

From a technical point of view, If call center reps are going to use soft VoIP instead of hard VoIP (such as regular phones hooked up to a VoIP plug'n'play adapter and a broadband connection), then they should be setup with text IM software as well, like Leader's Bank in the United States is doing for their bank reps. I know that when I am discussing writing projects with some clients, they prefer to speak to me, but being simultaneously able to forward URLs or other text information enhances the conversation. Another possibility is to use the video-calling features of VoIP software such as Sightspeed (although it's not the only soft VoIP client with video ability). However, customers may not want to appear on the video call themselves. Either way, there are some rules of video VoIP etiquette to follow.

From a call center's point of view, they might have to change their shift scheduling, maybe make them shorter, say three hours each. This way, they could be more certain that someone was going to be available, and that their mind was focused on what ever product or service they are supporting. So while there is potential in the work-from-home call center model, there are a lot of wrinkles that have to be ironed out.

Large-Scale Enterprise VoIP Migrations

As VoIP systems grow in favor with enterprises, the size of projects also seems to increase. Take, for example, a commercial bank in China, the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC).They have over 50,000 branches and plan to consolidate their regional call centers into a single VoIP call center. [ Sci-Tech Today via Asterisk VoIP News]

ABC has a fairly hefty list of requirements, including: switchover to PSTN lines, if the need arises, and no change or upgrade to the existing IP network. Already over 100 offices have completed the switch - in just 30 days. There is no indication in the Sci-Tech article of how much ABC is spending on the project, but with assets of US$250B, it's probably worth it to the bank if the rollout reduces their phone bill and saves money in the long-term.

So initial project costs alone shouldn't always be the determining factor in deciding whether to switch. Return on investment is often far more important. Consider that Virgin Entertainment Group of N. America saved US$700,000/year in long-distance costs after they switched to VoIP. Their cost is estimated at $330K for year 1, and a total of around $1 milion. However, they have plans to utilize the network in ways which will ultimately give them a good return in terms of savings.

SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) shouldn't fear these project costs, though, as there are a variety of options for IP telephony systems. As mentioned in other posts on this site, knowing what functionality you intend with an enterprise VoIP system will take you a long way towards determining what type of software and IP phones you'll really need.

Show Me The Money In VoIP - Telco 2.0 Industry Brainstorm 2006

Telco2.0 is holding their Industry Brainstorm 2006 on 4-5 Oct 2006, in the Tower Bridge Hilton, London, England. The organization's theme appears to be "How to make money in an IP-based world." The Brainstorm will hold discussions about "opportunties and threats to profitability", and making money from "Voice & Messaging 2.0", "Advertising-funded Content", "Broadband Connectivity", and more. This event is intended for current industry insiders rather than the general public. However, people considering becoming future VoIP integrators and consultants may want to consider going. Here are the registration details.

I think we'll be seeing more of these sorts of conferences and workshops as VoIP matures, especially in its use in the enterprise, and with a greater demand for advanced voice data applications in CRM (Customer Relationship Management), as well as other uses.

Businesses: Choose Your IP Phones Carefully

With all the free VoIP software available, are IP phone handsets a waste of money? Not necessarily, especially if you don't have computers at work, or don't want one per employee. For a variety of reasons, you may prefer IP handsets over soft phones. But some of the pricier handsets are so overloaded with software-based features that they often end up not being used efficiently, according to a Gartner Group report studying enterprise use of VoIP. Sometimes simpler is better, and not just for the bottom line.

On the other hand, there are several scenarios where an IP display phone is useful, including the way a Japanese department store has set up hybrid VoIP/ RFID phones in their dressing rooms. What you choose for a VoIP phone has to be based on your business needs, not just desirable features. Write down a list of all the uses you intend for the phone. Then, when checking each feature of a fancy IP phone that you are considering, asking yourself whether your business would really benefit from it. Make a list and checkmark or cross off each feature, while comparing with your list. Use a red pen.

What are you left with? More crosses than checks? Maybe the phone isn't for you, or you haven't yet recognized how a certain feature might fit into your business. Are you planning on some advanced voice data applications in the future? Repeat the feature comparison with the specs from a number handset vendors, and get several people to do the same analysis. Having an easy-to-fill-in form would go a long way to uniform comparisons.

The most expensive, feature-laden IP phone is not necessarily the best for your business, even if you can afford it. But don't let a consultant decide that for you before you do your own analysis.

Skype Usage Helps Nab Fugitive CEO

Comverse's fugitive CEO, Jacob Alexander, who is wanted on securities fraud charges, apparently was traced to a town in Sri Lanka (island country off the south coast of India) because of a one minute Skype call to the US that he made. It's unclear whether CALEA was enforced, since soft VoIP services are not currently bound by it. But Skype does record the incoming IP address. Someone was obviously monitoring the recipient's computer. More details at VoIP News and The Register.

Comverse Technology is involved in a number of businesses and had recently purchased Netcentrex and more recently Netonomy (real-time billing and customer management).

VoSKY Marries Skype and IP PBXes

Who said Skype isn't ready for enterprise? VoSKY thinks otherwise, and to prove it, is offering an actual Skype-certified solution that lets you use Skype with a PBX. Aimed at SMBs (Small and Medium Businesses) of 10-300 employees, the device bridges between a PBX and a Windows XP computer. [IW Distribution/ VoSKy via Asterisk VoIP News]

The IW Distribution press release actually claims VoSKY's device is "the World's First Skype Solution for Business". IW is only promoting the product in the Australian and New Zealand markets, but no doubt other distributors will carry it in other parts of the world, if they aren't already. (I'll do some digging and find out.) Though I'm not surprised, since the SMB and consumer VoIP market in Australia is expected to build to 6 million by 2011.

I wish I could get my hands on hardware like this, to try out. It's likely the beginning of a series of offerings that leverage the cheap pc2pc and pc2phone calls of soft VoIP clients, like Skype and Gizmo Project, for use in even more sophisticated CRM VoIP applications. Businesses need more VoIP products like this.

Text + VoIP IM Roundup - or Props To Techcrunch Day

New IM (Instant Messaging) and related software for VoIP and text conversations just keeps on coming. Some of it's great, some not so much. Here's a quick roundup of what's new. (Props to Techcrunch, because I'm summarizing some of their recent posts, and adding in a bit of commentary based on my own user experience.)

Wablet Text + VoIP IM
Wablet is a Flash-based interface that bridges conversations between most major IM services. The chat box can either be embedded on a web page (like Meebo) or used as a popup. When a chat request comes in, you can see a profile and photo of the person, as well badges indicating which social networks they belong to. According to Techcrunch, Wablet's primary innovation is around identity, allowing you to create multiple profiles for various purposes - personal, business, social.

Wablet is in an invite-only state, but you can sign up to be notified for when it's available. So I can't say much more than what Techcrunch already said.

Nimbuzz Mobile VoIP
Nimbuzz allows mobile phone and Internet users can communicate with each other using either SMS or voice. It installs on your mobile phone (or desktop - Windows only for now) and bridges numerous IM protocols. Nimbuzz, based in the Netherlands, funded by Mangrove VC, who funded Skype. (What's going on in that part of Europe? Lots of cool software coming out.)

The website says that they support most mobile phones, but they don't have any Palm devices aside from Tungsten, so I can't try it. I downloaded the Win XP client (12 Mb) then talked to the really dumb Jimmy the Chatbot, who didn't even know what Nimbuzz was. Not impressed with the desktop client (keeps crashing on me), and don't know about the mobile client. [Jive Software, Internet Is For People, Techcrunch] Techcrunch has the exclusive details.

Sky-Click Web Call Centre:
Sky-Click is a call centre based completely online, so it runs in web browsers. Calls between pc2pc and pc2phone are free, but there is a monthly charge. You can test it with their free 30-day trial. I'll explore this at a later time, but from the site's description, it seems like precisely the type of killer application that'll push VoIP forward with SMBs and maybe even enterprise. More details at Techcrunch.

VoIP Roundup - Thur Aug 24/06

VoIP Reduces Operating Costs
[VoIP] This story is from late May, but Network World talks about a global training firm in the US that has 25-30,000 students, plus company staff, depending on phone calls. Monthly toll-free lines became expensive for the company, and administrators around the world were less in touch with each other. Part of their solution was to use a Siemens-brand PBX to handle VoIP calling from 16 international offices. Whereas they were previously spending as much as US$1.50/minute for international calls, now there are no extra charges for the same calls. [via Network World]

Other companies and small businesses have demonstrated that VoIP can reduce operating costs.

New Indian VoIP Service
The state of Andhra Pradesh in India will be getting a VoIP service, Matallo, using special phones that work over a broadband Internet connection. The state's Chief Minister was said to be happy that users need not be computer savvy. The service is intended for both residential and enterprise use, and will also offer video-calling options. [via The Hindu]

VoIP is expected to have a good future in India if a telecom policy can be agreed upon by the industry and government.

NEC Offers Managed IP Telephony
NEC Unified Solutions is now offering its Managed IP Telephony Services. The service is aimed at SMBs (Small and Medium Businesses) and was announced at VoiceCon. There are two offerings, both charged monthly, and a remote technician manages the hardware. Additional features are available, including trend analysis for VoIP network traffic. [via eWeek]

VoIP Roundup - Tues Aug 22/06

SMBs Becoming More Aware Of VoIP
According to a Q1 survey by Savatar, around 30 percent of SMB (Small and Medium Business) companies are either familar with VoIP or already converting/ converted. [via TMC Net] This of course spells good news for VoIP providers, system integrators and hardware makers.

African VoIP Developments
Kenya's Information Minister, Mutahi Kagwe, thinks that using VoIP could reduce the Kenyan government's phone bill by up to 70%. [via Capital FM] Given that various government ministries owe Telekom Kenya several billion shillings, VoIP thus seems an appropriate solution. They might take a cue from the Taipei City government and consider implementing a muncipal Wi-Fi network over which they could conduct VoIP calls.

In Nigeria, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe says that VoIP is "the engne of telephony in developing countries". The EVC (Executive Vice Chairman) of the Nigerian Communications Commission was speaking at a VoIP conference in Lagos. [via allAfrica]

Australian TAFE Colleges Going VoIP
A group of Australian TAFE (Technical and Further Education) colleges are switching their telephony system to VoIP. Approximately 4,000 VoIP handsets will be part of the migration. Some of the colleges already have VoIP in place, while others are still being converted. [via ZD Net Australia] Cisco is the project vendor.

Enterprise: Choosing Between Hybrid and Pure IP VoIP Systems

Telephony has been moving from PSTN/ POTS systems to hybrid IP-PBXes, as far as enterprise VoIP systems go. But some people expect that hybrid VoIP systems, which support TDM and IP calls, will be outdated in just a few years, supplanted by pure IP that is well integrated with data applications. [via Datamation]

Thus, companies who are currently planning a switch to VoIP need to consider what sort of system that they want to go with. If this is the situation you find yourself in, ask yourself how you to plan to use VoIP. If your business cannot benefit from integrated data applications, then a hybrid system is probably sufficient. But if you want to be able to build, say, a sophisticated CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system, a pure IP system is the direction you should consider.

Show Me The Money In VoIP - Still More Thoughts

Telesyte reports that Australian PSTN telcos will lose more than US$5 in revenue for every US$1 earned. [via 21Talks] So even if they start offering VoIP services, their overall revenue will go down.

As mentioned in our Show Me The Money... In VoIP and More Thoughts posts, the money seems to be in hardware - both handsets and adapters - and integration. But as Fonality is showing, there may also be some revenue potential in VoIP PBXes.

Fonality is a company that makes Asterisk-based IP-PBX systems. While Asterisk itself is free, Fonality's PBXtra has additional features aimed at enterprise. In fact, this is why they are purportedly tops in the Asterisk PBX market. [via GigaOm]

Overall, though, this is still a young market providing a valuable and essential service. Since the service is mostly free or inexpensive, it's everything else associated with the service that will provide revenue opportunities. But my proverbial money's on VoIP data applications. 

Half of North American Call Centers Go VoIP

According to new research from Yankee Group, close to half of North American call centres will have switched to VoIP systems by the end of 2007. [via Asterisk VoIP News]

Given my experience with lousy call quality while calling my website hosting provider lately, I'm hoping that the call centres that do switch use some of the common soft clients. Say Skype, Google Talk or Gizmo Project. But I'm thinking that if they do even use soft VoIP clients, that they'll go the route of Leader Bank and use MSN or Yahoo! Messenger. Which given their new features may not be such a bad thing.

AppCritical VoIP Assessment Tool For SMBs

A new troubleshooting tool from Apparent Networks will help assess VoIP network problems prior to deployment. AppCritical already exists, but a new version aimed at SMBs (Small and Medium Business). [via eWeek]'

The tool is said to have a low-startup curve and requires little training. But at US$40,000, I can't see a lot of SMBs - especially those falling into the "S" category - being able to afford this. What I do see happening is for VoIP solutions integrators/ consultants purchasing the tool and hiring themselves out. Less headache and cost for SMBs.

IM Your Bank Manager?

If you've ever done banking online or by phone, you know that sometimes you run into problems and need some help. But like the IVR (Interactive Voice Reponse) systems of larger banks are not exactly a joy to interact with. A small bank in Arlington, Massachusetts - Leader Bank - realized this and decided to let customers text IM the local branch manager. [via CRM Buyer]

Leader Bank currently only supports AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) but may be adding the Yahoo! and MSN Messenger clients as well. Okay, it's not VoIP, but it's a good step forward in CRM (Customer Relationship Management), which should lead to happier customers. If VoIP support is added, then coupled with data applications, businesses could benefit from the resulting advanced CRM tools.

VoIP Tips: Phase In Telephony Changes

Planning to move from POTS/ PSTN to a VoIP system? Howard Berkowitz says that the move can be incremental, and in fact recommends that approach rather than a wholesale change. Incremental changes, he suggests, reduce the chances of technical problems that come from installing a complete VoIP system. [via Techworld]

One of his key pieces of advice is that any size business that switches to VoIP should also keep one regular PSTN line or mobile phone. That's exactly what I do. I make as many calls as I can using VoIP, but currently keep my PDA phone for inbound calls for anyone who does not use any of the multitude of VoIP soft clients that I use.

Good planning of your move to IP telephony will reduce the problems that are some times inevitable for a new VoIP system implementation.

VoIP System Implementation Tips

Not everyone who has switched their business to VoIP is happy with their results. A Detroit-based law firm switched their telephony a couple of years ago, but has had regular system problems, including crashing. The VoIP system was provided by a client of the firm.

The firm spent US$750K on their six-office VoIP project for a couple hundred lawyers, and had considered ditching it because of all the system problems. However, a software services firm, Compuware Vantage, helped them solve many of the problems. Compuware's management tool reduced support calls from lawyers by 50/ day down to five/ day. The law firm's additional expenditure was just under $100K. [via Computer World]

Project management practices often tell you to essentially not throw good money after bad. In this case, the extra expense was worth it, to make the initial investment bear fruit.

These problems bring some key issues that businesses considering a VoIP system should consider:

Firstly, plan to run a VoIP system on a dedicated computer server. In fact, you may need more than one server. (See steps 2 + 3.)

Secondly, make sure that you run network diagnostic tools to analyze and report on peak network times. Any server worth its salt, whether for VoIP or just a website or database, has to be able to handle peak traffic, not just average performance.

Thirdly, if your company's business is phone-based, you're probably going to need backup VoIP servers, where overflow calls get shunted at peak times. This a technique that high-volume websites, including search engines, use. Unless you are running a call center, you will not need dozens of VoIP servers, but you may need a few.

This sort of information is something any good VoIP system provider/ reseller/ consultant will tell you, but knowing this makes you more aware of what potential problems your IP telephony network might encounter. More knowledge means you're less likely to be cheated or run into problems later.

VoIP Roundup - Mon Aug 14/06

Don't know how I missed this, but Digium, the company responsible for the popular open source PBX telephony software Asterisk, received nearly $14 million in venture capital funding. The funds will partly be used for expanding operations with intent of approaching both SMBs and enterprises. [via GigaOm] Om also had an interview last week with Mark Spencer, founder of Digium and creator of Asterisk.

Uvoipia is yet another VoIP provider whose service lets you use your existing telephone handset via SIP-based phone adapter and a broadband Internet connection. The device allows you to also make and receive standard phone calls. The service caters to Canadians and Americans, and has a variety of business and residential rates. In-network calls to other Uvoipia users are free with the UR Phone plan, which only charges a small monthly fee.

Want to make Skype calls with a regular phone handset? VIVOphone has an adapter, VoiceKey, about the size of a Zippo cigarette lighter. Note that you're not using your regular PSTN phone line. Instead, you plug the phone or PBX into the VoiceKey, and the VoiceKey into a USB port on your computer. So you cannot take regular phone calls. You can, however, connect a cordless phone to the VoiceKey [via Daily Tech]

VoIPing For Profit - Ether Consulting In Action

I've previously covered Ether, a voice-based (pay-per-call) web service that lets you set up consulting practice with just a phone, email and Internet site. This is not a VoIP service per se, however, you can use a VoIP phone number for accepting calls. (Jyve, on the other hand, offers similar functionality but works over top of Skype.)

I just revisted the Ether site recently, to see what's changed since the got out of beta. On their blog page, I noticed a list of websites using Ether and browsed through them. There are a few using Ether very creatively, but I haven't called any of them to see if they're actually getting any busines. Here are few interesting listings where the charge is not by the hour:

The AdventistPastors has Skypecast podcasts, and advice (presumably spiritual) for parishioners via Ether is billed at $1/min.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, not to be confused with the world-famous musician, has an organization called the Art of Living, which provides a free Ether call, presumably to discuss other paid services.

Can't come up with something for dinner? Enterprising foodie and food-blogger, Greg, is offering affordable recipe help ($2.50 for 5 minutes) or a dinner idea ($1.00/15 min). Truly ingenius. Makes me laugh, but you'd be surprised at how many people have trouble making dinner on a regular basis.

Having job troubles? A severance package lawyer is offering 20 minutes of advice for $95. Need help with with your website development? Tyler Hall charges only $2.00/min for consultation. Can't figure out what gadget to get? Optical Poptitude is only charging $3 for 15 minutes of advice. For on and offline media publishing advice, it'll only cost you $0.35/min from the website Apple Week.

If you couple Ether with a plug'n'play VoIP device such as Digifone, you can bring the cost of setting up and running a consulting business essentially down to nearly nothing.

Digifone Plug'N'Play VoIP Device For Regular Handsets

Digifone UK has a new plug'n'play VoIP unit that lets people make free broadband phone calls using current handsets, without a computer. All you need is a broadband Internet connection, and you're good to go. You'll probably need a broadband router as well, so that you can split the broadband line between the Digifone unit and your computer.

Digifone currently has 3 models. The EL1 (GBP 50) handles one line. The EL2 (GBP 100) is for two lines. For three or more lines, there's the EL4, which is GBP 100, plus GBP 50 per extra line. Prices are inclusive of VAT, postage and handling.

The system is compatible with H.323/ SIP-based terminals and will work with a PBX. The unit itself runs with an embedded Linux operating system kernel. (More details are available by contacting Digifone via email.) According to the detailed specs, you can call PSTN even if AC power fails. The unit is FCC approved, as well as MIC (Korea).

The list of countries for free calls numbers roughly 30 and includes Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, UK, New Zealand, USA (+mobile), and several more European and Asian countries (but no India). This is comparable to Jajah, which requires you to use a computer, and calls are limited to 30 minutes. While Gizmo Project offers free calls to 60 countries, both parties in a call have to be registered.

The Digifone VoIP service is provided by a German company,  Betamax. You're allowed a maximum of 300 minutes per week of free calls. After that, a rate of 0.7 pence (British) per minute is charged (0.8 p/min for British mobile phones, free for British landlines). Call summaries are sent monthly by a customer's choice of email or snail mail (post).

Other countries and rates will be listed on Digifone's website, but I don't recall seeing anything up there yet. There's also no mention of e-911 handling, but I'm assuming that since you can make direct calls to PSTN numbers, that it's not an issue. Whether or not the emergency service will see your number on their call-display I'm not sure.

If you're a communications company, Digifone is looking for licensees anywhere in the world. The EL series has received a number of awards, including Pulver100 (USA), 2004 Mae Kyung Venture Grand Prix (Korea), and Certificate of Technology Evaluation (Fraunhofer Institute, Germany). Just a guess, but I think more devices like these are going to be making telecoms quake but cable providers happy. Get in on the action.

VoIP Roundup - Mon Aug 07/06

According to a recent IDC report, Microsoft views VoIP as a very profitable revenue opportunity, and their iniatives will be disruptive for the next few years. Part of their plans include challenging PBX and IP PBX vendors. [via Businesswire]

As businesses and individuals move towards a digital media convergence, in terms of network infrastructure, for voice, data, and video networks, security is going to become more of an issue. Security Park recommends that vendors wanting to enter the VoIP security space should work closely with end-user focus groups. [via Security Park] They have a VoIP security special report (US$1295), in association with Data Monitor, which addresses some of the issues.

Zeus Kerravala, VP of Enabling Technologies, Yankee Group, spoke at TMC's VoIP Developer show, stating that the "low hanging fruit" of the VoIP market "consists of softphones, call centers, and the convergence of VoIP and mobile devices." As well, he suggested that companies focus on ROI (Return on Investment), not TCO (Total Cost of Ownership). I'm thinking that eBay already thought of that when the spent US$2+ billion buying Skype.

VoIP traffic volume on telecom networks is expected to double during the next 12 months. As a result, call quality may get worse. The solution may be new SIP-based services enabled by IMS (Internet Multimedia Subsystem) upgrades to telecom networks. [via VNU Net]

The Prairie Island Indian Community in Minnesota, USA, is using VoIP for their communications. The solution from IPcelerate will also include a rapid emergency notification system that alerts all 150 community households. [via TMC Net] Glad to see that someone solved the emergency calling problem.

With video-conferencing become a standard feature in the new generation of VoIP/ WoIP soft clients, businesses are asking questions about how and what hardware and software to setup, as well as issues of conferencing etiquette. VoIP.com is offering some guidance in that regard. [via PR Web]

Advanced VoIP Apps For Enterprise, SOHOs and SMBs

According to CIO Today, VoIP adoption is getting a boost through advanced features such as broadcasting, presence, find-me/ follow-me, and conferencing. But the real promise of VoIP, they say, is in the integration of voice and data applications.

VoIP also gives advanced CRM (Customer Relationship Management) power to SMBs (Small to Medium Businesses) and even SOHO (Small Office/ Home Office) owners. [via TechNews World]

By treating VoIP as a data application, some incredibly sophisticated CRM experiences can be produced. Throw in auto-answer attendants and CCXML and VoiceXML support, and you have a powerful voice-driven VoIP-based IVR (Interactive Voice Response).

You can also take advantge of VoIP data. For example, if you're an SMB that sells services or products over the phone, each VoIP call becomes data you can store: which country or city the call came from, how much and what they purchased, etc. All of this data can be quantized, stored, and then geo-analyzed. For larger businesses that have multi-language operators, you can transfer calls to the correct operator by applying language defaults based on IP addresses.

It's not that you cannot do this via existing phone systems and computers, but it's not integrated, and thus requires more human data entry. With VoIP data applications, most of the process becomes automated and thus less prone to error. Imagine getting a monthly report, via, email, from your VoIP system showing sales by region. This is just a glimpse into the potential of advanced VoIP data applications.

How Do You VoIP?

What do you find more valuable to you: a smartphone, PDA, or laptop? According to market research firm In-Stat, users of smartphones find those more essential to their business. [via CNS Magazine] However, that's not factoring in how people use VoIP. Given that it's the SOHO (Small Office/ Home Office) and probably SMB (Small and Medium Businesses) owners that are most likely to be the next wave to adopt VoIP, the value of one device over may soon depend on its ability to VoIP.

I know that when I bought my first Palm PDA in Oct 1999, it wasn't "connected". But it was essential to my consulting for task management (no laptop back then), as was my cell phone - especially since I haven't had a land line in about 12 years or longer. Of course, there was no VoIP then, so it didn't matter.

Now that I have a Palm Treo 650, which is a PDA with cell phone and cellular Wi-Fi access, I rarely use it except to actually test VoIP products. But that's primarily because I now work 100% from home. If I were still travelling around, even locally, as I used to for consulting, that'd be different.

So to me, my laptop is more important, as I can move around the house, or go up to the university library to do research. I do most of my softVoIP calls from Skype, mainly because the few people that I speak to who use VoIP only have Skype. The other reason being of course Skype's free calling within the US and Canada (until the end of 2006).

On the other hand, if I could actually find a VoIP service that works on Treo 650 (CDMA network, in my case), I'd be more likely to use my Treo for VoIP  long distance calls outside of Canada and the US. How about you? How do you use VoIP for your business?

VoIPing For Profit - Jyve Talking

Like Ether, Jyve is an Internet-connected voice commerce application that lets you consult via phone calls and earn money. Unlike Ether, Jyve is directly plugged into VoIP. In fact, it's an application layer over top of the Skype VoIP IM client.

Jyve's another great idea, like Ether, but they've gone a step further by creating a free searchable , structured directory of "experts" who will consult with you via Skype at a given rate. You can search for listed experts by categories and sub-categories, or by tags. (Ether has a community forum, but no consultant listings that I could see.)

If you're an expert yourself, you can signup, setup, and list yourself on their site, under a variety of categories. They create a "Click & Buy" billing account for you. You can then download Skype and Jyve buttons to post on your website. These buttons display your availability. (Jyve availability can be configured differently than Skype availability.)

Once you get a Skype call from a potential client, you generally spend a few minutes negotiating a price, then use Jyve to switch the free call to a paid call. I think that this feature alone makes Jyve a potentially better service than Ether, since the latter requires two separate numbers to pull this switch off. It's seamless in Jyve - or at least in theory. If you're unavailable for consulting, clients can leave you a voicemail or an email by clicking on the appropriate button on your Jyve listing page.

Jyve-Skype calls can be pre-paid, or metered by the minute, or in blocks of time, etc. You can also sell digital content via Skype's file transfer feature. For example, you may want to record conversations and supply a copy to your clients at a later time. (To send free screen snaps, use TechSmith's free Skype profile for SnagIt. You can also run live screen sharing using WebDialogs Unyte's free Skype plugin. I'm just not sure you can meter either of these for profit. Warning: to use SnagIt for Skype, you must already have SnagIt installed. If not, install the Snagit 30-day demo first, then the Skype profiles version. If you've previously tried the demo and passed the trial date, you're probably out of luck.)

The major drawback to Jyve is that it's purely web- and Skype-based. The calling party also has to be using Skype. So you cannot take calls from a regular phone/ mobile through Jyve. Thus the smart consultant will set up both Ether and Jyve accounts. And like Ether, you're not limited to just talk-only consulting. There are all kinds of professions, including writing, listed in the Jyve experts directory.

So what does Jyve get out of this? They take a 20%, which is higher than Ether's 15%. But in any commission-based industry, 15-20% is pretty standard, unless you're Elvis and your agent is Colonel Tom Parker - in which I case Tom gets 60%. Hmmm. Gives me an idea: Elvis-By-Skype. Need an Elvis to perform for an event? Hook up your speakers to your computer and Jyve-Skype me. Though I think I'd much rather perform Led Zeppelin's Communication Breakdown, or maybe Blondie's Call Me (in Spanish?). Though I'll throw in Electric Light Orchestra's Telephone Line. Hint: voice commerce can be used in a lot of ways, particularly for musicians to communicate with fans, besides corny references to musical communication.

VoIP Roundup - Tues Aug 1/06

Verizon reports that their net revenue for Q2 2006 was down $500M. Part of this had to do with costs involving their FiOS fiber-optic broadband service. The other reason, although it doesn't explicitly mention VoIP, is that the company had a more than seven-percent drop (over a year) "in the number of switched access lines in service", due to customer migrating to other technologies. [via InfoWorld]

Microsoft had egg on their face when a live demonstration of their IVR (Interactive Voice Response) voice recognition software completely misunderstood the demonstrator and, after fitfully trying to interpret what he was saying, actually typed out some gobbledygook about erasing everything. [via CNBC TV, InfoWorld] (Now do you believe me when I say that the domain name wewillassimiliateyou.com - or something like that - was once registered to Microsoft?)

While the software in question  was not VoIP-based, voice-processing is increasingly become a part of popular VoIP packages, typically through add-ons or plugins. Microsoft has also expressed a strong interest in VoIP lately

You know VoIP's about to go mainstream and become a household word when the Motley Fool personal finance and investing website starts talking about VoIP. [via Motley Fool]

In the article, Fool contributor Tim Beyers mentions that in the eight months since using Skype instead of a landline in his office, he's had a lot of dropped calls but ended up with a total (prorated) annual savings of nearly $450. However, he's opted to stick with a regular landline at home, for a variety of reasons. In all, a fairly balanced look at the pros and cons of using VoIP.

The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) describes how one branch of the Health Services Union assessed their undesireable phone system situation and, after considering a number of vendors, went with a US-based VoIP provider, Zultys Technologies.

This is an interesting read because the Union branch was not obviously a candidate for VoIP, especially because there's no need for long-distance calls, and most calls were expected to be inbound from 20,000 members. [via SMH]

VoIPing For Profit - Ether Consulting

Ether is a voice-based service, though not necessarily VoIP-based, that lets you essentially set up a consulting business online, with the help of a phone, email address and website (free-hosted is fine). I'd all but forgotten about Ether until I stumbled across Amit Agarwal's post a couple of nights ago.

Ether is a brilliant concept. They give you a free toll-free number (and personal extension) that clients can call, which you advertise on your website, email, or business card, along with your rates and availability. At the Ether site, you can login and configure your availability throughout a single day. Calling clients will be notified that you are unavailable at present, if necessary.

If a client want to talk to you, they pay upfront, with their credit card, through Ether's billing system, and the call gets transferred to your desired phone number (home, cell, etc.), if you're configured as being available. If you've set a fixed time limit for a call, the call will end.

Your rates can be set by a variety of time periods, including custom (max $1,000 for a max of 120 minutes). You can even specify that minutes are free after a certain duration. So, for example, I could charge for the first 45 minutes, then allow the rest of a call to be free. (Although there's no way that I saw when I signed up for the beta where you could limit the free time. That's something that would have to be managed manually.) If you've set recurring rates, such as $30 for every 15 minutes, the client will be billed before the call can continue.

It appears that you can setup multiple phone profiles from a single Ether account. So if you do a variety of consulting work and have different websites to promote that work, you can post a different Ether extension # and call rate on each site.

Ether went live near the end of June 2006. I signed up months ago during the beta trial. Because of technical and personal reasons, I never got around to actually fully setting up my account. However, I did come across a couple of websites where the owners had set up. One site owner had two profiles/ numbers. One was something like $100/hour consulting. The other was 30 minutes free, available for a couple of times each week, first-come-first-served.

It's a great concept, and I had intended to set up for business. In fact, I even bought my Palm Treo 650, and the calling and wireless data plans, with Ether consulting explicitly in mind. Unfortunately, since I don't have a landline (haven't for nearly 12 years now), that means I have to use up my costly cell phone minutes. Either that or I need to purchase a SkypeIn, TalqIn, or Gizmo Call In type of plan.

So while Ether might be using VoIP in their phone system infrastructure, it's not a VoIP service from the end user point of view. However, if you have a "call in" phone number for Skype or one of the handful of other softVoIP clients, or even a hardVoIP phone number, there's no reason why you cannot enjoy VoIP benefits from your end.

In fact, because Ether also lets you sell digital content to clients via email or by downloading from your website, you could offer extra services. For example, if you are using a SkypeIn number, you can record calls and offer clients a copy for $0, or even a small fee. If you have voice-to-text software, you could even offer a text transcript, maybe in PDF form, for later download from your site - again for free or fee. Additionally, you could offer language translations of the transcript.

You can essentially set up a consulting practice for nearly any type of business (there are a few restrictions) for next to no cost. (For example, you can use a free-hosted site, but I wouldn't recommend it.) You can do followups by email or downloadable documents, if necessary. The options for businesses are endless, even if you don't want to do a lot of talking.

For example, let's say that you do web analytics work, say with a basic package rate of $500. Set up one Ether profile that gives a limited number of free 15 minute calls. Then set up a second profile that provides a 10-15 minute call for $250, but provides the content via email or download at an agreed upon date. (I have yet to see the non-phone Ether interface, so I'm speculating about the email/ download setup.)

That means that a client calls for free and describes what they want done. The call is the equivalent of a free estimate, but in this case, the price is fixed. If they think you can do the job, and you want to, they call back immediately on the other Ether extension, pay for your service up front, and finish providing the project details, etc.

It might take you a week to finish, or whatever, but when you do, the client calls back on the agreed upon date for a second $250 call, and you complete the transaction. The client has their work and your Ether account will have this additional $250, as well as the $250 from the second call. You could obviously get more sophisticated in your setup and break things down into four calls.

Ether takes a 15% commission from each transaction, which doesn't sound too bad for the service they offer. Hopefully they'll consider integrate with a softVoIP client such as Skype (because of it's Paypal connections) or an open source client such as Gizmo Project. For video calling, there's also Sightspeed, which would make it possible to offer consulting services with visual instruction, such as language pronunciation lessons. To summarize, Ether's a great concept, with room to grow in the VoIP arena to become a killer application.

VoIP Roundup #4

Skype will be getting SMS text messaging services courtesy of Mobile 365. The latter company already delivers 2 billion messages monthly. [via Biz Journals] Skype had already added a free SMS service in early 2005.

The Inquirer (British) thinks that Microsoft's real threat is Skype.

With all the inexpensive means of publishing content, citizen journalism is on the rise. People are recording war footage in the Middle East with their cell phones and posting the content to websites, including YouTube.com, as a way to share what the "camera person" is experiencing. Some even write a description, to express all the feelings. [via SF Gate]

New Zealand's Woosh wireless has broadcast rights from Sky TV to provide Internet TV using its WiMax network. [via NZ Herald] IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) is the next frontier in multimedia content over the Internet, with tests being conducted worldwide, including the US, India, China, and elsewhere, supposedly causing fear in cable TV companies.

Market Clarity, a telecom research firm in Australia, has a free online directory listing VoIP providers in that country. [via IT Wire]

Batelco in Bahrain has expanded VoIP calling from five destinations to over 200. They've also reduced rates for their international VoIP-based calling cards. These cards are valid for calls from PCs, PSTN lines, and cell phones. [via Trade Arabia]

SOHO Owners Most Interested In VoIP

A new survey by IDC [via Info Week] suggests that SOHO (Small Office Home Office) owners will be the people driving the consumer adoption of VoIP for next year, in the United States.

According to the survey home offices have typically been early adopters of advanced technology, and are doubly likely to be currently using, or soon adopting, VoIP than other US households. At present, nearly 40% of corporate home offices and almost 24% of home-based businesses have in interest in VoIP - at present or in the near future.

This makes a great deal of sense, considering the potential savings from implementing VoIP either in the home office or on a laptop during business trips. Any business owner who has travelled knows the cost of cell phone roaming charges or even hotel phone bills.

SOHO-based businesses typically have to bootstrap, especially in the early lean years. It just goes with the territory. So the bottom line is that costs have to be cut wherever possible. Since SOHO offices are more likely to be connected to the Internet on a broadband line than a regular household, owners are more likely to be aware of the advantages of VoIP.

However, as mentioned previously, a lot of free soft VoIP clients are not enterprise ready. A business owner who may want to set up a voice menu or some other sophisticated phone interface likely has to go with pure-play VoIP services instead of something like Skype. Though that's likely to change in the next couple of years.

Microsoft + Nortel Unified Communications Project Not A Big Deal?

ZDNet writer Russell Shaw thinks that the recently announced Microsoft/ Nortel "unified communications" alliance is destined for failure, stating that Cisco is already doing the "Internet phone hardware-software integration thing."

In a similar vein, CNBC TV's Mad Money host Jim Cramer pooh-poohed Nortel when a caller asked about their shares during a "Lightning Round". Cramer felt that the alliance with Microsoft was not going to make much difference to Nortel stock, but did not elaborate.

Cramer also said nothing about Microsoft. Shaw on the other hand said that they "don't have a clue what to do with enterprise VoIP, and even less of an idea how to get into the consumer VoIP business."

That made me chuckle, because that's exactly what I'd been thinking. At least until Nortel CEO Mike Zafirovski announced that teamup with Microsoft would generate $1 billion in extra revenues just for Nortel alone. And surely Microsoft's other announcement, an alliance with Yahoo! to make their respective VoIP-enabled IM (Instant Messaging) clients compatible would address the consumer VoIP issue, at least in part.

Sorry Russell. I agree that Microsoft has been directionless in VoIP, as you put it, but I think they're at least trying. And Cramer, who I love immensely as a TV host that fires up small investors and big alike, has been to shown to be about 50-50 with his predictions. Surely a stock that's currently trading around $2 is going to benefit from a billion in extra revenue?

Microsoft + Nortel Teamup Expected To Generate $1 Billion In Revenue

Microsoft's and Nortel's announced teamup for unified communications (e-mail, instant messaging, telephony, and multimedia conferencing), which includes VoIP, is expected to be a financial boon.

Mike Zafirovski, president and CEO of Nortel, says that they feel that moving their voice technology into software, and teaming up with Microsoft, is going to bring Nortel an extra billion in new revenue.

Nortel's stock (NYSE: NT) is currently around $2 and has seen a steady decline this year - way off the high of $100+/share of late 2000 - early 2001. Microsoft's stock (NYSE:  MSFT) has been relatively flat for the last 5 years, hovering around the $20-25/share range.

Unified communications can be expected to include both video and voice over IP. This move into the VoIP market for both Nortel and Microsoft might mark a postive step for share prices, as well as for customers who would rather put trust in these two companies than some upstart unknown VoIP provider.

Source: [Microsoft]

Microsoft's Showing Strong Interest In VoIP

Microsoft is showing its intense interest in VoIP lately by partnering up with not just Nortel but Yahoo as well.

Microsoft and Nortel are working on a new project focusing on unified communications, which the MS press release says includes e-mail, IM (Instant Messaging), telephony, and multimedia conferencing. Take the latter to mean WoIP - Video as well as Voice over IP.

Nortel has proven itself to be an innovator in telephony hardware and software in the past. This is also a great step forward for Microsoft in the VoIP market. Can they do the unthinkable and make this unified communications thing open? You never know.

They're at least trying to unify MSN Messenger IM with Yahoo! Messenger - both of which now have VoIP capabilities - in a new alliance. Between the two IMs, that's about 350 million users. Now what's the chances that they'll switch to SIP, thus making themselves compatible with true VoIP IMs such as Gizmo Project and Sightspeed? [Note: despite an earlier post about finding VoIP plans, Sightspeed is in fact SIP-based.]

Additional sources: Microsoft [via FierceVoIP].

Net Neutrality Hypocrisy In The Korean VoIP Scandal

The issue of members of the US Military not being allowed to use their VoIP services at a base in South Korea has been temporarily resolved, but it took the US government to step in.

Interestingly enough, as VoIP News points out, the reason for the whole kerfuffle has to do with several Korean telecos feeling as if the military base members were not paying for the bandwidth they were using. Gee, where have we heard that * cough * net neutrality * cough * before?

So it's okay that the US government can interfere when another country's telcos feel they're not being compensated, whether rightly or wrongly. But when interested parties here feel that the American telcos are doing the same thing in the United States, why is the government turning a deaf ear? Do private US citizens not matter as much? Isn't this called hypocrisy?

I've been using the Internet since 1991 or 92, when it was the "web", and consisted of only a few services such as FTP and limited email. The one thing that I was regularly reminded of was that the Internet was free and open - it was the purpose for its creation: to share information. Sure, commerce took over. But anyone who thinks the telcos were not compensated for their services forgets that a T1 line cost about $1000/month in 1996, and prices went up exponentially from there.

I maintain that it's still just bully boy politics, with telcos seeing their bottom line disintegrate to cheaper VoIP service. Indications are that the number of VoIP subscribers will more than quadruple in just four more years. Telcos, your tactics are transparent. So, if you can't beat'em, VoIP'em and strike up alliances.

Who's Making Money In VoIP?

Om Malik paints an interesting VoIP application scenario with an in-beta service called Jangl. Jangl deals with issues of VoIP presence as well as security using a unique bidirectional phone number that allows two parties to communicate without revealing their own phone numbers.

The example Om gives is one applying to the dating scene. Considering that there are online dating services like Verbdate, which integrate Skype's VoIP software to allow people to talk to each other for free, there's obviously a market for VoIP dating applications. But with the way the world is, partial anonymity, or at least security from having to reveal personal info, is a boon. Jangl does this by assigning a phone number between two parties, which acts as a bridge, regardless of the numbers they are using to make the call.

Jangl joins the growing list of new companies that are opting for private financing instead of going IPO. However, history shows that when a VC firm pumps in money, they want to not only make their money back but get a return on it. That's kind of why VCs exist, right?

Jangl is only in beta, so it's yet to be seen whether they can make money from their model. Still, with all the free VoIP options available these days, the ones taking advantage of the Long Tail phenomena will be most likely to succeed. That is, give away parts of your service/ product offerings for free, and hope that a large number of people will use your paid services once in a while. Or if you're lucky, frequently. (Which is why I think that Skype's plan to enter the enterprise VoIP market is a bad idea, besides the fact that their Skype is not enterprise grade.)

But since so much VoIP service is free, it's the companies that give good value-added services at a reasonable price who are candidates for business success.

Here's my jaded prediction: new tech (and web 2.0) companies will continue to stay private for the next year or two, followed by a large number of IPO offerings in the very late 00s, capped by a market crash in 2010. History (i.e., market data and news archives) shows a recession at the beginning of every decade since at least 1970, which inevitably means tech stocks crash and burn. Only those VoIP companies who develop a stable footing in the next year or two are likely to survive, and that means having private funding, instead of suffering the vagaries of the stock market and suddenly finding that cash is low.

Why Your Company Should Record VoIP Calls

The other day, I gave a lengthy rundown on how you could record VoIP calls from Skype using HotRecorder, as well as links to other articles and methods. What was not mentioned was why your company just might want to make VoIP call recording a standard practice.

In a nutshell, businesses using VoIP should consider recording calls to comply with portions of both Sarbox (Sarbanes-Oxley) and CALEA (Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act) regulations. Sarbox is an US SEC securities regulation, and was signed into law by President Bush in 2002. CALEA is a 1994 act that gives law enforcement agencies the right to conduct surveillance on any new communications networks.

The EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation), has a fairly comprehensive explanation of what CALEA means to the average person and business. A government site, AskCALEA, also provides information.

Both Sarbox and CALEA supposedly operate on the principle that your data (in this case your VoIP recordings) are safe and are only required in case an investigation is necessary. Since this means long-term archival of conversation recordings, there will be VoIP audio file storage issues to consider. VON magazine has an article about recording corporate VoIP and some available solutions. [via FierceVoIP]

Microsoft and VOIP

With European Union giving Microsoft a slap upside the head, they've got more to worry about than their share price. Their shares have been fairly level over the past five years, and some people think it's because they have stopped become innovators, with few forays into the newest technologies on and off the web. For example, when you think VoIP, do you think Microsoft?

Back last fall, when they acquired Teleo, it was expected that Microsoft was making a big leap into the VoIP market. What have they done with VoIP since? If past history is any evidence, they'll buy a company with wide presence - often with a free product - and embed their offerings into enterprise applications. That's their thing, their forte. But the web hasn't been about enterprise. If they want to dominate the Internet, Microsoft should take advice from the Red Hot Chili Peppers and give it away, give it away, give it away, now.

I shouldn't be too harsh, though. They did release Windows Live Messenger, with the expectation of upstaging Skype. But early in February, we asked is Microsoft serious about VoIP? Then late that month, they announced a free VoIP app allowing Office users to make free calls on Wi-Fi phones - preferably with the Windows Live Messenger-compatible VoIP cordless phone they teamed up with Philips to launch in January. In March, we were sure Microsoft's serious about VoIP.

So they're obviously trying. Personally, I'm glad they didn't buy Skype (did they even make an offer?) or Sightspeed, else the products might have been buried deep in other offerings. I think they need to consider offering products purely on their own merits, which don't need other MS apps installed to run on.

Large Enterprise VoIP Projects Catching On

More companies are realizing the value of VoIP in the enterprise, striking up ever larger deals. Rolls-Royce, the distinguished carmaker, is incorporating VoIP into their operations. Canada's Nortel, a long-time veteran in telephony equipment, was given the $20 mln deal, which spans seven years.

Rolls-Royce's network of users spans countries in Europe and North America, adding up to over 26,000 users. This is one the largest enterprise VoIP projects to date. However, consumer goods manufacturer Kimberly-Clark will be implementing VoIP for over 200 sites consisting of over 57,000 employees.

Also, if you use the term enterprise loosely, Taipei City government in Taiwan recently started rolling out their VoIP network over Municipal Wi-Fi project, aiming at 200,000 wireless VoIP phones by the end of 2006. The initial project covers only administrative offices and public schools - a sort of enterprise, albeit government.

With so many users on one subnet, there are issues of audio file storage for voice mail, etc, just as there would be for PSTN systems. However, VoIP being relatively new, and being accessible via soft clients such as Skype and Sightspeed, there may be a tendency for employees to replace modes like IM (Instant Messaging) with VoIP, thus potentially making audio file storage a more critical issue sooner.

It's interesting that the Nortel project is expected to last seven years, although no reasons were given for that length of time. I'd like to how long other large corporations give themselves for similiar projects. Small enterprises, however, could probably roll out projects in short time period, provided they plan appropriately.

[via VoIPendium, Silicon.com, NewsFactor]

Vonage + More VoIP Lawsuits - When Will The Brutality End

BusinessWeek, and many others, reported yesterday that Vonage is now being sued by Klausner Technologies for patent infringement that has to do with Internet voicemail - to the tune of $180 million dollars. Give me a break. All this bullying of Vonage and kicking them when they're down suggests to me that many people smell the profit in VoIP and are siccing their lawyers on the fall guy.

In some cases, these patent infringement suits feel as if one caveman claimed the color red for his exclusive use just because he claimed it first, and not because he actually created it. Part of the fault lies with the USPTO. They and their equivalents around the world need to get their act together. Please hire hire patent officers who actually know technology, or this kind of absurd lawsuit nonsense is going to kill innovation in all industries that use patents. (Can you imagine if someone had patented fire? Has anyone? Hmm.)

But Vonage has arisen bloodied from their multiple beatings and are fighting with intelligence. Instead of handing over all their milk money to the VoIP school bullies, they've paid Digital Packet Licensing Inc. for three patents. This move, according Tom Keating, is a response to recent lawsuits initiated by Sprint and Verizon upon Vonage.

Me thinks, though, that this isn't the end of the patent infringment parade. Vonage needs somebody, a big buddy. Now I know that Microsoft is suddenly interested in VoIP and that they are working with Philips on a VoWiFi phone. But couldn't they maybe just, oh, I don't know... scoop up Vonage? I'd never have suggested this ten years ago, but it might be just what Vonage needs. And it might actually boost Microsoft's cred in new technologies - something they need given their flat stock (NYSE: MSFT) performance for the past five years.

Then again, Apple is interested in VoIP, and maybe a VoIPod wouldn't be such a bad thing, although Koncept USA may want to change the name of their VoIPod. Although Apple's (NYSE: AAPL) shares are doing fine over the past five years.

Other companies should take note though, if they have applications that generate Internet voicemail. You might just be getting VoIPed soon from Klausner Technologies' lawyers.

Are VoIP IPOs The Way To Go?

Clearwire, a WiMax wireless broadband provider, may not be involved directly in VoIP, per se, but their value to the VoIP and IP telephony market is evidenced by the names of  some of the investors that have pumped in cash. The company had originally filed with the SEC to go IPO, but nixed the IPO at the last moment.

Maybe they took a hard look at what Vonage has gone through these past couple of months and decided the market's too shaky to follow suit. Which makes me wonder if IPOs are the way for companies in fledgling technologies to go right now.

Wooing private investors might be the better alternative initially, especially if they have the best interests of the technology at heart. (And by "they", I mean both parties.) In the case of Clearwire, they did better financially by dropping the IPO, exceeding by 50% the amount of capital they had wanted to raise.

Now they have the committed capital they need to pursue their WiMax projects. (Is it surprising that Intel Capital is one of the investors, considering WiMax is an Intel creation?)

Had they gone public and the IPO tanked after a few days, given the current edgy marketplace, they would have had to hold back on several projects.

As I've mentioned, they are not in the VoIP market per se. However, VoIP over WiMax or WiBro is not a far-fetched concept, and would provide an infrastructure that might help push the use of VoIP. The fact that Bell Canada is an investor from an earlier round of financing suggests the importance of WiMax to telephony in general.

A look at Clearwire's USA coverage map shows pretty spotty coverage. So the recent private cash infusions are just what they need to expand their coverage area. If they could score some municipal Wi-Fi deals, the incoming revenue would push their expansion even faster.

Maybe, after a couple of years, when they actually have a positive balance sheet, they could consider going IPO - something VoIP providers and equipment makers may want to make note of. And maybe by then, Intel will team up with Samsung and scale WiMax up to WiBro.

VoIP Can Save A Small Business

Back in the 1990s, while going through my second round of college to get a Master's, I started a print magazine. At the peak of this short-lived but popular monthly rag, there were over 100 contributors, most of whom lived out of town, or even across the country. My phone bill was usually a whopping $500-800/ month, for a small regional magazine with a max circulation of 8,000.

This was just before the time of phone deregulation in the US and Canada, and new companies were just starting to offer bulk minutes in "regional" calling packages: 500 minutes across North America for $29.99, or somesuch.

But until I got myself one of these phone plans, near the end of my magazine, I barely squeaked by on my operating costs, being a student and all. Even after I got a phone plan, I had one talkative out-of-town friend/ editor who I'd call up daily to talk business with, and who would literally talk for up to 45 minutes without stopping. Back then, I wasn't the kind of person to tell people to shut up, and ultimately, this editor/ friend cost me a fortune, using up a lot of my minutes.

Primarily because of this person, to cut back on phone costs, I started visiting my out-of-town contributors. (Gas was less than half the current price, and I had an energy-efficient stick-shift Suzuki Swift at the time.) Unfortunately, these visits took time and chewed into my distribution and ad sales time. Ultimately, my overall costs outweighed my incoming ad revenue, and I had to fold operations.

Now most small mags are doomed to failure anyways, but I can't help thinking that had VoIP been available back then, my magazine might have survived. Of course, that's just wishful thinking, because the Internet had barely gone public then.

My recent experience using VoIP and IM clients is not only a huge savings in cost, but because I can multi-task on my laptop while having a VoIP conversation (or an IM - Instant Messaging - text session), I also save a lot of time overall. VoIP is an inexpensive way to communicate with customers and team members, especially virtual teams. Skype is an efficient way to VoIP.

My current favorites are Skype and Gizmo Project for VoIP. (I mostly use Google Talk for IM, but have been evaluating Trillian and Gaim.) I find I have to run a variety of programs for now, mainly because of what my business contacts have. Skype is not "open" and thus cannot currently communicate with Gizmo. So I need both. Now, I only wish I could convince my friends to by microphones and headsets instead of wasting my cell phone minutes.

Westan, Vonexus sign deal for IP-PBX Solutions distribution

Westan and Vonexus have inked a master distribution deal for the distribution of IP-PBX solutions in Australia.

Kamil Aghtan, Director of Westan stated;

Westan has been in the Communications and Telephony market with Intel and other vendors for five years now, traditionally focused on the enterprise space.

An IP-PBX using open standards will now provide considerably better features, flexibility, scalability and interoperability than the traditional proprietary PBX systems, he added.

Via: [VoIP Central]

Verso, IBM team up to market Linux-based VoIP Offering

Verso Technologies and IBM have put together their technical resources to provide Verso MetroNet VoIP Overlay system on the IBM eServer Blade Centre platform. As per the joint agreement, a Linux-based VoIP system will operate on the IBM eServer BladeCenter. The two companies will market the Linux-based VoIP services.

Bannerman, CEO of Verso Technologies remarked,

We can reach new markets with a Linux-based VoIP platform running on the IBM BladeCenter platform, which assists us in our goal of becoming a major supplier of VoIP solutions to the carrier markets. Access to IBM global markets expands Verso's distribution channel and provides access to a substantial piece of the global VoIP market.

The new offering targets providers in the Tier-2 through Tier-4 markets that necessitate the use of an open standards softswitch platform. This system includes Verso Clarent endpoint (Class-5) and tandem (Class-4) switching technologies. In addition to it, the combined softswitch system facilitates providers to deploy VoBB services to business and residential subscribers.

Via: [TMCnet]

Arvato selects Avaya VoIP services for effective communication

Avaya Inc has been selected by the Arvato Services, a provider of CRM services through IT systems applications. Arvato will utilize the VoIP services of Avaya to connect its call and contact centers. Over the years, Avaya has been providing Communication-related solutions for the business enterprises.

Arvato Services is making steady growth in the IT business. It offers customer and financial services, database management, printing, production, distribution and e-commerce transition through CRM global solutions.

Arvato has opted for Avaya IP telephony to connect its contact centers in Buenos Aires, Argentina and in Kitchener, Canada to help it maintain high standards of service.

The VoIP services of Avaya will facilitate Arvato to supervise the performance of employees, find out errors, adjust training process and prioritize calls by recording incoming calls.

Via: [CNW]

ZivVa acquires Vocalocity to simplify VoIP deployment and OEMs application

ZivVa's effort to simplify the creation and deployment of VoIP services and OEMs gets a major boost after the acquisition of Vocalocity, a provider of OEM software for standards-based telephony solutions. ZivVa is a recognized hosted VoIP applications provider.

The joint firms will function under the name Vocalocity because the OEM software provider has deserved a strong dominance in the market. Now they will provide the customers of both companies under a single brand, an on-demand service-based platform and an OEM-driven standards-based platform.

Mike Dickerson, former CEO of Vocalocity commented, 'ZivVa's commitment to further develop our core OEM customer base creates an incredibly powerful opportunity.   Direct access to ZivVa's on-demand application platform will allow our OEM customers to benefit from faster development of user-tested products that simplify the creation and deployment of voice services'.

Via: [IP Communications]

Freshtel to open retail UK VoIP service

It appears that Freshtel, the leading VoIP service provider and technology developer will stand tall in the UK VoIP market. It has adopted an aggressive marketing strategy in this regard. The VoIP service provider has now decided to start its own retail VoIP service in UK and joined hands with Binatone to produce internet phone products to meet the need of the customers. Freshtel disclosed it earlier this year. They will sell their products Binatone's existing retail network throughout the UK, in a staged implementation from August 2006. Binatone's telephone products are hitting the UK market. Binatone makes one in four phones purchased by UK households, says Dino Lalvani, Binatone COO.

Via: [VoIP Central]

Enea, Nanoradio work together for WLAN VoIP and Internet Connectivity to Mobile Terminals

Enea is joining forces with Nanoradio to integrate the OSE real-time operating system (RTOS) with Nanoradios NRX701 WLAN platform of for mobile terminals, which will facilitate mobile terminal producers to add high-performance and low-power WLAN capability to their mobile devices for the applications such as VoIP and Internet connectivity. Eneas OSE RTOS is very popular among the mobile phone manufacturers. Around half of the worlds' third generation mobile phones and base stations have the Eneas OSE RTOS deployments. With this new alignment, Eneas will further enhance its position as the ultimate choice for 3G mobile terminals.

Via: [TMCnet]

Orbtalk's VoIP accessories free for new customers

Really, the VoIP market in UK is booming. It appears that the number of VoIP service providers is increasing day by day. To lure the customers, they are coming up with new marketing strategies. Now take the case of Orbtalk. It has decided to offer free VoIP accessories for the new customers.

Orbtalk plans to increase its customer's base in the UK. The leading hardware retailer Broadbandstuff supports Orbtalk. Orbtalk will provide a few free samples. The customers will get a free USB phone with £25 credit and free VoIP Phone Adapter with £50 credit once they sign up for the Orbtalk services. Orbtalk and Broadbandstuff will offer the customers a UK phone number. There is no contract or set-up fee to access the VoIP services of Orbtalk.

Via: [VoIP Central]

Alcatel gets a Euro 70-million wireless contract

Telekom Malaysia (TM) has awarded a Euro 70 million wireless contract to Alcatel for its third generation and UMTS wireless network. According to the deal, Alcatel will provide communication related solutions to Celcom Berhad, a fully owned company of TM.

The project will empower Celcom to provide customers across the Malaysian cape, Sabah and Sarawak islands a range of innovative high-bandwidth services for multimedia mobile communications such as live streamling mobile TV channels.

Via: [bolsamania]

Middle Eastern enterprises deploying VoIP systems

VoIP is getting momentum in the communication scenario. VoIP market is growing steadily. Business community is keen to take the advantage of this latest communication system. According to survey conducted by Avaya shows that either 71 percent of Middle Eastern enterprises have deployed or preparing ground for the deployment of IP telephony.

The survey covering 1,000 decision markers from regional organizations indicates that 55 percent of enterprises have installed a converged voice and data network. The rest of enterprises are ready to deploy VoIP systems by the end of 2007.

Via: [ITP]

Neobits chooses DecisionOne as installer of TalkSwitch PBX phone systems

Neobits has chosen DecisionOne as a certified installer for TalkSwitch PBX phone systems. These systems are highly productive for the small and medium enterprises. Neobits distributes TlakSwitch PBX systems.   As per the deal, DecisionOne will make available installation services for Neobits' customers who buy TalkSwitch phone systems.

Arvind Goel, President of Neobits commented,

TalkSwitch's advanced VoIP technology and telephone systems, combined with DecisionOne's nationwide service footprint, complement our ability to support the small to midsize business with advanced telephony solutions.

DecisionOne bagged the prestigious award 'the Internet Telephony(R) Product of the year award' for its Desktop to Dialtone(TM) services.

Via: [CNW]

Engin to raise additional capital

Engin has decided to raise capital through the issuance of new shares equivalent to 21.8 percent of its existing capital in the stock market. The Australian broadband phone service provider will invest money in network and support systems to enhance company's operating capacity. Engin has now 40,000 lines. Its telecommunication services are hitting the Australian market. It is getting around 4,000 subscribers per month. The company plans to achieve 100,000 subscriber bases by June 2007. For which, Engin is keen to invest money in different segments of market.

Via: [VoIP News]

Japan emerges as the third largest broadband country in the world

With 24 million broadband services, Japan has emerged the third largest broadband country of the world. The US and China occupies the top two positions, according to Research and Markets's 2006 Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband in Asia report.

The report presents a vivid picture of recent trends and developments in telecommunications, broadcasting and Pay TV markets in Japan.

Japanese telecommunication sector will maintain steady growth this year with VoIP and triple play services to make a strong dominance, the report claims .

The VoIP subscribers' base is increasing in Japan year by year. The country has now about 9 million VoIP subscribes as reported last year.   The number is expected to reach 28 million by the end of 2007. Things stand as of now, the growth has also created major challenges for the traditional fixed line service providers in the country. Now they feel that the growth of VoIP will eat up their revenues.

Via: [VoIP Magazine]

Cedar Point, Columbus Communications ink VoIP deal

Cedar Point Communications Inc  has inked a deal with Columbus Communications Trinidad Ltd to offer its Safari C3 multimedia switching gateway for the delivery of VoIP services in Trinidad via the FLOW service of Columbus Communications Trinidad. Columbus Communications Trinidad Ltd has decided to implement its digital cable television service in the selected areas this month. The company officials states that Trinidad Ltd has received a major concession in February to provide cable TV and VoIP services in Trinidad. Cedar Point Communications Inc's Cedar Point Safari C3 is an integrated VoIP switching platform. The platform integrates several voice network components such as managements servers, media gateways and Ethernet switches into one unit.

Via: [Biz Journals]

Vodavi makes partnership with Speakeasy for VoIP sales

Vodavi Technology has extended a marketing partnership with Speakeasy to enhance the sale of its VoIP systems to business enterprises.

The comprehensive deal makes Speakeasy to market Vodavi's 6800 Series IP Terminals in conjunction with its Business VoIP solutions. Vodavi develops VoIP solutions for the small business customers opting for a single provider for communication needs.

Speakeasy Business, a Seattle-based broadband services company provides the advantages of an advanced PBX phone system without having to invest in complex and expensive on-site hardware.

Via: [Biz Journals]

Daniel Weirich becomes acting CFO of 8x8 Inc

Daniel Weirich will be the acting chief financial officer (CFO), vice president of finance and secretary of 8x8Inc. Santa Clara based leading VoIP and videophone communications service provider announced it on 21 June.

Daniel will replace outgoing CFO James Sullivan. James vacated his position earlier this month to purse another career opportunity.

Daniel is associated with 8x8 Inc. He held the position of vice president of operations. He will remain in that position. The company is looking for a permanent CFO. For which it is undertaking an external search. Daniel will hold the positions of CFO temporarily.

Via: [Biz Journals]

VoIP gaining momentum in France

VoIP is gaining momentum in France with a large number of cell phone users keen to use Wi-Fi convergence technology to make cheap VoIP calls on their hand-held sets.

Now the VoIP service providers in the country plan to take the advantage of favorable market conditions. The top three broadband providers Orange, Neuf Cegetel and Iliad have undertaken special converged services, which enable the customers to connect to Wi-Fi networks with a dual-mode cell phone. 

Remi Thomas, an analyst with Cheuvreux is optimistic about the growth of VoIP market as it saves a lot of money on user's mobile phone bill. It seems that France is going to be the leader in wireless convergence, preparing ground for the dual-mode handset industry.

Via: [Teleclick]

Go IP, Eicon to launch Diva cards

Eicon Networks Inc. has teamed up with Go IP Solutions Ltd. to introduce Diva Server Telephony cards for the voice, speech and conferencing markets.

The new launch will target the voice, speech and conferencing, fax, unified messaging, remote access and VoIP markets, confirms Chew Weng Hock, South Asia General Manager for Eicon Networks.

Go IP solutions will market Diva Server Telephony cards, the cards manufactured by Canada-based Eicon.

Anil Mittal, MD at Go IP said,

Eicon has partnered with Go IP, which would be the value added reseller for Eicon's products in the Indian market.

These cards are useful to the stock brokering firms, security agencies and end-users as it provide wide range of security solutions.

Via: [TMCNet]

VoIP reduces BTC's revenue

A report on 'Promoting Investment in Information and Communication Technologies' insists the government of Bahamas to act on VoIP indicating the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) is losing its revenue on account of illegal competition from the companies providing VoIP services.

The report says,

It may be wise for the government to take stock of the current situation, understand the realities of this technology and its impact on prices, recognize the futility of trying to stop its progress or to police its use and instead encourage BTC to take into account and embrace VoIP technology to reduce the overall cost of the delivery of telecommunications services in The Bahamas.

Bradley Roberts, Minister of Works and Utilities said that BTC earning from long distance calls in 2000 was around $90 million. It fell to $50 million in 2004. The new report also approximates that up to 70 percent of outgoing international traffic bypasses BTC's network, with 30 to 40 percent of business subscribers using VoIP alternatives such as Vonnage and Skype.

Via: [jogjaponsel]

VoIP Supply starts New IP PBX Division

VoIP Supply, LLC, a major VoIP hardware, software and services provider has set up its new division PBX Select. The new division will work on the sale of end-to-end IP PBX solutions for the small and medium business, what VoIP Supply is not capable to handle.

Cory Andrews, Executive Vice President of the new division says,

There is a lot of opportunity in the small medium business market, but we feel that ultimate success in the marketplace depends, to a great extent, on the approach of the vendor. We have designed a business process, combined with the dedicated pre/post sales resources necessary to educate business customers about the technology, help the customer make an informed decision, and provide central management of the overall implementation. Our wide range of vendor offerings allows us, in most cases, to offer clients the exact mix of price and feature set they require.

Via: [VoIP Blog]

Wick Hill, Lucent sign distribution agreement

Wick Hill has inked an exclusive distribution agreement with Lucent, which manufacturers and supplies the systems, services and software for next-generation communication networks. Wick Hill is a well-recognized global distributor specialized in secure infrastructure solutions for e-business.

With this deal, Wick  Hill will able to supply the vendor's full network and security portfolio including VPN products, bandwidth management and secure mobile data networking technology.

Wick Hill Group chairperson Wick Hill commented,

Voice over IP [VoIP] is under-secured and is a big area of threat. Firms are deploying it for either cost benefit or functional-ity benefit.

Via: [IT Week]

Stealth, sentitO, Telx join forces for TDM traffic

Three renowned companies sentitO Networks, Stealth Communications and Telx joined forces to speed up the exchange of VoIP with traditional TDM service providers. They will connect Stealth's Voice Peering Fabric (VPF) with sentitO's IVG1200 Intelligent Voice Gateway. It would be free connections. The sentitO gateway will convert TDM to VoIP telephony calls for the traditional service providers as well as for the VPF members.

Shaun Donnelly, VP of sales and marketing at sentitO Networks said, 'This trial service allows service providers to start generating profitable VoIP revenues with less required capital while simplifying their network architecture'. He adds service providers now can easily interface into the VPF.

Via: [New Telephony]

Ascalade finds itself in 'Top 100 Public Company' list

Ascalade Communication Inc., manufacturer of VoIP phones and other wireless communications related products has for the first time entered into the Business in Vancouver's (BIV) annual 'Top 100 Public Company' list. After completing its initial public offering successfully for one year, Ascalade with revenues to the tune of US$117.7million in 2005 is for first time found itself in 'Top Public Company' list along with some of the top technology companies in British Columbia. 

Edmund Ho, President and CEO of Ascalade stated on the company's achievement,

To be listed among other key technology leaders in BC after our successful IPO last year is an indication of the strength and growth in our business. We will continue to work with our key customers and partners on strategic product developments for the VoIP market.

Via: [CNW]

TCS inks a reseller agreement with Level 3

TeleCommunication Systmems, Inc. (TCS) has inked a major reseller deal with Level 3 Communications, which allows TCS to bag Level 3's E9-1-1 network capabilities with TCS' VPC ( VoIP Positioning Center). With this agreement, TCS will offer users with a one-stop shop for all Enhanced 9-1-1 services. 

Dan Allen, Senior VP, Service Bureau Operations for TCS, explains that Level 3 provides the broadest coverage for E9-1-1 call termination. He says,

Furthermore, many synergies exist within the Level 3 and TCS customer bases -- cable companies, Voice Service Providers and others -- and this agreement will enable us to integrate our services to provide our customers with a best-in-class solution. We are enthusiastic to work with Level 3 on delivering these communications solutions to VoIP Service Providers .

Via: [Yahoo! Biz]

Thomson gets Eepad's thumb for VoIP rollout in Algeria

Eepad has selected Thomson's Cirpack MultiNode-B switching systems to provide VoIP solutions for both residential and business users in Algeria . By getting this contract, the leading digital video technologies, Thomson plans to expand the marketing of its IP devices and solutions. Eepad is the first and foremost company to provide VoIP services in Algeria. In an effort to ensure full range of quality features including primary line service for domestic users and IP Centrex solutions for business users, Eepad has opted to use Thomson's Cirpack VoIP switches.

Via: [MarketWire]

VoIP Subscribers Set To Skyrocket By 2010

As per a report from IDC, residential VoIP subscribers would skyrocket from 10.3 million to 44 million in 2010. The report says that VoIP would be used in 62% of broadband households by 2010. The growth would be caused by increased broadband penetration and consumers becoming comfortable with VoIP and other new communications technologies.

The simple setup requirements would make consumers more comfortable with this technology and enable to access this technology not only at home but also on the move. The trends causing VoIP adoption would be simplicity, mobility and a need for on demand telephony.

Via crn

8x8 Receives Patent for Hosted IP-PBX Technology

8x8 has been given the US patent for technology related to the routing of telephone data within hosted VoIP business services such as Packet8 Virtual Office.

As per Bryan R, CEO and Chairman, 8x8:

We are pleased and proud to have been awarded this patent for the technology incorporated in our Packet8 Virtual Office and similar hosted IP-PBX services. More and more businesses are making the switch from traditional PBX phone systems to hosted business VoIP services. Technological achievements, such as those in this invention, that provide scalable, cost-effective, user-friendly control over communications networks, are vital to the successful deployment of hosted VoIP business phone services.

Via yahoo

Lingo Adds Local Number in Israel

Lingo’s customers would have the opportunity of adding local phone number in Israel to their VoIP phone service. It is offering phone numbers associated with Israel’s most densely populated business and cultural center, Tel Aviv. It enables the thriving U.S. Israeli American community to stay in touch with family and business contacts in Israel without high overseas cost.

The numbers associated with Tel-Aviv have been made available to new and existing Lingo VoIP customers. Israel is considered to be one of the top calling destinations for Lingo customers.

Via yahoo

Xfone Receives approval For VoIP Trial in Israel

Xfone has got approval from the Communications Ministry for conducting IP telephony trials. The regulators are taking a cautious approach as to the introduction of VoIP and have being issuing permission for launching trial services only to a handful of alternative operators. Golden Lines became the first to get Israel’s first commercial VoIP concession.

A debate had to be conducted on the regulation of VoIP services in January 2006 but the hearing had to be postponed due to ill health of former P.M. Ariel Sharon. The devate would be rescheduled and VoIP is just few steps places from the top agenda.

Via telegeography

Click Commerce Upgrades Covad’s Demand Chain Management Solution

Click Commerce has upgraded Covad’s demand chain management solution. It would be moving to a software as a service delivery model and utilizing Click Commerce’s hosted solution in order to reduce software and hardware maintenance costs which would improve delivery of enhancements and ensure reliability and security for partner communications.

The Click Commerce Software is an integrated end to end solution which maintains high performance platforms and network infrastructure and manages capacity for global deployments.

As per Debbie Jo Severin, V.P., Covad:

We are aggressively targeting VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) resellers, and we plan to use the Click Commerce solution to help us successfully grow this market. By moving to an on-demand model, we can accomplish this goal, free up valuable IT resources for other projects and reduce our total cost of ownership.

Via cheaphostingdirectory

Wi-Fi Capability of Mobile Phones to Spur Way for VoIP

Wi-Fi capability for smart phones which was initially meant for high speed data connectivity is giving a push to the introduction of VoIP to mobile phone subscribers. As per the executives at Enfora LP, the sales of its Wi-Fi adapter for the Treo 650 are taking off in

North America

and some users are expecting that the device would pave the way for VoIP calling. The adapter referred to as the sled clips onto the Treo.

As per Jeff Newman, senior V.P. business development commented:

People want the sled for connectivity for high speed Internet data now. It doesn't support VoIP yet, but that's where Wi-Fi is headed long term. He said there are some VoIP software applications under development for use with the device, although none have yet made much of an impact in the market.

Via yahoo

Intel Shipping PCI Based VoIP Card

Intel has started shipping their PCI based VoIP card. This card can be installed in any desktop system an allows users to connect standard RJ11 compatible telephones to PCs in order to make calls with VoIP. The hardware acceleration is provided by an Intel Tiger 320 G chipset which supports wideband audio codec’s. The 600SM PCI Phone Adapters are targeted towards SMBs which wants a simplified VoIP system that ties in with desktop PCs.

It is being shipped keeping in mind that Intel’s business vPRO business platform is just around the corner.

Via moneycontrol

$2 Million Funding For InSciTek for VoIP Expansion

InSciTek Microsystems has got $2 million in funding from Cayuga venture Fund for the purpose of bringing total investment in the VoIP equipment developer to $18 million. This money would be used for expanding and improving its Allworx VoIP product line and extend the reach of its sales and marketing efforts to SMBs.

Earlier investors of the company include High Peaks venture Partners, Capital Partners, Cephas Capital Partners and Performance Technologies. The company had earlier received funding for about $5 million to $6 million.

Via redherring

Motorola Introduces Wireless VoIP gateway For DSL Subscribers

Motorola has come up with a wireless gateway which combines voice, data and network functionality for DSL users. Called the Motorola Home Hub (HH) 1620 DSL VoIP Wireless Gateway, it enables carriers to offer high speed data and VoIP services to consumers and it simplifies installation and enhancing security.

It combines powerful communication features along with advanced security and simplified installation. The product consists of 802.11b/g wireless access point, USB 2.0 Host Connection, four-port router, USB 1.1 slave connection and SIP based VoIP adapter.

Via voipcentral

Qualcomm Transmits VoIP Calls over EV-DO Mobile Data Connection

Qualcomm has successfully transmitted wireless VoIP calls over an EV-DO mobile data connection. The recent test which were conducted using CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Revision A technology proved that a mix of voice, data and multimedia services could be delivered realistically over a single converged wireless connection.

This would enable cell phone carriers to conduct wide scale commercial testing of advanced mobile convergence technologies. Verizon and Sprint have upgraded their EV-DO networks in order to incorporate revision A technology and stand to gain from wireless communication convergence.

Via teleclick

Cisco to Acquire Audium and Metreos

In a cash deal Cisco systems has acquired privately held Audium and Metreos. Cisco would be paying around $28 million for Metreos and $19.8 million for Audium. Metreos is into IP communication development and management services whereas Audium is into VoiceXML speech self service, development and management.

The deal is expected to strengthen Cisco’s unified communications system called Service Oriented Network Architecture or SONA. Both transactions would be closed in Cisco’s fiscal fourth quarter which ends on July 29 and both the companies’ would be integrated into Cisco’a voice technology group.

Via technewsworld

MessageLabs to Go VoIP Way

MessageLabs is seeing VoIP as an application which would be required to be addressed in the future with a decision as to how to do it in the 2007/2008 timeframe. The company would be thinking about VoIP scanning and archiving a year from now and meanwhile a number of smaller projects are underway.

It would also decide on the development of a cutdown vanilla service portfolio along with its full featured ones. The attraction of this idea is to broaden the addressable market as such service would be priced at the entry level and therefore it should appeal to a wider potential user base.

Via chronline

Avaya to Tackle DoS Attack against World Cup Football Network

FIFA’s networking partner announced that it was expecting hackers to launch huge DoS attacks against the World Cup football network. Avaya has expected that malicious computers would be reprising the to date unsuccessful attacks against the networks servicing the 2002 world Cup, 2003 Women’s World Cup and the warm up tournament for Germany 2006, the Confederations Cup.

Avaya manager has not revealed as to which vendors were involved in security to network this tournament which includes provision of intrusion prevention and virus scanning software.

Via silicon

Miami Man Arrested For VoIP Fraud

A man from Miami has been arrested for stealing more than ten million minutes of internet telephone service. Edwin Andres Pena received money from unsuspecting companies for providing phone service which he had stolen by hacking into the networks of internet phone providers He garnered around one million from the scheme which he spent on real estate, BMW cars, a forty foot long motorboat and a Cadillac Escalade SUV.

Pena had hired Robert Moore, a hacker for the purpose of identifying vulnerable computer networks of internet phone providers. After hacking into these networks, Pena routed calls through fifteen of them.

Via miami

eTelcharge Files Application For Unique Billing Process

eTelcharge.com has filed a patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its unique billing process employing VoIP.  This patent application is expected to strengthen eTelecharge’s positioning to offer consumers enhanced online security and improved functionality for interactive transactions conducted via increasingly popular VoIP telecommunication services.

Merchants who would be using the eTelcharge VoIP process would be realizing the benefits of increased customer confidence and transaction convenience made possible by the new technology.  This unique process supports eTelcharge’s mission of combating internet fraud through a new method of transaction processing and verification. As of now no other e-commerce provider comes with this feature.

Via marketwire

James Sullivan Quits 8x8

8x8 has announced that James Sullivan, CFO of the company has resigned from his position from June 30 in order to pursue other career opportunity. There is no agreement between the two parties and the company has initiated for a search of a new CFO and is working with James Sullivan on an orderly transition process.

Mr. James Sullivan said:

I have truly enjoyed working at 8x8 and will continue to be a strong advocate of the Company and its services. While this decision was difficult, I believe the change offers a personal opportunity to further my career and expand my expertise.

Via prnewswire

Sonus and Atreus Launch Self Care Access Portal

Sonus Networks and Atreus Systems has come together to launch a self care access portal as part of the Sonus Certified Voice over Broadband system. This deal makes Atreus a member of the Sonus Open Service Partner Alliance. This partnership would enable the company to deliver an integrated portal for service providers in order to automate the configuration and management of VoIP features.

The portal would be delivering a web based self care service for consumer VoIP, detailed logs of incoming, outgoing and missed calls, detailed logs of incoming, voicemail download and playback and entry level system for an easier migration to full self provisioning systems for wholesale VoIP, business VoIP and IMS based offerings.

Via tmcnet

Nortel Releases new VoIP Softswitch

Nortel has come up with the Nortel communication server which is a second generation VoIP softswitch that allows small and medium sized wireline service providers to meet their rising subscriber demand for local and long distance voice and voice and next generation services.

It enables service providers to leverage their existing investment and infrastructure by offering compatibility with legacy networks. It also provides full range of legacy network interfaces and regulatory requirements which includes E-911 and CALEA. The field trials would start from forth quarter of 2006 and the general availability would start in the first quarter of 2006.

Via cxotoday

USFCC Auctions Airspace Airwaves

An auction has been completed by United States Federal Communications Commission for airspace airwaves which would result in the availability of wireless internet on U.S. flights. FCC has offered two pieces of mile high spectrum, one band at 1MHz and another at 3MHz. The new licensees would be offering in flight phone calling, internet access and entertainment services based on IP technology which would open the doors for VoIP calls from aircraft.

LiveTV secured the 1 MHz spectrum whereas AirCell got the 3MHz band.

Via voipnews

VoIP to Be Offered At Cyber Cafes of Indian Railways

Indian railways would be introducing cyber cafes at eight two railway stations in the country. As of now forty locations have been identified and work has commenced whereas the remaining stations are being finalized. These cafes would be offering services such as VoIP, internet browsing, e-mail services, fax and video conferencing.

Railtel which is a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Railways is coming up with these features packed cyber café’s under the brand name of Cyber Express. It is also into discussion with content service providers for providing content through these cyber cafes.

Via andhracafe

Avaya Enters Tentative Agreement with IBEW and CWA

Avaya has entered into a tentative national agreement on a three year contract with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). The tentative agreement covering around 3,000 employees would be submitted to the CWA and IBEW membership for ratification votes which concludes in four to six weeks. When the agreement is ratified it would be retroactive to may 23, 2006.

Avaya has been designing, building and managing communication networks for more than one million businesses worldwide and it includes ninety percent of the Fortune Five companies.

Via prnewswire

CleverCalling.com to Offer Free Prepaid Phone Coupon

CleverCalling.com has partnered with a leading International prepaid phone card company in order to provide its prepaid calling international site visitors with a $10 of free prepaid phone card coupon code so that it could reduce the number one day in the U.S. for the most collect calls. As per a study conducted by AT&T on Fathers day, it revealed that Fathers Day collect calls ranked as the number one day in the year when the most collect calls were made, however an estimated $1 bn is spent each year in America for cheap Father’s Day gifts.

This $10 free phone card coupon code provides the visitors with $10 in free prepaid phone call cards in order to remove the father day fact from history. The card would be expiring on 20th June.

Via prweb

Survey States VoIP Users Satisfied With Service

As per a survey carried out by SupportSoft, it has been found out that existing users are quite satisfied with their service. Sixty one percent of the people who were surveyed said that they were satisfied with the service even though thirty four percent said that they had to call a technician within ninety days of the initial service installation because of some problem.

The survey also stated that cable VoIP subscribers were nearly twice as confident in the reliability of their VoIP service as those who were using these specialized services focused specifically on VoIP delivery.

Via pcmag

Avaya Ends Five Year partnership With Touchbase

Avaya has ended its five year partnership with Touchbase after the integrator refused to sign a new contract which restricted its ability to offer services. The M.D. of Touchbase, Magnus stated that the integrator refused to agree to stipulations which restricted its service capabilities.

The dispute was between the local branches of the integrator and the vendor and their relationship was still strong in the UK and Europe. The integrator had refused to agree to stipulations which restricted its service capabilities and Avaya was asking them to sign a new contract which precluded the company from providing services to its client base and limited services to others.

Via: [VoIP Central]

AT&T Lands Multimillion Dollar Contract from Donnelley

AT&T has landed a multimillion dollar global networking contract from R.R. Donnelley & Sons. As per the agreement, AT&T would be providing an Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network based on its Multiprotcol Label Switching platform which prioritizes and directs network traffic.

The service would be allowing Donnelley to transit from traditional phone services to VoIP technology. This contract is a renewal and expansion on existing strategic relationship in which AT&T provides Donnelley with a wide range of networking services which includes local, long distance and conferencing services.

via [bizjournals]

SunRocket Strikes a Three Year Deal with Synchronoss

SunRocket has entered into a three year agreement with Synchronoss Technologies for its ActivationNow Technology Platform. This would provide the customers of SunRocket with a scalable on demand solution.

Rob Mainor, CEO, SunRocket said:

By partnering with market leading solution providers like Synchronoss, SunRocket is poised to continue its explosive growth in the VoIP category. The advanced Synchronoss platform and its on-demand feature set provide SunRocket with the necessary automated support structure to scale our order management system and meet the growing consumer demand for our service.

The platform speeds revenue through the order management workflow so that SunRocket could simplify and automate the process of activating and delivering their services across disparate systems.

Via theopenpress

Microsoft Enters Into MoU with LG Nortel for VoIP Products

Microsoft has entered into an MoU with LG-Nortel for the purpose of collaborating on VoIP products mainly Windows CE based IP communications terminals. It has created a strategic alliance which covers joint Research and Development marketing and software licensing. It serves as an extension to the previous agreement where LG-Nortel came up with a Windows CE 5 based multimedia SIP phone and world’s first widely available videophone running Windows CE 6.

A definitive agreement is on the cards within the next few months and at which time several new WinCE 6 based IP phones would be unveiled.

Via teleclick

Pacific Internet to Offer VoIP in Thailand

Pacific Internet has become one of the first companies to provide a VoIP service in Thailand. The company has entered into a marketing agreement with calthai.net for the purpose of providing a VoIP service from next month. This service would enable customers to make cheap calls from PCs to telephones anywhere in the world. The service would be introduced in three phases.

The service would start with a softphone programme which is free software that allows users to make VoIP calls and then it would provide a ready to use VoIP hardware kit which allows users to plug a phone into a USB port on their PC.

Via nationmultimedia

Idacomm to Conduct VoIP Monitoring For Empirix

Empirix has found a new customer in Idacomm. The Boise based company has already started monitoring its VoIP network with Empirix’s Hammer XMS in its coverage area which includes Boise, Reno and Las Vegas. The financial terms of the deal were not available.

The products from Empirix help in ensuring quality of service levels in IP networks of both carriers and enterprises. The company already has more than 3,500 customers worldwide which includes companies such as Nokia etc. Idacomm provides telecommunication services and commercial and business internet services in the Middle East.

via bizjournals 

Vistula Enters Into Stock and Warrant Purchase Agreement

Vistula Communications has entered into definitive stock and warrant purchase agreement with a select group of accredited institutional investors for the purpose of raising gross proceeds of $16.5 million in private placement. The transaction is expected to be closed shortly. As per the terms of financing, Vistula would be selling an aggregate of 16.5 million shares of common stock at a price of $1 per share.

The investors would also be eligible for receiving warrants for purchasing and additional 13.2 million shares of common stock at an exercise price of $1 per share which would expire in five years.

Via tmcnet

DecisionOne Selects Nuvio as Cerified Installer for Hosted VoIP solution

DecisionOne has been selected by Nuvio as a certified installer for its hosted VoIP solution. As per the agreement, DecisionOne would be providing installation services for Nuvio customers.

Jason Talley, CEO, Nuvio stated:

We are committed to providing innovative hosted VoIP solutions to our existing and future customers. With DecisionOne's award-winning installation services, we can confidently deliver those solutions across the nation, and to companies with multiple branch offices with a high level of service and support.

The reliability and cost effective technology support capability perfectly complements Nuvio’s expertise in building a nationwide VoIP network.

Via syscon

VoIP Awareness Rises in U.K. And U.S.A

As per a study, awareness of VoIP is rising in US and UK. Over a period of nine months, the percentage of British adults who said that they has heard of VoIP or had made telephone calls through and internet connection has increased from over one third to nearly half. The research was conducted by Harris Interactive. In the case of U.S. the figure shot up from 36% to 51%.

Although this change cannot be denied but there is still a number of adults who are unaware of this technology.

Via arm

Nortel Ready to Take Controlling Stake in Sylantro

Industry sources have stated that Nortel Networks is about to take a controlling stake in hosted VoIP systems specialist Sylantro Systems. The company wants to undertake an investment of about $30 million in the IP centex firm in order to gain a stronger presence in the fast growing market.

The investment would be giving Nortel a controlling stake in the company and enabling it to advance its position in the IP centrex market. It would also allow the company to scale back internal R&D on its own technology.

Via channelweb

MMT to Distribute Linksys Range of VoIP products

MultiMedia Technology (MMT) would be distributing the Linksys range of VoIP products along with software developed by home VoIP provider engin. Earlier Ingram Micro was the only distributor of the range of Linksys VoIP products. Cameron McIver at MMT said that Linksys contacted them as they had been selling their VoIP products for a number of years. They were told that their sales matched and even bettered that of Ingram Micro.

MMT would be distributing four Linksys VoIP hardware products along with engine software. This has given MMT an opportunity again to sell engine as well.

Via crn

Softroute Corporation to Be a Corporate Sponsor of VoIP Demo

Softroute Corporation has agreed to be one of the features corporate sponsors of VoIP Demo.  The event allows attendees to research new IP communications products and services by undertaking live demonstrations and interactive presentations. The event would be held at Hyatt Regency Hotel in Santa Clara, California from August 8 to 10.

Rich Tehrani, President and Conference Chairman, TMC said:

We are excited to have Softroute on board for this groundbreaking event. As we enter into the second generation of IP Communications solutions, having a venue such as VoIP Demo for companies to present their products is invaluable for the vendors, as well as for the enterprises, venture capitalists and analysts in attendance. And the support of our partners like Softroute is key to making this event

Via tmcnet

Yahoo and iBasis offer International VoIP

Yahoo and iBasis have come together to provide Yahoo Messenger with Voice which would enable U.S. users to make PC to phone calls via iBasis international network spanning more than 180 countries. 

U.S. customers would be able to employ the Phone Out feature for placing and receiving calls to or from traditional or mobile phones in the hundred and eighty countries covered by the iBasis Network. Phone calls to other U.S. locations and thirty other countries would be costing two cents per minute or less.

Via: [VoIP Central]

TeleGeography Report States VoIP Goes Mainstream

TeleGeography’s recent report has stated that VoIP has gone mainstream and is here to stay. The number of VoIP service subscribers has grown from 1.3 million to 4.5 million which represents a 248% from the fourth quarter of 2004 to the end of 2005.

It is predicted that by 2010 almost 19 million VoBB lines would be in service. This growth would come at the expense of incumbent telephone companies. A major percentage of the growth was driven by the continued success of market leaders including Vonage. This report provides quarterly updates of the U.S. consumer VoIP market.

Via tmcnet

MMC Launches ClearStream QoS

Mid Maine Communications(MMC) has introduced its ClearStream quality of service support for critical, high bandwidth, real time network applications and now business owners in Maine have a better quality broadband VoIP. ClearStream provides its customers the ability to prioritize the bandwidth allocation across their WAN. 

As per the press release:

ClearStream will enable SitelinkIP customers to extend internal network policies across the WAN and guarantee bandwidth needs to meet high priority voice, video and enterprise applications.

Mid Maine has taken a big step by introducing QOS into their network.

Via tmcnet

Plaxo Planning To Enter VoIP Market

Plaxo plans to enter the VoIP market. Plaxo has unveiled its plans for moving beyond the synchronized and centralized online address book and calendar and become a communications provider. Company’s Click to Call feature enables users to make calls by clicking on a phone number in their Plaxo address book.

The screen pop asks the caller to confirm the number and when the screen is clicked the phone rings. When it is picked by caller, the system automatically initiates the call to the other person.

This move marks Plaxo’s first foray into allowing its customers to communicate by phone with people listed in the contact management service.

via zdnet 

Comverse Completes Netcentrex Acquisition

Comverse Technology has completed the procedures for acquiring Netcentrex for around $159 million in cash. With this the companies would be combining Netcentrex’s software for IP based triple play and fixed mobile convergence services with Converse’s set of billing services for targeting operators deploying services in the VoIP and IMS markets.

Raz Alon, interim CEO, Comverse commented:

The acquisition of Netcentrex is yet another example of our strategy to augment the strong product portfolio and market presence of our business units with talented people and leading technologies focused on emerging growth opportunities. We believe this combination opens new avenues of growth for Comverse, and strengthens its position as a leader in VoIP and IMS-related solutions.

Via tmcnet

CloudShield Partners With Mitsubishi for DeliveringVoIP

CloudShield Technologies has partnered with Mitsubishi Corporation for delivering CloudShield’s DDoS mitigation, VoIP and Content Service Control systems to Japanese carriers and service providers. As per the agreement, Mitsubishi would be distributing and supporting the entire suite of CloudShield products and services in Japan.  A Customer Showcase Center would also be opened in Tokyo for demonstrating these products and services built on CloudShield platforms.

Matt Jones, CEO, CloudShield said:

Partnering with Mitsubishi Corporation provides CloudShield with a strong presence in Japan. Mitsubishi Corporation's credible track record in introducing next-generation solutions for the communications market is consistent with CloudShield's expectations of its partners.

Via tmcnet

Robert Kramer Joins SunRocket as CIO

Robert Kramer has joined SunRocket as the Chief Information Officer (CIO). His responsibilities as the CIO would include managing the company’s information investments and ensuring that automated support applications can scale seamlessly and cost effectively.

Earlier Kramer was serving as Senior V.P., Business Technologies at America Online and was managing the organization responsible for the design, development and certification of all the server based business applications that operated.

This is what Lisa Hook, President and CEO, SunRocket had to say about Robert Kramer:

Rob is a world class executive talent seasoned in successfully managing and launching consumer services and applications for the mass market. As our explosive growth continues in the coming months and years, Kramer will play a crucial role in scaling our automated support systems and managing the design and deployment of innovative technologies to the residential marketplace.

Via businesswire

3Sixty Systems and InTechnology Partner for Offering 3SLive Customers Access

3Sixty Systems and InTechnology have come together to offer 3SLive customers access to InTechnologys IP Voice Connect hosted IP telephony service. Law firm Robin Simon LLP became their first customer and it registered over hundred users in four UK locations to the service.

3Sixty which itself has used InTechnologys managed network services for a number of years wanted to integrate its web based 3SLive product with an IP telephony solution meant for small to medium sized businesses. Its customers would be able to access a feature rich service which includes call logging, high levels of call visibility and diary synchronization.

Via tmcnet

Fujitsu Announces VoIP offering For UK

Fujitsu has announced a new VoIP offering for medium to large businesses in the UK. The service would be offered on a per user per month basis which would create a situation of predictable expenditure for the companies who invest in the service. The company believes that a business model which allows users to forecast telecom expenses beforehand would prove attractive to companies which are seeking to reap the economic benefits of VoIP tele[phony.

The plan would be costing UK £21 per month per user. The companies would also be paying a handset charge that would be between £4 - £15 per month depending on the type of handset being used and there would also be a one time installation fee of £25 per user.

Via voip-news

Covad Offering Domestic Monthly Minutes for VoIP Customers

Covad’s customers using its PBXi and PBXi Plus business class VoIP offerings would now be able to benefit from unlimited domestic monthly minutes up to 101,000 minutes per site.

John Grady, Director, Covad said:

With unlimited domestic monthly minutes, PBXi Plus becomes an even better fit for how small and medium businesses use VoIP. PBXi Plus provides customers who have already invested in a premise-based solution, an unbeatable value combination: award-winning VoIP technology, the quality of service of Covad’s nationwide network, a seamless installation experience and no upfront charges.

PBXi Plus caters to small businesses and distributed enterprises with existing on premise phone equipment.

Via newtelephony

Visual Nexus comes to India with AT&T

Continuing its global expansion strategy, the Visual Nexus, which has tied up with VoIP giant AT&T has made an entry to India. AT&T has already made a strong hold in Indian VoIP market. It supplies products for video conferencing in India , one of growing economies of the world. Now the AT&T has decided to further expansion of its networking in the sub-continent.

The Managing Director at AT & T Network Systems, Ashwin Desai commented,

Having examined a variety of products in the unified collaborative solutions (UCS) market, Visual Nexus stood out as an organization with a clear focus in the field. The company also came recommended to us by France Telecom. We're excited to be involved with the open source technology, and in due course hope to offer additional technical support services for Visual Nexus installations.

Via: [VoIP Central]

Schlitterbahn Waterpark Chooses AltiGen’s VoIP Phone System

Schlitterbahn Waterparks has chosen AltiGen’s AltiContact Manager VoIP Phone System and Call Center solution for five of its locations.  The park has gained major business benefits including reduced monthly call and maintenance costs and increased productivity due to the use of VoIP.

Now Schlitterbahn is equipped with a system that ties all the locations together over IP. As most of the staff of the waterpark is field based, this new system has been configured for automatically ringing the employees on their cell phones via AltiGen;s ExtensionAnywhere feature.

Via yahoo

VoIP Goes Mainstream, According To Infonetics Research

According to a study conducted by Infonetics Research titled "User Plans for VoIP: North America 2006." states that although VoIP is still in the early stages of adoption but it has started to go mainstream.

Highlights of the study:

36% of large, 23% of medium, and 14% of small North American organizations interviewed were already using VoIP products and services in 2005 -- VoIP adoption will triple by 2010 among small organizations in North America -- The top drivers for deploying VoIP are having an integrated phone system across multiple locations, scalability, operational cost savings, and converging voice and data networks -- Next to basic voice, money saving long distance/toll bypass is the highest ranked application for VoIP -- The percent of users at respondent sites accessing VoIP over wireless LANs grows from 5% in 2006 to 20% in 2008 -- Among respondents using in-house VoIP, the most commonly used protocols for their IP phone endpoints now and in 2008 are SIP and the 4 versions of H.323 -- Cisco, Avaya, and Nortel, the top PBX manufacturers in North America, head the list of manufacturers of VoIP products currently in use (IP PBXs, gateways, and IP phones) -- Organizations spent an average of $47,667 on hosted VoIP in 2005, growing 34% to $63,799 in 2007; for managed CPE, expenditures grow from $10,865 in 2005 to $28,367 in 2007

via hispanicbusiness

Tension Brews at Avaya Due to Strike Threats

Tension seems to be brewing up at Avaya’s two offices at Denver as around 700 union workers in Colorado are preparing for a potential nation wide strike when the contract expires on May 27. Around a dozen workers walked an international pocket line at the company’s Highlands Ranch campus off C-470 and Lucent Boulevard.

Union workers are asking for a job security clause in their new contracts they believe that the company has plans to outsource their jobs.

According to John McKinney, employee, Avaya:

I voted to strike. I'm very much supportive of protecting my job and benefits and the way of life I've grown accustomed to.

Via denverpost

Lingo Offers Unlimited Phone Calls to Mexico

Lingo is offering unlimited phone calling to Mexico. The Unlimited Mexico VoIP plan provides the customers with the opportunity for using their broadband internet connections and phones so that they can make unlimited calls to their family and business associates in Mexico for just $29.95 per month.

The plan also offers unlimited phone calls in U.S. and Canada. The company is claiming to offer more options for calling to and from Mexico as compared to other major broadband internet phone services available. The service is free for the first month and costs $29.95 per month thereafter.

Via tmcnet

XO Communications Leads The Race In SMB Market

According to a recent study conducted by the Yankee Group, How Do SMBs Fare in the CLEC Versus ILEC Matchup?, it has been found out that among competitive local exchange carriers, XO Communications leads the race in terms of market share for the SMB market. XO holds around 11% share of the SMB market

According to Charlie Cary, V.P., XO Communications:

Our focus on innovative bundles and VoIP solutions, like XOptions Flex, supported by superior customer service has enabled XO to break away from the pack in terms of leading the market with these types of offerings.

Via voipforsmb

Optimum Voice Introduces Global Planning Plan

Optimum Voice is introducing a new global calling plan. Called the Optimum Voice World Call, this calling option significantly extends the value of Optimum Voice by allowing customers to call anywhere in the world for a flat fee of just $19.95 and there are no additional per minute or connection charges.

At a flat rate, the subscribers receive 500 minutes of international calling and additional blocks can be had for an additional $19.95 each. The service affects more than 900,000 Optimum Voice Subscribers in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey.

Via tmcnet

Matrix Internet Targets VoIP Customers in Japan

Matrix Internet has emerged as the main supplier behind a VoIP service being launched in Japan. The company along with Telecall Japan plans to target 100,000 clients within a year. The service would be targeting foreigners’ especially Latin American resident in Japan.

Users would be able to call from Japan to Sao Paulo for the price of a local Brazilian call. The customers would be receiving two numbers and a prepaid card. Since 1988, Matrix Internet along with primus Telecommunications has been offering connectivity and call center solutions in Brazil.

Via bnaericas

MoBif Wants a Piece of African VoIP Market

MoBif Bhd wants to tie up with an Africa based broadband company in order to gain foothold in Africa. The company is seeing the potential of its products in Africa due to high demand for VoIP technology which would be reducing phone charges by rerouting calls via the internet.

According to Kevin Leong, CEO, Mobif Bhd:

The people recognise that ICT is a catalyst that can catapult the country to the next level of development," he said in Penang. The cost for the initial stage of server deployment would be between US$50,000 (RM180, 000) and US$100,000 (RM361, 000).

Via theedgedaily

Pacific Internet Partners With NEC for IP Telephony Service

Pacific Internet has tied up with NEC for delivering business grade IP Telephony service restricted to users connecting at 512/128Kbps or more. This tie up is being seen as the first concerted move into the Australian VoIP market.

According to Dennis Muscat, M.D., Pacific Internet:

Adding VoIP to our product suite is a natural progression for Pacific Internet, and the reputation Nextep and we have built as high quality, reliable data service providers means we’re best placed to succeed in this market by selling end-to-end voice and data solutions.

Pacific Internet decided to enter the VoIP market after a research it conducted which showed that six percent of the local broadband enabled SMB market wants to adopt VoIP in 2006.

Via voipnews

Western Australia Shows Interest in Broadband Funding

Local parties have shown strong interests to the Western Australian government after it asked for proposals for attracting funding from the federal government’s AU$11 billion Connect Australia broadband package. The requests for the proposal came after Senator Helen Coonan, federal communication minister said that she was considering setting aside a large part of Connect Australia for funding regional broadband infrastructure.

The minister has found the idea to be suitable and has asked for consortiums of telcos to put forward proposals regarding how the funding would be spent.

Via zdnet

Quiconnect and Cicero Networks Announces Auto-Logon at Public Hotspots

Quiconnect and Cicero networks have announced the availability of CiceroPhone with Quiconnect’s Hotspot solution which makes it seamless for users to make wVoIP calls at public hotspots. The hotspot connector automates the connection of Wi-Fi enabled devices at public hotspots and removes the complexity of users gaining wireless internet access on the move.

The connector automates the authentic process of Wi-Fi devices at commercial hotspots. The software has the number of various scripts required for a user to log onto a network and includes preloaded credentials.

Via xtvworld

Encamm Network Unveils Skype Call Recorder Plug-In

Ecamm Network has unveiled a plug in for the Mac OS X Version of Skype. The call recorder can create call archives which one makes or takes using Skype. The call enables one to manually start and stop recording or it could be done automatically. AAC audio format is used for saving files and are given descriptive file names which include caller ID and date and time information. The calls can be saved as QuickTime files.

The call recorder can be used for remote interview podcasting, call logging and much more. One can download the demo version. The system requirements are Skype for Mac v1.4, Mac OSX v10.3 or Intel processor.

Via macworld

A New VoIP Registrar Announced: SPIDER

An announcement has been made regarding a new, non profit VoIP Registrar. It is called SPIDER or Service Provider ID E.164 Record Registry. The registry has been created in order to interconnect the large number of VoIP islands or communities emerging around the world.

It is the only industry managed repository of the addressing information required to enable the efficient exchange of addressing information between the various islands of VoIP services. SPIDER is pitching itself against Neustar but it would be quite difficult to break the monopoly enjoyed by Neustar.

Via voip-magazine

VoIP Usage Increases in Germany

The increased usage of VoIP in Germany is pushing the growth of IP networks in the country. The increased demand for advanced broadband services has resulted in Telefonica deploying one of the largest distributed networks from Cisco.

The expanded network would be supporting the growth of wholesale and retail broadband services and help Telefonica deliver new fixed mobile converged services to consumers and businesses. The work was undertaken by Cisco along with its partner Dimension Data and Cisco’s PGW 2200 Series soft switches, AS 5350 Series and AS 5400 Series Media Gateways were used for this purpose.

Via vnunet

ISPhone starts Melbourne office for VoIP service

ISPhone, the leading VoIP service provider has started an office and a network PoP in Melbourne to cater the growing demand for internet telephony services in the region. The office in Melbourne will assist ISPhone's Victorian partners access to local training, support, sales and marketing resources. The company has also decided to expand its networking through out Australia and other areas of the Asia Pacific region. For which it has been taking a number of steps. Started its operation in February, ISPhone has now 20 resellers and 100 users. 

Via: [IT Wire]

Netcentrex VoIP Deployments crosses 3-million mark

VoIP deployments of Netcentrex have crossed over 3 million Class 5 lines in commercial service. Netcentrex which works for voice over broadband connectivity and triple-play services claims that its customers are currently activating over 5,000 lines per day.

In order to increase it's networking to provide VoIP services to small and medium size companies, Netcentrex teamed up with French ASP provider Ornis and developed host ASP IP telephony services.

Via: [TMCNet]

Netcentrex’s VoIP deployments exceed three million Class 5 lines

Netcentrex’s VoIP deployments have exceeded three million Class 5 lines in commercial service. The company has been experiencing a worldwide growth in voice over broadband connectivity and triple play bundle service.  Its customers are currently activating over 5,000 lines per day.

Its solutions are used in some of the largest IP service deployments worldwide. It is the only softswitch/application server with demonstrated five nines reliability over an extended time. According to industry research firm iLocus, the company delivered 29% of VoIP local call volume for standards based VoBB platforms in 2005 which made the company the leader in this market segment.

Via itnews

RADVISION SIP in VoIP Chipsets Embedded By Atmel

U.S. based Atmel Corporation is licensing RADVISION’s SIP toolkit to be used on Atmel’s product line of wireless and wired VoIP processors. The toolkit would be used for bringing advanced VoIP capabilities to Atmel’s VoIp processor devices that are targeted at embedded applications such as enterprise VoIP WiFi and wired phones and VoIP enabled home routers.

The toolkit would enable Atmel to rollout products which have the high performance, stability and interoperability required for the business and home environments. The architecture of these processors allows lower cost, lower power consumption and higher performance as compared to other solutions available in the market as of now.

Via Computing

Windows Mobile Devices Targeted By VoIP Engine

Spirit DSP has come up with a software development kit in order to build VoIP capabilities into Windows Mobile devices. TeamSpirit Mobile ensures high quality voice and video on resource constrained devices and is being regarded as the first engine for running VoIP on CPUs with clock rates below 200MHZ.

It integrates optimized codecs and a range of voice enhancement components such as automatic gain control, full duplex acoustic echo cancellation and noise suppression.  The software development kit provides the functionality required for the purpose of ensuring high quality voice exchange over Wi-Fi connections and can be enhanced with video support using standard H.263 and H.264 video codecs.

Via WindowsForDevices

FCC Frequency Auction to Make In-Flight VoIP Calling Possible

An FCC frequency auction to be undertaken this week would be paving the way for VoIP calls in flight. Around nine companies are bidding for the frequencies. Many of the airline companies have been favoring a ban providing VoIP in-flights but Connexion by Boeing which has been offering their services in nearly two hundred international flights daily have up till now not noticed any complaints regarding in cabin incidents about the technology. Their service is already being used by passengers for making VoIP calls.

Via informationweek

Toshiba Launches VoIP Unit

Toshiba’s Mexican unit has launched a digital software division specializing in corporate communications system. The range of the products includes traditional and IP systems that integrate voice, data and applications.

The company has already found out fifteen distribution partners for its new division and is aiming to increase the number of partners to sixty. The company is providing channel partners with a vendor’s cut of 25 percent which could be increased to the degree distributors specialize in the solutions.

Alejandra Guadalajara, Product Manager, Toshiba said:

Currently, we have seven channels in the Federal District, three in Monterrey, three in Guadalajara, one in the southern region and another one in the southeast.

Via tmcnet

Linksys Launches Network Optimizer for VoIP and Gaming

Linksys has launched its Network Optimizer for VoIP and gaming and it is dubbed as OGV200. It has been designed for the purpose of eliminating network lag in data streams that are sensitive to delay.

It can distinguish between data which is time sensitive and data which can be given a lower priority. This attribute can make online games run smoother, video transmission from network smoother and clearer VoIP calls. It is available from authorized Linksys e-commerce retailers, direct response, retail stores and VAR partners at an estimated price of $69.99.

via tmcnet

Reliance to Launch IPTV in India by Year end

Reliance Communications Ventures would be rolling out IPTV services in India by the end of the year. It has been carrying out trials in twenty thousand homes on the Microsoft’s TV platform and is into talks with Motorola for set top boxes. As it has laid more than 60,000 km of fiber, it has become the biggest testing ground for IPTV.

The company is already bringing production in house besides negotiating distribution partnerships as other IPTV providers have. Already it has been purchasing TV and video production facilities over the last few months which includes a 51 % stake in Adlabs.

Via lightreading

VoIP equipments and resources of Smart Communications acquired by IP5280

IP5280 Communications has acquired all voice network switching equipment and engineering resources of Denver based Smart Communications which has been into VoIP communications since 2003. The company boasts of an impressive assembly of both customers and network components.

The company is planning to expand its VoIP services throughout the region. The acquisition would enable the company to deliver end to end call control of all originating and terminating VoIP calls in order to ensure optimal call quality. The acquired assets would be would be transited tom its own network infrastructure which is already being operated throughout Colorado. The terms and financial aspects of the acquisition has not been revealed.

Via tmcnet

DigiLinea Introduces DigiLinea VoIP Enabler Platform

DigiLinea has introduced the DigiLinea VoIP Enabler Platform which is a wholesale product therefore service providers and cable operators can target the U.S. Hispanic market. The platform lets carriers offer local Latin American telephone numbers, customer technical support in Spanish and Portuguese and unlimited calling plans to and from Latin America.

The carriers would also be able to use DigiLinea’s direct termination and local payment and fulfillment capabilities.  This platform can be used by VoIP, cellular service providers or PSTN.

For further information one can log on to www.DigiLinea.com.

Via newtelephony

Middle East and African VoIP market to grow

According to ABI Research, the Middle East and African consumer market would be worth US $1 billion by 2009. It is expected that around five million consumer subscribers would sign up for VoIP telephony solutions in the region over the next three years. The growth of broadband penetration in the region along with the gradual liberalization of many telecommunications would be a key factor in the growth of VoIP.

In countries like UAE, VoIP is disallowed. Companies are waiting for the markets to get deregulated.

Via itp

Reliability for Open Source VoIP Promised By Ranch Networks

Ranch Networks claims that its latest box can balance loads and provide failover for the open source Asterisk IP PBX platform. The RN appliance would be sitting in front of two Asterisk servers and handling incoming IP telephony traffic from IP phones and other endpoints by emulating SIP registration connections for the servers.

This device also monitors the computer health of the two Asterisk servers, checks online status and measures processor load and network availability. In case one Asterisk box fails or becomes overloaded, the RN appliance shifts requests to the back up server.

Via networkworld

VoIP Adoption Rate Slow With Latin American Call Centers

According to a research carried out by US call center software provider, Genesys, Latin American call centers have been slow in adopting IP telephony. It has been found out that only about 15% of the Latin American respondents had adopted IP technology as compared to the adoption rate of 19% in Africa, Europe and Middle East and 25% in the Asia Pacific region.

The global scenario which was taken note of indicated that 60% of the interviewees planned to migrate to IP telephony within a year whereas 82% would be conducting the change within two years.

Via tmcnet

Avaya Launches VoIP offering for mid sized businesses

Avaya has staked its claim in managed services space by launching a new hosted VoIP offering for mid sized businesses. It has also come up with a new premise based IP telephony gear meant for firms with hundred to five hundred employees.

The new offerings include Avaya On Demand hosted services which is a new MultiVantage Express all in one communications products and S8400 Media Serber Linux blade which has been designed for upgrading some of the vendor’s older products in the latest version of Avaya communications Manager. This would help in filling the gap in company’s portfolio

via cmpnetasia

Teles India Launches Teles VoIPGate

Teles VoIPGate has been launched by Teles India which is a multifunctional VoIP gateway that smoothly integrates into the existing telecom infrastructure. The gateway works on both analog and digital platforms and enables organizations to reduce costs on voice calls. It is perfect for corporate business as it facilitates a gradual, risk free transition to IP telephony and provides scenarios for a short term return on investment.

It has an inbuilt feature of second generation least cost routing which automatically selects the cheapest route to the destination number on both over IP and over public telephone network which can be installed between the existing PBX and PSTN and connected it to the internet.

via indiaoutsourcewatch

SoonR Enables calls From Cell Phones

SoonR has introduced the SoonR Talk which allows one to place Skype calls from a standard cell phone without being near a computer and the computer works like a switchboard. One needs to click on the buddy list in order to make a Skype call to the mobile phone, then one needs to click a friend and place the two calls into a conference.

It shows which buddies are online and supports Skype chat. Anybody who has a family or friend overseas can get great convenience and can also save money. The software can be freely downloaded from www.soonr.com

Via nll

Rigpa Tech and 3rd Wave partner for providing Advanced Quality VoIP

3rd Wave Consulting and Rigpa Tech are partnering for providing Advanced Quality VoIP service for small to medium sized business. The IT ON! Network performance intelligence platform from Rigpa Tech enhances VoIP service quality from 3rd Wave’s 3Q-TX. It is immediately available for deployment from 3rd Wave or Rigpa Tech.

With IT ON1, the entire infrastructure performance can be monitored and managed in one affordable web based interface. The subscribers would be having immediate information technology service quality monitoring and management capabilities that would allow them to be proactive towards maintaining high availability. It provides on demand application intelligence for improving 3rd Wave’s 3G-TX VoIP service and support.

via prweb

First VoIP Control Panel announced By Rack-Soft

The first VoIP control panel hosting service providers and internet service providers has been announced by Rack-Soft. Called the 4PSA, it is available to the companies who would be joining the beta testing session. It is a server software which has been designed for simplifying the deployment of hosted VoIP services to both residential and business customers. It can be easily managed over the web from the browser interface.

It takes the advantage of the traditional web hosting service conceot and operates a gate to an educated customer base that has been using domain and email hosting for several years.

According to Bogdan Carstoiu, 4PSA VoioNow Chief Architect:

4PSA VoipNow provides a business platform for its customers. Unlike hardware based IP PBX systems, the software PBX can continuously improve and provide new features. The software solution can easily accept more terminals, work with new hardware interfaces and protocols, scale to a multi server VoIP hosting infrastructure, and be customized by the provider. Companies can offer targeted VoIP services without massive hardware investments.

via bbwexchange

Remote Access and 'Rogue VoIP Protocols' listed in the Insider Threat Index

On May 1, Reconnex yesterday released its latest "Insider Threat Index" for the first quarter of 2006. Reconnex compiled the "Insider Threat Index" by going through more than 1.1 terabytes of raw data gathered from 48-Hour eRisk Rapid Assessments that Reconnex conducted from January to March 2006 covering in a wide range of industries, including healthcare, finance, technology and manufacturing.

The latest issue of "Insider Threat Index"  tells us that the growing use of remote access protocols and moreover, the growing use of 'rogue VoIP protocols' such as pose security threats to the organization.  Although, there are a number of federal and state privacy laws and there is increasing focus upon the risks of identity theft, the threat exposure persists.

Via Government technology

CommuniGate Systems and Voxbone will together Offer VoIP Portability

CommuniGate Systems, which provides scalable carrier-class Internet Communications solutions has teamed up with Voxbone, which provides international VoIP origination services.  The new partners will work at increasing the portability of IP Communications.

This new partnership will give corporate and consumer subscribers the ability to take their phone number on the road, and enjoy local "dial-in" and "dial-out" capabilities across 40 countries.

CommuniGate Pro users get a single address for all their IP Communications. They get a standard email address such as user@communigate.com and can interoperate with many SIP (Session Initiation Protocol)-based clients, and a range of softphones. Since, this sis email-based system, one can log in anywhere, even behind a firewall with CommuniGate's built-in NAT traversal functions. The phone number will provide "Follow-me" and "Presence" services anyplace in the world.

Via BusinessWire

New seminar at Interop Las Vegas to discuss enterprise VoIP

Conducted jointly by Foundry Networks and Avaya, this free seminar will explore how one can implement a converged Network and use intelligent communications for one's competitive advantage.

The seminar is titled, "Answering the Call -- VoIP in the
Enterprise" and is being held today in
Las Vegas.

Apart from looking at various ways to design a secure, reliable, scalable and high-performance converged network, the seminar will also cover business best practices for the implementation, the changing business processes among other important things.

Via PRNewswire

Using Secure SIP to protect VoIP

What is secure SIP? Secure SIP is a security mechanism used to send SIP messages over a Transport Layer Security-encrypted channel. Secure SIP was earlier just used to secure HTTP sessions, However, with rising concerns about the security aspects of VoIP, TLS (Transport Layer Security) can be modified to protect SIP session communications from eavesdroppers and hackers.

Message Digest (MD5) authentication is the the most basic level of VoIP security. All SIP user agents and SIP proxy servers must implement MD5. Doing this, Network Administrators can throw an authentication challenge between a SIP proxy server and SIP user agent.

Via NetworkWorld

Cisco and others get serious about Voice Over Wireless LANs

We have been saying it for some time over the hot prospects about VoIP over WiFi. Already providers in the United States and Europe have rolled out their services using this exciting technology.

Not surprisingly, the equipment suppliers have made their moves. Networking major, Cisco Systems has formed a partnership with Intel, Nokia, Research In Motion (RIM), and other technology suppliers to drive adoption of 'voice-ready wireless networks'. For example, Cisco has started the Compatible Extensions program that will test other suppliers' products for interoperability.

Via InformationWeek

VoIP is now available on the Federal Government Contract

Finally, even the mighty U.S. government is taking up VoIP in a big way. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Technology Service recently announced VoIP service is now available on the MCI FTS2001 Contract.

For those outside the United States, GSA is the centralized, federal procurement cum property management, cum policy development and (phew) information provision agency. 
Since, GSA acquires products and services on behalf of federal agencies, government agencies can implement VoIP networks based on MCI's infrastructure.

Via IT News Online

Interlink to use XO's support for its VoIP Service

Interlink Global, which provides IT management software, has recently XO Communications to provide support its VoIP services for its US-based customers.

Interlink Global has just launched point-to-point and multi-user videophone service for home and business customers.

Interlink Global customers are spread across North America, South America, Asia , and, soon it will expand to the Middle East. Interlink Global provides SIP-based broadband telephony solutions, WiFi, WiMax, Marine Satellite Services, calling cards, and other enterprise services internationally.

Via TheWhir

VOIP in the Middle East

It is not just the Far East Asian countries that have enthusiastically adopted VoIP, countries in the Middle East are also making serious-sounding noises about VoIP.

Organizations in Oman are going with VoIP implementation is an organized manner. The first phase is education and awareness. Recently, Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) will organize a five-day regional workshop on IP telephony and VIP applications at its training centre on May 6, with the help of the International Telecommunications Institute in Canada.

Now, when will India allow full-fledged fashion?

Via TimesOfOman

FreeTEL System launches new VOIP website

FreeTEL System has set up a new Website, which will sell VoIP services to home consumers, business users, travelers, everyone who wants to use the cost-effective online calling. 

The new website promises to offer a range of customer-friendly services. They full technical support, services and features FAQs, and much more. The web site also aims at educating the consumer about VoIP in detail, including definitions, cost-benefit analysis, etc.

The VoIP market is getting competitive. Let us hope FreeTel's new service manages to stand out in this crowded market.

Via Newswire Today

Avaya improves performance

Avaya’s latest quarterly statements show improved profit results that were somewhat sobered by product supply delays and a $20 million restructuring charge.

The telecom equipment major’s profits for the fiscal second quarter ended March 31 rose to $38 million. That is 8 cents per share. The figures were $36 million, or 7 cents per share, a year ago.

The $20 million pretax restructuring charge amounted to around 3 cents per share. This was a consequence of severance and other costs incurred by the company when it cut jobs in Europe.
Reuters Estimates says that analysts on average expected profits to be around 12 cents on revenue of $1.26 billion.

Via Reuters

AOL Settles Lawsuit with Klausner

Klausner Technologies has finally allowed AOL to continue providing its AOL Voicemail and VoIP voicemail services via a patent license.  It has settled its lawsuit against AOL.

In June 2005, Klausner Technologies had filed suit against AOL, seeking $200 million in damages and royalties. Klausner accused that AOL was stealing its intellectual property rights. It was referring to its US Patent No. 5,572,576, issued for technology that enabled VoIP subscribers to receive 'visual notice' of new voice messages, including caller ID info. This technology also allowed the user to retrieve selectively voice messages using the displays.

Via TMCnet

Telco in Belize blocking VOIP

Yet another 'stuck-in-the-old-times' telecom monopoly, you might say. Russell Shaw reports about this telecom monopoly, Belize Telecommunications Limited, which has been allegedly blocking outgoing calls over Vonage, Skype and other Internet phone service providers. Users say this is happening for the past few months.

This one might hurt the Belize economy most. Belize is dependent upon tourism and tourists like VoIP, a lot. As expected, online forums are active on the topic. Nevertheless, expect the matter to be resolved soon enough.

Via Zdnet

Clearwire enters the US VOIP market

Finally, Clearwire, the wireless broadband provider, has entered the US VoIP market, albeit in a small way.

The wireless broadband provider recently rolled out its VoIP services in Stockton,California. It would be interesting to see how Clearwire competes against the likes of Vonage, AT&T and EarthLink among other major players. How will it differentiate? On price, many would say. The US VoIP is a tough place to be in at this moment. Clearwire would be wise to market its service to business consumers aggressively. Clearwire's advantage is that it already serves its broadband service in 27 U.S. metro areas and 200 cities.

Let us see how this wireless broadband cum VoIP service plays out.

Via TeleClick 

VOIPCON 2006 in the Philippines

The Makati Shangri-La Hotel will host VOIPCON 2006 from June 26 to 28. This forum will discuss the potential and real-life applications of VoIP services in the Philippines. Attendees to the forum can benefit from discussions on a variety of VoIP-related topics ranging from VOIP regulations, revenue implications to telecom companies as well as to independent service providers.  They will also address benefits of large-scale VOIP deployment to residential users. Of course, the king of Peer-to-peer VoIP calling, Skype will be a main focus, too.

Among the attendees to VOIPCON, there will be experts from the academic, technical and governmental. Moreover, entrance to event will be free as the organizers hope to create awareness about the technology first.

Via INQ7

Soft DSPs help ubiquitous VoIP

We are slowly moving towards ubiquitous VoIP. Vast types of devices will have VoIP capabilities embedded in them. Soon, you may not have to spend extra on a specialist DSP (digital signal processor) chip to be attached on the main processor. A DSP costs between $5 and $10.  It also requires a bulkier circuit board. You also need two development toolkits instead of one - one for the CPU, another for the DSP.

All that may be past as far as VoIP capability is concerned. . ARM and MIPS are launching faster embedded processors that do away with the need of DSPs.

Ubiquitous VoIP also translate into more VoIP usage.

Via TechWorld

WhichVoIP.com introduces Free Business VoIP Plan Search Bar

Earlier, WhichVoIP.com launched the VoIP residential plan search bar and affiliate program. They have followed it up by launching a Free Business VoIP Plan Search Bar.

The WhichVoIP business plan search bar allows users to search and choose a VoIP service provider that best meets their needs. The WhichVoIP database collates the latest information from 11 different business service providers and 23 plans. Moreover, the WhichVoIP database contains the price of each business plan, descriptions of the features available, user reviews and ratings, special promotions and the latest industry and service provider news.

Users can search by business provider or by business size such as home office, small to medium sized business or large sized business. Webmasters can copy a few lines of HTML code available at the WhichVoIP website at www.whichvoip.com. Users can also choose from 3 layout pans.

Via PressMethod

Experts advice to plan before implementing VOIP

VoIP Experts insist that businesses must plan before they implement a VoIP system. Experts have listed out a number of things to do beforehand. Before anything else, they advise to conduct an infrastructure audit prior to implementation. It is necessary because VoIP/IPT traffic is "live" transmission. We do not talk in series of interrupted words. Questions that we must answer during the audit:

1.        Is the cabling infrastructure capable of handling the new VoIP system?

2.        If it was installed years ago, does it meet today's standards?

3.        VoIP technology has voice and data running over the same cabling system, so will the increased traffic slow down existing applications and affect business operations?

4.        Does the current cabling infrastructure offer the transmission throughput required for a smooth-running system?

Via ComputerWorld

Former 8x8 and Micron Technology CEO is back on Board of Directors at 8x8

Joe Parkinson has returned to 8x8 Inc, a VoIP and videophone communications service provider as a member on the board of directors. 

Mr. Parkinson is an old technology business veteran. Earlier, he used to be Chairman of the 8x8 Board of Directors from April 1995 to January 1998, and from November 2000 until December 2003. Moreover, Mr. Parkinson has led a number of technology companies,

Mr. Parkinson also served as a board member of the Semiconductor Industry Association. He was a Chairman over there for a year.  He is a co-founding board member of Sematech, a private-governmental research consortium. 

It is a good move on part of 8x8. It gets an experienced hand to help it maneuver through the competitive VoIP market.

Via PRNewswire

47.3 million VOIP customers by 2006

According to Infonetics, a consulting outfit, VoIP calling will boom in 2006. However, I must add that no one was in doubt over this. The benefits of VoIP reach way beyond cost.  The distributed nature of IP based services is a boon. A greater degree of competition in the market means services will get cheaper and better in the long run.
Infonetics says that VoIP, services will almost double this year, to 47.3 million,.

Infonetics also says that residential and small business subscriber base of VoIP in North America will multiply nine times to 39 million by 2009. Europe is slightly behind and its numbers of VoIP users will multiply by 8 times to 42.5 million. The user base for Asia will jump to 49.9 million.

Via BusinessWeek

Arbinet extends services to Miami

Arbinet-thexchange, Inc. an electronic market where users trade, route and settle communications capacity, has recently added a virtual Exchange Delivery Point (vEDP) in Miami, Florida.

Arbinet is targeting the lucrative Latino American market. A number of Latin American telecom companies have recently joined Arbinet.

Apart from Miami, Arbinet Members can also connect to thexchange at EDPs in New York, London, Los Angeles, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, and through the PacketExchange private IP backbone from 24 VoIP EDPs in Europe.

Via PRNewswire

VOIP in Seychelles

Cable Company Intelvision becomes the third company to offer telephone and internet services in Seychelles

Intelvision offers cable, internet and telephone services independently so that customers can freely subscribe to any one of the services.

Intelvision uses an advanced Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) cable network, which Intelvision claims is the best in the Africa region.

Though details about Intelvision's VoIP plans arte still to clear up, one is sure that the company will use this 'high-speed' cabling to offer PC-based phone calls in due time.

Via Nation Online   

Yet another VOIP company crosses the million-customer mark

This time, it is a VoIP service provider from Europe.

UPC, which operates a cable network spanning across the European Continent has announced that   it now serves more than one million VoIP customers. To arrive at that number, UPC has clubbed numbers from its operations in Austria, France , Hungary, the Netherlands , Poland, Romania and Switzerland.

In addition, UPC has doubled its VoIP subscriber-base in the past 15 months.  Currently, UPC's cable networks serve 18 million homes in Europe. Next, UPC plans to extend VoIP operations in Ireland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia by the end of 2006.

Via TeleGeography

VOX to provide VOIP services in Puerto Rico

From May 1, customers in Puerto Rico may get to use VoIP services from VoX Communications Corp. which provides wholesale and retail VoIP services in the United States.

VoX has announced a special deal for Puerto Rican customers. From now on, U.S. customers of VoX can add a Puerto Rico telephone number to any U.S.-based VoX plan for an additional $4.95 per month.  Thus, friends and family of Puerto Ricans living elsewhere in the United States can call on a local number instead of a long distance number. This way, customers can enjoy healthy savings on their phone call bills.

Via TMCnet

Salesforce.com's AppExchange is VOIP-enabled

Salesforce.com, a leading provider of online CRM (Customer Relationship Management) applications has made a deal with Vapps, a company that supplies SIP-based, VoIP audio conferencing solutions to provide high-speed VoIP-conferencing service on its AppExchange on-demand platform.

From now on, salesforce.com customers, most of whom are businesses, can connect up to 500 conference callers within their salesforce.com application module.

Vapps' HighSpeedConferencing.com service enables businesses to connect multiple users over the Internet thus saving on calling costs. The service supports a variety of calling devices - Web-based IP phone, wireless device, traditional landline handset and others. Moreover, HighSpeedConferencing.com service sports all the traditional conference-calling features.

Via TMCnet

VOIP applications for hospitals

An increasing number of hospitals in the United States are using VoIP systems to lower costs of communications. Take the example of Queens Long Island Medical Group (QLIMG), which operates 22 medical facilities in and around New York City.

Quality of Service is big issue with hospitals, for obvious reasons. The earlier IP based system did not perform to expectations. Then, the hospital group switched to a new solution from Mitel. Mitel supplied and successfully installed its flagship 3300 IP Communications Platform (ICP) in QLIMG's medical centers, featuring embedded standard unified messaging, auto-attendant, Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) system and included in-building wireless from SpectraLink.  Mitel also supplied the 22 medical facilities with 1,500 IP phones.

Via TMCnet

VoIP phone adapter with fax support

China-based Tiger NetCom Ltd has introduced the GATE 104, which is a SIP technology-based VoIP phone adapter. What is better, this adapter model also supports fax. This adapter model is useful in businesses where they still use fax machines extensively. The adapter also has a built-in DHCP/NAT router.

A Compact and ultra-lightweight design means that users can easily carry this VoIP phone adapter with them anywhere. This machine supports SIP 2.0 (RFC 3261), TCP/UDP/IP, RTP/RTCP, ICMP, ARP/RARP, DNS, DHCP, NTP, PPPoE, STUN and TFTP. Moreover, the adapter also features password enabled VoIP-to-PSTN and PSTN-to-VoIP call routing.

It also has the standard VoIP feature-set such as caller ID display, 3-way conference calling, call blocking, call hold, call waiting/flash, call transfer, call forward, DTMF and dial plans.

Via Global Sources

Broadband is still slow in Ireland

VoIP insiders in Ireland say that broadband in the country is plagued by the three evils of high cost of broadband, the scarcity of broadband services and the quality of broadband services.

As a result, only corporate customers are in a position to afford VoIP solutions. VoIP is still out reach of small business owners, which may be one of the biggest markets for the service. Individual and home-based consumers are low down on the usage chain now.

Service providers accuse the telecom monopoly, Eircom that it is juicing them dry. Moreover, theyt accuse, there are a number of "vested interest" at play.

Via SiliconRepublic

Juniper and ShoreTel form a new partnership

Juniper Networks' J-Partner Solutions Alliances program has a new participant.  Juniper has currently added Sunnyvale, Calif.-based ShoreTel as an infrastructure partner.

Juniper and ShoreTel have already tested their products for interoperability. From now on, they will go after new sales and marketing opportunities as a team. Their offerings will combine Juniper's firewall, VPN and routing products with ShoreTel's IP telephony product line.

Interestingly, Juniper already has a solid partnership with VoIP supplier Avaya.

Via betadot

Russian VOIP network expands

Russian VoIP carrier Tario Communications is arguably the largest VoIP service provider in Russia. This is a Russia Vonage, if you will. Tario's customer-base is on a rise. Currently, Tario serves more than 300,000 customers per month and hosts more than 60 million minutes of phone calls and messages.

Tario is wisely investing in new technology to handle all this growth. It decided to choose a system that was easy to install and was interoperable with the VoIP carrier's existing infrastructure.

Keeping its requirements in mind, Tario chose the Pro Dynamic Cluster with SIP Farm from CommuniGate, which features patent-pending technology for clustering VoIP.

Via TMCnet

More analysis from the HarrisInteractive Survey

The HarrisInteractive Survey asked 1,089 U.S. and 1,117 U.K. consumers 18 or over about VoIP.

Russell Shaw over at Zdnet goes over the survey results. He gives out tow very useful analysis:

1. 23 % of respondents in total would never buy VoIP or would prefer to wait 12 months or longer, 42 percent of people had not heard of it. It is a challenge for marketers to make VoIP familiar to these people.

2. Talking about money savings is okay. Moreover, surveys find that the most desirable feature about VoIP to non-subscribers in the U.S. is "caller ID" which displays callers' name." Every VoIP provider should start providing this.

Via Zdnet 

VOIP's next market: City administrations

Looking for newer markets is the only way VoIP service providers can survive in a tough market. I think VoIP service providers should pay attention to government agencies. They are big technology buyers. Moreover, they run up huge communication bills.

Recently, Utah's Missoula city government recently decided to change from a Nortel private telephone switch operated by Missoula County ( $103,000 a year) to a new VoIP service which will costs only $ 65000 a year. In this way, the city saves at least 30-35% in costs.

There were other problems with the old system. Private telephone switches run up huge bills when many remote sites are connected. In a normal city, fire stations, parks and street department offices are spread out and always connected to each other. Moreover, aging phone switches, routers and other hardware need to be replaced at regular intervals.

Via betadot

VOIP in System i machines from IBM

IBM has recently introduced VoIP capabilities in its System i machines, which are targeted at the small business market segment. IBM entered into a deal with 3Com under which 3Com will develop the related VoIP software components.

IBM will integrate the IP telephony features in the System i machines. Everything, from hardware & database software to storage & security, will come as part of the whole package.  The VoIP software runs in a single Linux partition on the System i.

It also gives another reason for business owners to opt for System i machines.

Via Search400

Vonage and CARP join to serve the elderly

Now the elderly people in Canada can have the low-cost benefits of VoIP. lEading VoIP service provider Vonage has teamed up with CARP to provide VoIP services to retires and others.

To use the cost-effective VoIP services, users need high-speed/broadband internet connection, a Vonage phone adapter and a touchtone phone.

Currently, CARP has 400,000 members. Now remaining in touch with one's family members who live far off will be an easy, money-saving experience.

Via betadot

First-ever commercial Wimax deployment: Good news for VOIP

Samsung has tried out Mobile WiMAX deployment in some places in Europe and Asia. Now Samsung will exclusively provide Mobile WiMAX services for Arialink in the Muskegon County region in Michigan, by early 2007.  If it takes place smoothly, Samsung will be the first to deploy commercial Mobile WiMAX in North America.

Having a Mobile WiMAX network in a rural setting means that from a single, IP-based network. a number of applications, including good old VoIP will be deliverable to Home, business, and vehicles.  These applications also include video telephony, multimedia messaging and conferencing, location and telematic services, broadcast, and multimedia push and demand services.

Via 3G UK

The Problem with Voice Passport Technology

On the surface, Voice Passport Technology is nothing new. A number of companies are into it. Recently, Teledata Technology released applications for "voice biometrics".

"Voice biometrics" or Voice print identification, the idea is simple. Here your voice acts as the password. Users do not need to remember a password or PIN to access their voice-based IP PBX system. The service provider also saves money, as it does not have to employ an admin to monitor everything.

However, there is a downside. What if you're some day you are speaking properly? Maybe it is a cold.  How do you log in such case?

Via Addict3D

SPIT: Spam over IP Telephony

Free VoIP calls may be a good reason to switch to VoIP. However, customers must be aware of the pitfalls, as well. They must keep in mind that that the next VoIP call they receive, someone selling raffle tickets may be speaking on the other end of the line.

This nuisance may hurt business customers of VoIP more. Solutions to deal with the phenomenon of SPIT are on the way. For example, Massachusetts-based Sipera is developing products that fight VoIP spam by monitoring VoIP traffic and looking for anomalies in call patterns. 

Via Red Herring

Jeff Pulver and Tom Evslin fighting for equality

Tom Evslin and Jeff Pulver, undisputed champions of the VOIP business, have filed a formal petition with the FCC. They are asking the FCC that

"all phone companies who are currently required to provide E911 service also be required to make voicemail and call-forwarding available to ALL their customers any time those customers phones are inoperable or unusable (as in an evacuation) for more than twelve hours."

This is very important during any disaster scenario. You can go to PulverBlog or Evslin's blog to learn more about how you can be part of this petition drive.

Via PulverBlog

Arbinet forms a partnership with PacketExchange

Arbinet has done a deal with with PacketExchange, after which VoIP service providers can connect to Arbinet's voice exchange. To do this, VoIP providers will use the services of private IP backbone from 24 PoPs in Europe .

After this deal comes into effect, all Arbinet Members can use that private IP backbone to reach thexchange. Arbinet. They will also enjoy a broad range of voice services. That is the benefit of forming a deal with PacketExchange.

Via TradingMarkets

EQO Mobile for Mac OS X

EQO Communications has introduced EQO Mobile for Mac OS X users. Now Mac users can use the Skype VoIP service on Cell Phones.

Moreover, using EQO Mobile, Skype subscribers can easily make and receive call. They can also exchange text messages using their mobile phones. EQO Mobile is compatible with more than 45 models of cell phones from all the major manufacturers. The beta version of the software is free.

Via MacObserver

Listing the costs of Small Business VOIP

By now, it is well established that mall and medium-sized businesses save 10-20% on their communication costs when they switch to VoIP service.  However, businesses must do a detailed cost-benefit analysis of VoIP deployment beforehand. This analysis may take into consideration the following six items into consideration:

    * Telecommunications cost profile
    * Equipment
    * Usage profile
    * Business VoIP Solution Costs
    * Call Sound Quality
    * Reliability .

Via VOIP News Net

Avaya to use Legerity's voice interface for SMB offerings

Avaya, which has sold more than 60,000 IP Office systems to businesses worldwide, has announced that it will use Legerity's VE880 VoicePort and Le79112 voice control processor to provide the voice interface for updated versions of IP Office voice and data systems.

Legerity's voice modules will enable Avaya's introduce a better range of phone solutions for its business customers as well.

Via ComputerWeekly

Vistula gets new CEO

Vistula Communications Services Inc. has appointed Keith Markley as its new CEO. Earlier, Markley worked at Liberty Aerospace, where he was actively involved in a range of functions including business' strategic planning, sales and marketing including international distribution.

Sometime before that, Markley has worked in senior executive positions for communications firms including DSL and Covad. Keith Markley appears to be the right choice for Vistula, which is undergoing a promising growth phase.

Via TMCnet

Action in the Canadian VOIP market

CQIP Investments has acquired a 50% stake in Quebek (Canada) based Damya International. Furthermore, Damya, CQIP and Satelinx have made a deal under which all operations of Damya will converge under Satelinx.

This new deal enables the Trio to further operations into Africa and Europe. The companies hope to sell their VoIP, Telephony and Voice Virtual Private Network Solutions in these promising markets. Now, the three companies will unify their product liens and can market more effectively.

One special area of focus will be voice encryption. At present, this market is about $150 million per year and analysts estimate it to grow to $1 billion in the next five years.

Via Financial News USA

MetaSwitch & Dash911 partner to simplify VoIP E911

MetaSwitch is working together with Dash911 to simplify how VoIP providers handle 9-1-1 emergency calling. Already, Public Interest Network Services, Inc. (PINS), a communications provider based in New York City's "Silicon Alley", is using the' simplified' version of E 911 service.

The 'simplified' system combines MetaSwitch's Class 5 softswitch with Dash911's hosted service platform. Thus, VoIP service providers can route 911 calls to the relevant Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) that is determined by learning about the subscriber's current location. The new E911 solution from MetaSwitch and Dash911 also features regular VoIP calling features such as custom call treatments and web-based configuration.

Via Converge Digest

The Importance of VOIP management

Bard Webster at Converge Digest has done a detailed look at the importance of VoIP management. This is timely stuff. VoIP has moved to the mainstream. It is almost a commodity, if you will.  Companies are increasingly using VoIP management products to monitor performance points.

What comprises proper VoIP management? Brad lists them out here:

… effectively measure Jitter, Packet Loss, and Latency in RTP (Real-Time Transport Protocol) streams for MOS (Mean Opinion Socre) calculations. (There are VoIP network health monitoring systems). Products are also now available to monitor specific sub-applications associated with VoIP, such as signaling functions and gateway performance.

Via Converge Digest

Forget 'Three Play, here comes 'Four Play'

In the United States, you have cable and telecom companies battling for the $300 billion 'triple play' market – broadband, cable TV and fixed line telephony. However, it would appear that some players have introduced the 'Quadband' play consisting of Brodband, Cable TV, Fixed Line and Mobile services.

In his inimitable manner, Richard Branson who currently sold his Virgin Mobile to NTL calls this 'Fourplay'. In Canada, Rogers Communications, a cable operator, is rolling out its 'Fourplay' offering model. Ditto in the United States, where Sprint is doing similar things. In one of our previous articles, we had reported about Sprint's smart VoIP play.

Via BBC

Cable companies get serious about VoIP

And, why shouldn't they be? VoIP may be the most potent one of the so-called multi-billion dollars 'triple play' battle between the telecoms and cable companies.

Sprint and its four cable partners are fast emerging as the main challenger to Vonage's leadership in the VoIP services sector. Sprint serves more than one million voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) subscribers for the cable industry. This is a quadruple jump from the previous year's performance.

Comcast has collaborated with Walmart and currently delivers Triple Play bundled services in about 500 stores.

Via TMCnet

Comverse Buys Netcentrex for $164M

The season of consolidation is on. Bigger players are buying up promising smaller players. Comverse Technology will buy out privately held voice-over-IP (VoIP) software vendor Netcentrex for about US$164 million. Moreover, Comverse may cough up an additional $16 million; if Netcentrex's financial performance is up to the mark in this financial year.

Paris-based Netcentrex, , clocked revenue of about $50 million in the year ended Dec. 31, 2005. It has about 50 service providers as its clients.

Via CIO.com

Using VoIP in TV programming

At the recently held CTIA show, an advertising company demonstrated mobile –based marketing campaign for teen sleuth drama series "Veronica Mars." This experiment worked beautifully. Ratings doubled and the show website got more page views.

Russel Shaw over at Zdnet says that advertisers can use an IM/VoIP connection, such as Skype, Yahoo! or Google Talk to achieve similar effects with their campaigns. He explains in detail how the IM/VoIP system might work:

A viewer could send an IM to a user name associated with a show. Maybe even a character, whose name would be reflected in the IM address.

The actor with the character could then reply at pre-set times via a phone call back to the IM sender. It could be any one of several messages that would be configured to be compatible with keywords included in the original message sent by the fan. And a pane on the IM window could also include an ad.

Via Zdnet

Global Crossing Expands into Europe

Global Crossing will introduce its Enterprise VoIP Outbound and VoIP Local Services to countries across Europe. This complements Global Crossing's existing Enterprise VoIP services in North America.

Global Crossing's VoIP service is now available for both national and international calling from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, UK, alongwith USA. The service enables international calling from Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.  Global Crossing will introduce National calling in these countries in phases as part of the company's continuing VoIP development program.

Via Yahoo Finance

What will you do if your VOIP vendor goes down?

VoIP may be an attractive technology that gives cost-saving advantages.  However, the mushrooming of VoIP service providers also spells trouble. It is a tough market for these companies out there. Small fries get bough up. Small fries also get into bankruptcy courts; sometimes even bigger companies do so. What can the consumer do? Techworld carries a wonderful article on the topic. Customers can,

No matter how impressed management may be with new technology, I will never again allow a major purchase to go through without seeing vendor financials. I need to know that a company will be there to support its system — not just next year but also next week.

Via TechWorld

VOIP challengers to Telstra's monopoly

Call it the effect of a free-for-all market. We earlier reported about the promising Australian VoIP market.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Voice over IP operators in Australia are steadily cutting market share away from the leader.

The days of monopoly are over in Australia but it is a different case in neighboring New Zealand. The country still enforces a strange variety of local loop monopoly and over it. It does that by providing a DSL service that makes VoIP offerings from other operators redundant.

Via GeekZone

BT's VOIP service for Czech companies soon

BT is expanding its European offerings. The Telecom Giant will launch its VoIP service in the Czech Republic in June 2006.

To make that a smooth operation, British Telecom plans to make deals with other companies in the country apart from Český Telecom. BT will also do deals with cable companies.

BT will offer the the service to corporate customers in all major cities, in the first phase. Moreover, BT does not rule out expanding VoIP coverage to the whole country, if conditions are favorable.

Via Czech Business

33MM U.S. VoIP Subscribers by 2010

The latest report from eMarketer says that there will be roughly 33 million U.S. VoIP subscribers by 2010. This turns out to be around 40 percent of all broadband households in the United States. Forty percent, that is not bad and it can only do better. More people will switch to VoIP when it gets more secure and when they get more information about the potential about the service.

The report from eMarketer, titled "Consumer VoIP -- A Fierce Battle in a Larger War", says this is just one part of the war waged by telco’s and cable providers in the United States all of whom are gunning for $300 billion 'triple-play' market of residential voice, video and data services. 

Via iMedia Connection

VoIP-based Contact Center in Finland

The mutual employment pension company in Finland, Pension Fennia (Eläke-Fennia) has replaced its traditional PBX telephone system and in place has deployed a new all-IP enterprise telephony and contact center product based on Wicom CSS software. 

Interestingly, almost half of all Pension Fennia employees use the VoIP product mainly with a Nokia smartphone. What else did you expect in the country where Nokia was born?

Wocom, whose software the Finnist Pension Company uses, also gets a mention in Gartner Inc.'s Visionaries quadrant, in its recent report "Magic Quadrant for Contact Center Infrastructure, EMEA."

Via TMCnet

Sunrise Broadband enters into VoIP Wholesale Agreement with VoiceLift

Sunrise Broadband has got into a wholesale deal with Florida-based VoiceLift whereby form now on, it will offer VoIP and High-speed Internet to its current and future customers. Moreover, Sunrise will deliver these VoIP and High-speed services to its end users under a private label.

The label will be called 'Sunrise Broadband'. Subscribers to 'Sunrise Broadband' can access all standard telephone features plus unlimited local and long distance calling anywhere in the US & Canada for a flat monthly rate. Moreover, Sunrise Broadband will also offer high-speed Internet services including DSL, T1 and fiber optic connectivity.

Via MarketWire

New IP Telephony Best Practices White Paper from Sage Research

Sage Research has released a White Paper on IP Telephony Best Practices. This white paper covers real-world advice on challenges and successes of implementing IP Telephony.

This white paper is the result of a comprehensive survey of the participants of Sage's IP Telephony Best Practices contest. The white paper covers the following main topics related to implementing IP Telephony:

- Benefits of Switching to IP Telephony

- Organization and Technical Challenges

Via BusinessWire

Slowly but surely, VOIP goes mainstream

VoIP is not getting traction in U.S., China and Asia-Pacific alone. It is spreading fast in Europe, Middle East and Africa as well.

A recent report from Frost & Sullivan confirms this. It finds that the revenues in the EMEA Hosted IP telephony and VoIP Access Services Market totaled EUR589.7 million in 2005. The report the market to reach EUR78.66 billion in 2011.

What is driving the growth, besides the low cost advantage? Apart from low cost distance calls, VoIP makes for lower cost of ownership and reduction of risks.

Via PRNewswire

The resilience of IP telephony

IP telephony is distributed in nature. You might visualize it as data packets flying all over the place and then reaching the destination. This also imparts resilience to IP telephony that can come handy when disaster strikes.

A look at the distributed nature of IP telephony: core processing and switching functions of the analogue PABX are dispersed onto the call manager server, the data network and the IP handsets themselves. This improves resilience.

Moreover, with VoIP, there are multiple servers and multiple locations with multiple lines coming in compared to a single point of failure. How can a network as distributed as this go down vis-à-vis the regular network?

Via ComputerWeekly

Nortel leads in the Global VOIP market

Nortel leads the Global VOIP market across various parameters. According to Synergy Research Group, Nortel had a 19 percent share based on revenue and 18 percent share based on ports shipped. Nortel also leads in carrier softswitch and overall media gateway ports, as well as well as in VoIP and voice over ATM gateway categories.

Nortel is ahead because of two reasons:

It is present in some of the world's largest telephone and cable networks.  Nortel also invested in VoIP well ahead of many of the incumbent switch vendors.

Via CNW Telbec

Motorola Talk & Tunes Wireless Internet Calling Kit with stereo

Motorola introduced the new Talk & Tunes Wireless Internet Calling Kit with stereo in Las Vegas on Tuesday. Talk & Tunes is a Skype-enabled phone that uses Bluetooth. This means that users can wirelessly listen to music and simultaneously make calls over the Internet from their computer.

This is possible as the new kit features Motorola Bluetooth® Stereo Headphones HT820 for audio streaming and it has the Motorola Bluetooth® PC Adapter PC850.

Motorola has not yet released pricing and launch details. Expect them in the market anytime in the first half of the year.

Via WebWire

my people(TM) to use VoIP-Based Directory Assistance from INFONXX

INFONXX is the largest independent provider of directory assistance and enhanced information services in the world. 'My people' is a nationwide residential VoIP service provider.

Under the new deal between the two companies, 'my people' subscribers will have access to residential and business directory assistance provided by INFONOXX. Moreover, users will also have access to other INFONXX information services such as DiningSource®, HoroscopeSource®, lottery results, MovieAssist®, sports scores, StockSource®, time of day information, and WeatherAssist®.

The sweet thing about this arrangement is that INFONXX also connects my people's users through VoIP call completion. Thus, users do not have to remember or write down the queried number. Instead, one can remain on the line as the directory assistance operator connects you to the requested listing without you having to disconnect and redial.

via VoIPCentral

VoIP in Latin America

There are usual third world hurdles in the continent. You have huge entry restrictions, low broadband penetration and high PC prices. Despite of all these, VoIP has gathered steam. Who would give away a chance to talk for less?

According to research analysts who have studied the market in detail, the penetration rate of VoIP over broadband will grow from 1.5 percent last year to 25.5 percent in 2011. That is an astonishing compounded annual growth rate of 85.2 percent. Analysts also say that the value of the market will go from almost nothing in 2005 to $1.1 billion by 2011.

Moreover, Brazil will account for 49 percent of the expected market. Mexico leads among the rest.

Via Latin Business Chronicle

VOIP in the Philipines

VoIP is quite popular in the Philippines. There are abundant players in the market and cable companies have announced plans to enter the market. However, the government has put in place tough conditions to prevent 'fly-by-night' operators.

According to the rules set by THE NATIONAL Telecommunications Commission (NTC), local firms need to have at least 10 million pesos in capitalization to qualify as VoIP providers. Additionally, resellers must post a five-million peso performance bond.

So far, NTC has approved four applications from companies who want to become voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service providers. These lucky ones include Transpacific Broadcast Group Intl., Tech Networks Corp., PT&T and Cashrounds Inc.
There are 10 more pending applications filed with the NTC.

Via INQ7.net

Guy sets new website making everyone a VOIP salesperson

David M. Bresnahan from Wakefield has set up a new website called
FreedomInternetPhoneService.com, that is yet another take on selling VoIP via the MLM route. Earlier we had reported on a Denver-based firm selling VoIP using similar methods.

Mr. Bresnahan adds that Sunrocket has the most lucrative plan for sellers. It reportedly offers $60 bonus commission for each new account, plus 6 - 12 percent monthly commission.

FreedomInternetPhoneService.com offers free web sites to customers where they can sell a whole range of VoIP offerings from different vendors.

via The Open Press

Rumors about Apple's VOIP plans

The online buzz about Apple's supposed iPhone does not seem to end.  Now experts have jumped into the pool as well. UK consultancy Visiongain says that Apple's rumoured "iPhone" will feature VoIP capability.  The fact that Apple's networking partner is Helio, a mobile virtual network operator in the United States, adds fuel to this wild fire.

If it were true, existing VoIP and Telecom operators should worry. Combine the cult market of Apple with the the low cost lure of VoIP, and what do you get? The idea of iPod users using VoiP does not need seem farfetched as well. Moreover, did I hear some talk about Voice 2.0, the community aspect? A community of iPod and iPhone users, perhaps?

Via IAG Blog

The rise and decline of VOIP

A new report from Jupiter Research says that the market for VoIP hardware and software will touch US$5.5 billion by 2007, but will then decline to US$ 3 billion because of a mature market and falling prices.

How quickly things change. Just the other day everyone was talking about a great promise called VoIP and next you find people calling VoIP a commodity and a tough market to make any money.

Jupiter Research explains the probable decline in sales by linking it to the inevitable maturing of the all-important Chinese Market and by the entrance of low-price suppliers into the market.

Via CMP Net Asia 

IBM and 3Com get together to provide All-In-One IP Telephony Suite for Small Businesses

The two big companies have together to sell a better to the all-important small business market. The duo will offer the 3Com VCX™ suite of IP telephony solutions on IBM's "all-in-one" System i business computing solution.

The duo companies have come together as,

two companies (share) common values of integration, ease-of-use, security, and support for open standards.

Moreover, IBM is enthusiastic about this deal as it gives an edge to its small business offering. Adding VoIP to its business software products enables collaboration and gives a touch of interactivity to key business processing applications.

Via MarketWire

VoIP, Inc.clocks 8 Million VoIP Calls Per Day

It is a big leap for the company that registered approximately 100,000/month in May 2004.

The main reason for this meteoric rise can be attributed to VOIP Inc's aggressive acquisition plans. In June 2005, the company acquired Volo Communications and the VoiceOne network, which took the network minutes meter up to more than 250,000,000/month.  In November 2005, the company's 2005 annual usage surged to 3.6 billion after it bought up WQN, an international pre-paid phone card company.

It has also beefed up its nationwide presence. The VoiceOne network now consists of 22 points of presence in the U.S. alone and more than 5,000 local access points. This helps the company reach around 90% of the U.S. population. 

Via TMCnet

Comcast gets into the VoIP business

Comcast, the largest cable provider in the United States has finally thrown its very big hat in the VoIP ring.

Called, "Digital Voice", Comcast's VoIP offering is on the high side. The company will charge $40 a month for Digital Voice if the customer also buys cable and high-speed Internet. That means the VOIP offering will out of reach of the average consumer if one opts for Digital Voice alone. On the other hand, VoIP providers like Vonage charge as little as $15 a month. Even Telecom giants like AT&T and Qwest charge only $30 a month.

Comcast has around 200,000 customers more than 20 markets for its Digital Voice service. It appears that it is aiming for the top end of the market.

Via Columbia Tribune

The future of IP Audio Conferencing

According to Frost & Sullivan, the World Audio Conferencing bridge systems market clocked revenues of $182.8 million in 2005. Estimates say the market will reach $320.3 million in 2011.

However, Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst  say that as IP telephony gets into more businesses, and as conferencing and collaboration tools converge, the independent market for audio conferencing bridge systems will rise simultaneously. Analysts point out that it will be 2-way process. Audio conferencing bridge systems companies must be aware about the reach and potential of IP Telephony.  Thus, they will be able to customize their offerings.

Via Yahoo Finance

VoIP over 3G cellular networks tested

Nortel Networks and Sierra Wireless have successfully tested VoIP over 3 G network. They made a VoIP call using a Sierra cellular broadband card to Nortel's EV-DO Revision A wireless technology.

The folks over at Nortel claim that the successful tests are a part of the company's ambitious EV-DO strategy in the wireless market.  A successful testing means that Nortel and Sierra Nortel are in position to offer a fast yet affordable VoIP over wireless service.

Via betadot

SMC introduces two new VOIP products

SMC has introduced a VoIP Gateway and Broadband Router for the traveling man who also wants to utilize the cost-effectiveness of VoIP on the road. All you need to do is to connect the WTVG (Wireless Travel Gateway) to an analogue telephone and telephone line.

The second offering is for all those who have valid Skype accounts. SMC's new Wi-Fi Skype phone, the SMCWSKP100, is designed like the usual mobile phone.  The WSKP100 contains embedded Skype software.  The SMCWSKP100 Skype phone will sell for $299 and will be available in shops by June/July.

Via  IDM.net

Where are the VOIP profits?

You hear about new entrants into the 'probably' profitable every other day. Lycos is the latest example. However, where are the profits? Who will earn most?

The number of subscribers is increasing in all markets around the world. Ad-supported services like Lycos get users in droves. The number of paying subscribers is also on the rise. But you have to stop and think: is the market really that big and generous to support so many players? One fears that this time across, the likes of Cisco and other equipment providers will be the biggest gainers, just like the dotcom boom/bust around 2000.

Providers must look at other sources of income to survive the imminent shakeout.

Via Australian IT

Ad-financed VOIP

The idea of supporting free internet-based services by advertisements is not new. Increasingly, more VoIP companies have resorted to providing free VoIP with ads. For example, Lycos' new VoIP service will display ads to PC users calling others. Users who ignore the advertisers' offers will pay 1 cent a minute for domestic calls when their initial 100 free minutes are gone.

Many European VoIP providers who allow calls to the United States use the same route. However, unlike Lycos which provides free U.S. phone numbers for incoming calls, they don't provide such facility at this time.

Via thestar

VOIP a 'heated' concern for data center managers

Temperatures are rising in some wiring closets and computer rooms where VOIP and power-over-Ethernet (PoE) equipment is being installed.

Data Centre managers are concerned about the hike in Equipment density. A wide variety of power-hungry and heat-spouting devices is fighting it out over the same cramped space. Moreover, technicians also have to install redundancy systems that are standard IP-deployment issue. 

Everything is Size XL now. Large UPSes and Large POE switches are common. Thus, planning to place all IP equipment is critical. Experts suggest placing all network devices in locations with adequate heat dissipation, ventilation, and air conditioning.

Via TechWorld

Answering Services & VoIP

Answering Service Providers are getting over their initial ignorance, willful or otherwise, of VoIP. Some Answering Service providers will also be attending VoIP events to get the hang of things.

Take for example, Philadelphia-based Specialty Answering Service. It has decided to attend VoIP Developer Conference to be held in California this August.  The company is preparing to customize its answering service & call center services to customers utilizing VoIP.

While many Answering Service Providers see VoIP as a threat, Specialty Answering Service is convinced that VoIP brings opportunities with it too.

Via XTVWorld

Shaw Communications sued for $1.2 million by ZingoTel

Canada based communications giant Shaw Communications is being for U.S. based $1.2 million by ZingoTel.

According to ZingoTel (Via the Calgary Herald), it had paid $36,000 to Corus Entertainment, Shaw's media buyer, to broadcast ZingoTel's advertisement on one of their cable channels. ZingoTel claims that the Chief Executive of Shaw Communication Jim Shaw was personally responsible for denying airtime for its ad.

Both ZongiTel and Shaw Communications run competing VoIP services. This is the second suit against Shaw Communications in recent times. Earlier, Vonage also had a bitter run-in with Shaw regarding 'Quality of Service' charges.

Via betadot

Lowertel.com releases VOIP comparison tool

Jad, Inc., has just released a new and free telecom search tool at its website www.lowertel.com. This sis also a comparison tool that is free for all long distance and voice over internet protocol (VoIP) Telecommunication agents having their own telecommunications websites.

Lowertel.com's search tool works with any online telecom sign-up form, irrespective of which master agent or affiliate program the link is from. Moreover, users can customize Lowertel's search tool to any site, depending on their customers' needs.

Lowertel says that, with its new search tool, agents can easily remove non-converting or low paying VoIP and long distance plans quickly. This was not possible with the search tool supplied by any master agent.

Via eMediaWire

The Smallest" VoIP analog telephone adapter ( ATA)

Patton Electronics's new SmartLink micro analog telephone adapter (M-ATA) is claimed to be the Smallest" VoIP analog telephone adapter in the market now.

The SmartLink micro analog telephone adapter's small footprint and light weight help minimize shipping costs. The new device's remote-management features help reduce VoIP operating expenses.

The SmartLink micro analog telephone adapter connects any standard analog phone or fax machine to an enterprise or service-provider VoIP network.

Via NE Asia Online

Australian SMB VoIP market will touch 6 million by 2011

According to a report titled "The Australian VoIP Services Market" from research and consulting firm Market Clarity, the combined consumer and SMB VoIP market in the country will touch the 6 million mark by 2011. There is a catch. Market Clarity says that free services will make up the bulk of VoIP connections. Only 2.8 million connections out of the projected 6 million will be paid-for VoIP offerings. 

Moreover, in dollar terms, by 2011, VoIP market in Australia will amount to $680 million out of a telecommunications market already worth more than $30 billion.

So, where do you see the money coming from? Market Clarity says that the IP Centrex market holds promise. It will grow from its current numbers of just $59.49 million to about 520,000 business handsets and revenues of more than $993 million a year by 2011.

Via VoIP News Australia

VOIP operators must focus on home consumers for growth

Marguerite Reardon at Cnet News has written her observations n the current state of VoIP after having covered the Voice On the Net (VON) conference in San Jose, Calif. where more than 300 companies paraded their VoIP and related wares.

Her take on VoIP as it today: companies must focus on selling aggressively to the home-based consumers. It is the big daddy of all markets but it suffers from an acute case of indifference and confusion when it comes to VoIP.

-           There is a perception problem with VoIP.  Many still do not believe/agree they    can transfer their voice on the internet.

-           Many residential consumers are confused about the technology. Where is the value? And if there indeed is, do they really need those value additions?

-           Apart from Sprint, other big Telcos are reluctant to sell VoIP offerings to residential consumers.

Via Zdnet

Promoting a movie using VOIP

You might think Sony is getting serious about VoIP. Firstly we heard about VoIP-enabled PSP#. Now, Sony Pictures is promoting its latest Teen-horror flick "When a Stranger Calls" using VoIP technology.

Sony Pictures Entertainment has allied with GlobalTouch Telecom Inc. for the movie promotion. The film is about, what else, a young girl in an isolated house. The girl is terrorized by menacing phone calls. GlobalTouch set up two toll-free numbers that use its SIPTalk VoIP technology.  Fans of "When a Stranger Calls" can call on these numbers and they can hear the same "scary" phone calls that the girl in the film receives. Around 250,000 calls were made during the film's opening weekend.

Via New Telephony

Survey: VOIP takes twice the estimated time to roll out

According to a recent research survey of companies implementing VoIP, by Nemertes Research Inc, the average time a company spent to plan, install, troubleshoot and train in 2004 was 52 minutes per user, which has increased to 133 minutes in 2005. That is more than twice the time it took earlier.

Implementation of VoIP is one of the main time-consuming activities, the survey shows. We do not need to loose heart though, as experts think that IP telephony is more than a plain cost-reduction exercise. What matters more, the experts say, is how VoIP is going to change the business itself.

However, one might admit that cost-savings with VoIP are impressive. Nemertes' study reveals that the average cost for one "move/add/change" (MAC) of a traditional circuit-switched phone system is US$124, which is more than 10 times what VoIP costs. It costs around $10 per move with a newer VOIP system

Via ComputerPartner

Residential subscribers of VOIP on the rise

Telephia, which provides performance measurement information to the communications and mobile industries, says that an increasing number of households across the United States are switching to VoIP services.

Overall penetration for voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) increased to 3.5% or nearly 3.9 million households in January 2006, up from 2.9% in June 2005. Vonage led the VoIP market, which includes all pure-play VoIP companies and providers that actively promote their VoIP service as Internet telephony. Vonage secured a 47.5% market share or nearly 1.9 million households in January 2006, up from a 40% share in June 2005

It also emerges from Telephia's survey that Skype has an 11.8% market share. It means that more than 463,000 households have subscribed to the service in the US during January 2006.

Via NEAsia

Vodaphone may get into VOIP

The VoIP business world is agog with rumors after the publication of an interview of Vodaphone Head Honcho Arun Sarin in an U.K. based business newspaper, The Business.

It appears that Vodaphone is planning to give serious competition to Fixed-line players. Vodaphone will possibly move beyond mobile phones, and launch broadband internet and VoIP telephone services.

It is too early to say what Vodaphone's action plan will be as no further details from the giant itself are forthcoming. But if Vodaphone chooses to move ahead with VoIP, it will show the way forward to other mobile operators as well, as mobile phones are going to see big competition from Wi-Fi/Wimax and VoIP in near future.

Via TeleClick

VOIP will be an $18 billion business by 2010

A new study by Juniper Research predicts that, driven by strong demand from the business sector combined with the inevitable Chinese demand surge, revenues from Voice over IP (VoIP) services in the business sector will reach $18 billion by 2010.

Highlights from Juniper Research's study:

       --  The total business VoIP services market will reach $18bn per annum by 2010

--  Small business broadband connections will reach 40 million lines by
    2010
--  Hosted VoIP business revenues will climb to $7.6bn by 2010
--  The lost telecoms service provider revenues resulting from businesses

    moving to VoIP will amount to $36bn per annum by 2010
--  Losses incurred by traditional telecoms providers will be exacerbated
    by the rise of Internet Telephony Service Providers and VoIP Peering Houses

Via Market Wire

Dittberner reports Carrier Grade VOIP Equipment Market is hot

Dittberner has just released it Worldwide YE 2005 NGN and Digital Switching Markets Analysis. This study throws up interesting pieces of information.

For example, did you know that, for the first time in history, NGN VoIP port shipments have outnumbered that of digital switching in 2005?

The, the NGN VoIP market grew by over 151% but the digital switching market dropped by almost 30% in terms of ports shipped in 2005.

The Dittberner study also tells us that phone companies across the world prefer to replace and/or upgrade their PSTN infrastructure with a softswitch solution that provides a single platform to deliver next-gen IP-based multimedia services as well as all the basic telephony services from the circuit-switched world.

Via XTVWorld

New partnership between pbxnsip and ISI Communications

The new partnership aims to provide plug n' play VoIP to distributors, VAR channels, and end user customers.

One of main problems in the VoIP business is that the distribution chain cannot explain fully the benefits of all that plethora of VoIP goodness. Just saying 'It's the salesperson's job' will not cut it. We need more partnerships between providers, resellers, marketers and all else in the value chain to create easily understandable benefit-messages about VoIP.

One hopes that the offering bundle from this new partnership helps VoIP grow further.

Via BusinessWire

Sony also gets serious about VOIP in PSP

It would appear that Sony and Microsoft do not want to be behind when it comes to integrating VoIP in as many things as possible.

Sony as already announced a 3-stage update programme for its phenomenally popular Playstations, thus adding features like GPS. In the final, third software update, due in the winter of 2006, Sony will add VoIP telephony. After that, gamers can use the PSP's camera module and VoIP capabilities to indulge in video-conferencing with fellow gamers.

Adding VoIP to the PSP brand also makes them a very potent social networking tool.

Via Network World

Microsoft gets serious about VOIP

As of now, Microsoft offers VoIP capabilities in its popular MSN Messenger service. Microsoft also provides one-way PC-to-phone calling capabilities in select markets via Windows Live Messenger.

Now, the giant is going one notch up. As part of its new Live Services Strategy, Microsoft will integrate Internet telephony to its new Windows Live range. It will introduce new VoIP phones and a click-to-call feature for address book names. 'Click –to-call' will also be available in other Microsft services, especially search. These features will also be accessible across the new Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Search and Windows Live Messenger.

Via Zdnet

VoIP2Go sets you free from devices

One of the main problems of VoIP users today is getting access to a VoIP device. It would be really cool if you could make an IP call from your regular mobile phone, or your home phone! Now, VoIP2Go from RNKVoIP makes it possible.

VoIP2Go is an equipment-free service that lets callers make VoIP Calls around the World from Any Phone. You don't even need broadband for VoIP2Go.

RNKVoIPclaims that the VoIP2Go service will work with all popular cell phone services as well as all wireline telephone services and will require no additional equipment.

VoIP2Go customers can even change, "on the fly," to any phone using a proprietary, easy-to-use online application developed by RNK.

Via PRNewswire

Mitel scores over Avaya in IP telephony for SMBs

'InfoTrack for Converged Communications: SMB Market Analysis and Forecast', the latest report by telco services outfit InfoTech says that Mitel has scored over Avaya for the top spot in the fast growing IP Telephony for SMBs market segment.

Not surprisingly, most participants in the study

Survey participants were positive about implementation of IP telephony and converged applications in 2006.

Some more highlights from the report:

-2005 revenue from IP telephony systems and converged applications for SMBs was US$1.4 billion.

-By 2010, that market is projected to increase to US$3.3 billion, which represented an average annual growth rate of 19 percent.

-Last year, converged applications accounted for only 20 percent of that total.

-By 2010, the applications share is expected to jump to 46 percent of the total revenue.

Via CRN

Earthlink and Covad together extend VoIP to 8 more Cities

Earthlink, an ISP, will Covad's technology to extend its VoIP services to 8 more cities in America.

Earthlink will give Covad $50 million in debt and equity financing which will fund the extension of Covad's line-powered voice access service to 8 more cities - Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, San Diego and Washington, D.C.

As of now, Earthlink provides DSL and Home Phone Service in Dallas, Texas, San Francisco and San Jose, California, as Seattle, Washington.

Read More

Pilot Project on VoWLAN in Germany

TerraSip, an international VoIP Provider, has launched a pilot project to test Voice over IP in Germany and Austria. It has allied with two WiFi network providers, M3-Concept GmbH in Aachen and the Tirolean firm goingsoft GmbH.

TerraSip has undertaken this Pilot project initiative to prove the interoperability of the billing systems and also different mobile IP cellular telephones and APs (Access Points) installed by different manufacturers. TerraSip wants to test its billing system for WiFis to ensure in-the-field reliability and accuracy.

If the pilot project is successful, TerraSip will have more than 100,000 WiFi hotspots by the end of 2006. Many times more than around 2000 at present.

Via VoIPCentral

New Direct IP Telephony Service in the U.K. from Gamma Telecom

Gamma Telecom has launched its new IPDirectConnect service in the United Kingdom. Claiming to be the only carrier in the UK working exclusively with resellers, Gamma's new IP telephony service enables resellers to provide a direct connection from the customer's premises to Gamma's core IP network,

Gamma's system is one of the first pure IP services in the UK and will be available over LLU and SDSL in selected areas.

Gamma's service is fully scaleable and Gamma will charge a monthly 'per voice channel' rental fee. This allows channel partners to select the exact number of voice channels they require, rather than purchasing access in carrier pre-defined blocks. This does away with charges for unused channels.

Read More

New VoIP Processing Engine for Mobile Terminals from SyChip

SyChip's new SyVoice™ 1000 (SV1000) is a Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) integrated circuit which has been optimized for wireless VoIP applications. The SyVoice™ 1000 (SV1000) circuit is the latest in SyVoice's range of products meant for mobile devices like cell phones, single-mode wireless VoIP phones, PDAs, personal media players and portable gaming consoles.

The SV1000 will also be used in SyChip's VWLAN71xx range of chip scale modules.

Via VoIPCentral

Open Source VoIP Collaboration between Zimbra and Asterisk

Zimbra and Asterisk have formed a partnership to enable text- and voice-based applications work together seamlessly

Zimbra's open source suite uses AJAX and Web Services for calendar, contact and e-mail collaboration, while Asterisk runs its famous open source IP-PBX.

After this new agreement, Zimbra users now enjoy VoIP-enabled Zimbra-based calendars, e-mails and contacts. Now, they can just click-to-call individual numbers, initiate conference calls by selecting groups of contacts or a meeting entry on a calendar and can also directly access voicemail.

Via EnterpriseITPlanet

Broadcom gets serious about the Consumer VoIP Market

Broadcom has launched two new voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) devices for consumer applications at the Spring 2006 VON Conference and Expo.

The first of these is a terminal adapter (TA) router chip and a low cost IP phone chip, which can be used as standalone VoIP processors to enable OEMs and ODMs to create feature-rich and cost-effective TA routers or desktop IP phones for the home or small office. Moreover, they can also be used in conjunction with Broadcom(R) 54g(TM) Wi-Fi(R) technology to create wireless versions of the same products.

Read More

The new internet wars

They are being fought by the fibre-owners like telcos and service providers like Vonage. The pipeowners' grouse: they don't see any money coming from the new-fangled services like VoIP. They want a piece of action.

Then, you have telcos who want a two-tier internet. Telcos don't like the success enjoyed by the likes of Google. Expect to se more of the so-called 'network neutrality' fights between big business and big internet brands.

Read More

Easy VoIP means more users

That's the idea behind New Zealand Telecom's decision to work with Nortel, Cisco and Zeacom. It wants to make it easier for businesses to use VoIP. The messga eof cutting costs was just not enough.
Like, all other aspects of technology, the rules of usability apply to VoIP too.
Recognizing that Businesses are looking for simplicity, New Zealand Telecom's aim is give its customers affordable, complete IP voice services so that they don't have to develop customised systems.

Via UPI

VoIP going up and up in Asia-Pacific

The latest study from IDG reports that sales of IP telephony equipment in the Asia Pacific (not including Japan) have sold more than traditional telephony gear in third quarter of 2005. In fact, one out of every four lines sold in the Asia-Pacific region was IP.
IDG says that in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, 58% of the enterprise telephony equipment sold in the third quarter was IP compared to 42% for TDM.

Read More

VOIP will give competition to Mobile Operators

Nicholas Negroponte say that VOIP will give serious competition to Mobile telephone operators.
Negroponte thinks that the increasing usage of PC and now dual-mode phones may lessen the usage of mobile phones. Mr. Negroponte thinks that this trend will gather some serious steam as computers proliferate. The $ 100 Laptop is a fit case
Mr. Negroponte is especially sure this will be the case in the developing countries, where mobile phone connections outnumber fixediline connections. And, the $100 Laptop is around the corner.

Via VoipCentral

The Latest Voip System-On-Chip from Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments Incorporated announced its latest Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system on a chip, the TNETV1061 which integrates the company's Telogy SoftwareTM for high-quality VoIP with TI Digital Signal Processors for real-time signal processing.
The TNETV1061's software features meet the demands of both service providers and consumers.

Read More

Avaya and Microsoft will jointly develop Business Communications Solutions

The two giants will work on developing open standards, SIP-based interoperability between Avaya MultiVantage(R) Communications applications and Microsoft Office Communicator, the unified communications client for Microsoft(R) Office Live Communications Server 2005.
The first solution form the Avaya-Microsoft combine will roll out by the end of this year.

Avaya and Microsoft enjoy a long, fruitful relationship.

Read More

Yahoo Voice IM on Siemens Gigaset Phones

Siemens Home and Office Communication Devices LLC has entered into an agreement with Yahoo! to provide VoIP calling capabilities to Siemens' Gigaset Cordless Telephones.
The Siemens Gigaset M34 USB adapter IP-enables Gigaset telephones with the PC-to-PC VoIP calling features of Yahoo! Messenger. Now, users of Gigaset handsets can access their Yahoo! Messenger friends' lists, view contacts and their presence status and change their personal presence status.

Via Voip Magazine

"Net Neutrality" gives way to "VoIP Tax"

Canadian cable giant, Shaw Communications is charging consumers $10/month if they want the provider's quality of service (QoS) feature. Naturally, this has ruffled the feathers of Vonage, the VOIP provide. Ironically, QoS issues don't exist for "Shaw Digital Phone"
Bryan Richard  at Voipmagazine thinks this dispute may go to the courts?

Via Voip Magazine

The next wave of intelligent communications according to Don Peterson

Avaya Chairman and CEO Don Peterson addressed nearly 2,000 people at the VoiceCon Spring 2006 conference. He painted a promising future for IT professionals in this field. Highlights from his talk:

1. Internet Protocol telephony is maturing fast: communications services are breaking apart and the user experience are coming together.

2. Put voice applications into a modular, service-oriented architecture. It enables enterprises to build applications such as conferencing on demand and speech-recognition. Users can also access business data directly and process applications.

3. Users will have ubiquitous, consistent and two-way access to customers, colleagues and information. Employee
Collaboration and effectiveness will be better while businesses will face lower costs.

Via NewsWire

TCS and Convergence will jointly offer VoIP E9-1-1 Service to the Enterprise Market

TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. and Covergence have come together to provide the caller's current mobile location identification information to public safety call and dispatch centers via TCS' Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) Enhanced 9-1-1 service. This service will be offered to enterprise customers.

Covergence's scalable Eclipse™ solution and TCS's location and presence capabilities for static, nomadic and mobile VoIP users have made this service possible. The critical routing and delivery of the VoIP caller's registered location information to the nearest Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) will also take place effortlessly.

Read More

Verizon adds VoIP capabilities to its Verizon Web Center service

Verizon Business has added VoIP capabilities to its Verizon Web Center service. This feature would be available from this month onwards. The plus point of this service is that it can be paid as one goes or be paid per month, per agent and call transport fees and associated IP phone equipment costs. It would be a great option for retail companies such as catalogues which require adjusting the number of customer service agents during the years busiest time in the holiday season.

Businesses would be able to save on inbound toll free costs as their customers can make local calls that are directed to an IP Web Center agent over Verizon Business’ IP network.

via [TMCNet]

Mitel and Foundry Networks collaborate to simplify deployment of VoIP Networks

Mitel and Foundry Networks are collaborating to simplify the deployment of converged data and VoIP networks using gigabit Ethernet networks with network supplied power. They are working in tandem to simplify the deployment and configuration of VoIP in enterprises in order to minimize the opportunities for human error and maximize business continuity.

According to a claim by the companies, customers deploying Foundry Networks’ FastIron Super X Series and FastIron Edge X424-POE can cost efficiently add Mitel 5200 series phone in order to enable gigabit PoE VoIP capability to the desktop.

via  [ITWire]

Fusion and AnchorFree partner for promoting VoIP services

Fusion Telecommunications has entered into a strategic partnership with AnchorFree to promote its VoIP services to millions of Wi-Fi users. Under the terms of agreement, AnchorFree would be promoting Fusion’s efonica VoIP services on its websites, in its toolbars and on content pages. AnchorFree and MetroFreeFi.com attracts millions of users every month.

Accoeding to Matthew Rosen, President and COO of Fusion:

We are very excited to have formed a partnership with AnchorFree and believe our agreement allows Fusion to expand its activity in the rapidly growing wireless Internet Access industry. Additionally, AnchorFree's large user base, proprietary software and unique business model are an excellent fit with Fusion.

via [Yahoo]

LiteScape Technologies introduces latest version of MAP

LiteScape Technologies has introduced the newest version of its Multi-Modal application Platform (MAP) for the rapid development, customization and implementation of enterprise VoIP solutions. MAP is regarded as a powerful and scalable IP telephony platform which combines a rich set of flexible business rules and configurable policies with security, authentication and access control to enable real time interactive voice, text image and capabilities.

The enhancements which have been added to MAP include presence management, connection to instant messaging servers, collaborative platform and customizable application development. These offerings would extend functionality and encourage collaborative communications which would enable enterprises to maximize the potential of enterprise VoIP deployments.

via [Yahoo]

Patton Electronics successfully completes interoperability tests

Patton Electronics has successfully completed the interoperability tests between BroadSoft BroadWorks and its SmartNode family of VoIP IADs and Routers. The company made use of independent labs of tekVizion to perform the test regimen required to obtain BroadSoft Interoperability status for the SmartNode products. Service providers would be getting the benefit of a smooth migration from legacy telephony to the latest in VoIP services through interoperability between these two leading solutions.

By using the SIP protocol, SmartNodes connect existing infrastructure in residential and enterprise premises to the advanced features and services of BroadWorks.

via  [PRNewsWire]

TidbitMedia launches TopVoipSource.com

TidbitMedia has unveiled a new site which would give readers a new source for a wide variety of in depth news and info related to VoIP. The site is called TopVoipSource.com and would be updated daily with the newest and most interesting pieces of VoIP news and updates. The article would be put up with headlines and a concise statement about what the article is related to. It would offer convenience for those who want to learn further about VoIP or get information regarding services and industry information in an easy to read format.

via [NewsWireToday]

Hitachi Display Products Group launches vga tft display module – TX09

Hitachi Display Products Group has introduced a 89 cm vga tft display module called the TX09. It has a 240(w) by 320(h) resolution. TX09 provides 262,000 colors and is for telephone handset which includes VoIP, bespoke data loggers, measurement devices and multi function printers. The measurement is 64.0 mm wide by 86.0 mm high and 4.0 mm deep. The active matrix unit makes use of chip on glass technology and a white LED backlight. Its transmissive model is available with touch screen functionality. This model gives customers a 22% increase in brightness over previous models.

via [CIE]

Centillium Communications launches Palladia 400 series of chipsets

Centillium Communications has introduced Palladia 400 family of chipsets which can deliver up to 50Mbps downstream and 5.5Mbps upstream. It permits service providers to deploy premium services such as VoIP, video on demand, virtual private networks and streaming media with lower overall costs and faster time to market.

Palladi 400-2P includes two voice channels and has been created for home gateway applications whereas Palladia 400- 4P with four channels has been optimized for high end enterprises. The company’s architecture combines an ADSL2/2+/2 modem, a 200MHz dedicated voice dsp, high performance 200MHz network processor, USB port and a PCI interface which supports all of the new wireless technologies.

via [CIE]

Cisco accepts VoIP protocol, finally!!!

Till now Cisco’s IP-based PBX system was the only major system which was not supporting a standard protocol that would cut the cost of VoIP and pave the way for a new generation of VoIP applications. Mounting pressure from customers and the standard’s potential has resulted in Cisco backing the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP).

The company has planned a set of announcements that have SIP at their core. Besides SIP compliant CallManager 5.0, it includes SIP capabilities for Cisco IP phones, multimedia communications software and presence awareness software.

via   [InformationWeek]

What is driving VOIP's growth?

The 'VOIP for Business' conference was recently held in London. The organizers did an on-site survey of the attendees and found out that there were three factors driving the adoption of VOIP:

-          reducing communications costs

-          simplifying internal communications

-          enhancing flexible working.

Moreover, it was found that with increasing popularity of VOIP services, Quality of IP services will become more important than ever.

Companies will need dynamic IP network management skills to makew sure that service levels for all supported applications and services meet key business requirements. Active IP management is the keyword here.

Via [IT Analysis]

French Business and VOIP: Feeling the Pinch?

Business users of VOIP services in France are finding that they have to pay more for using VOIP services than the homeowner. Home-based consumers pay only 30 euros ($36) for a monthly high-speed Internet service while Business users have to invest in dedicated IP networks and expensive phones and others making busineeses pay upwards of  about 250 euros to fully equip an employee with VoIP.

So far 2-3 % of small to medium-sized companies in France have adopted VoIP but numbers are growing.  VOIP traffic in France will reach 30-40 percent of traffic.

Via [Reuters]

Samsung & Avaya will develop IP telephony products together

Samsung Electronics and Avaya Inc. will now jointly develop and market IP telephony products in the global market.

The two companies will focus on enhanced IP convergence and mobile applications. At first, Samsung will resell Avaya's contact center and IP telephony products in South Korea.

The new combine's products will be either cobranded or individually branded, and will be sold using Avaya's global sales channels.

Read More

Topic list for the forthcoming presentation on"Applying FCAPS Principles to IP Telephony"

FCAPS, the International Telecommunication Union's standard model for network management, stands for Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance, and Security management. All the FCAPS areas cover the core functional responsibilities of corporate network managers, and provide a powerful model for effeienctly managing converged networks.

The main questions before the participants are:

-- What are the crucial metrics and measurement techniques for fault management in converged networks?

-- How is QoS measured and managed for voice traffic and overall network performance?

-- How can enterprise-wide call accounting be accomplished in a hybrid, multi-vendor network?

-- How should security fit into an overall management approach, and how should security technologies contribute to network management functions? and

-- What might an overall FCAPS framework for converged network management look like, and how should it be implemented?

The presentation will be held during the VoiceCon Spring 2006 conference and exhibition onThursday, March 9.

Via [Business Wire]

MWEB Business to expand VoIP range

After the ADSL VoIP triumph, MWEB has unveiled OfficeCall PABX, a VoIP solution exclusively meant for companies with existing PABX system. With an objective to deliver business houses extensive inter-branch call cost savings, OfficeCall was launched in 2005. Now to enable businesses with lot of savings on all kinds of calls MWEB has extended the functionality to offer least cost routing (LCR).

With integral LCR functionality, OfficeCall PABX delivers call rates which are hugely reduced. What you get is savings of up to whopping 35% on local cellular calls and up to 12% on national calls and up to 60% on international calls.

Via [Mybroadband]

 

MoBif signs contract with Tele VoIP

Mobif Bhd, basically an Asian player, the maker of internet surveillance has signed an overseas contract with an Italian firm, Tele VoIP Italia SrL to penetrate in the global market. Tele VoIP is a discounted low-cost long distance call group in

Italy which has more than 150,000 subscribers on board.

Last week, Mobif Bhd has appointed a China-based consultancy, Ying Te Yi Technologies (Beijing) Co Ltd to implement and commission VoIP networks in six major metro cities in
China. With a strong product growth MoBif registered a fourfold net profit in the fourth quarter.

Via [Btimes]   

Transition to VoIP will take 20 more years to happen

HP networking chief John McHugh thinks Voice over IP will take 20 years to ward off old good telephone. He says that for last five years every year it was told that this would be the year of VoIP but that has never happened. In a forum in Garmisch (Germany) VP of HP's Pro-Curve networking John McHugh says that the legacy of old telephone system will strongly be right there at least for next 15-20 years.

He predicted that not all but only privileged few will avail the 10Gbits/sec links on their desktop over copper lines. 1Gbits/sec will be sufficient enough for company premises and metropolitan link lines.

Via [Computeractive]

Avaya leads global telephony market: Synergy Research

Synergy Research Group's Enterprise VoIP Equipment Report identified Avaya as the global market leader in enterprise internet protocol (IP) telephony port shipments. Avaya, a consistent leader in the IP Port shipment market consistently has been chosen the winner for the ninth consecutive quarter.   

The research also informs Avayas’ revenue in the field of IP telephony as well led for the consecutive fourth quarter with 23.1 per cent market share. This quarter can also be recognized as a landmark because the company has shipped its eight millionth IP telephony line in this quarter only.

Roger El-Tawil, channel and marketing manager, Avaya Middle East and North Africa said, “The health of the Middle East’s IP telephony market is demonstrated by the fact that Avaya is now hosting this partner training twice a year rather than annually to accommodate the demand.”

Via [TradeArabia]

Ilevo and Netbricks to deliver enhanced VoIP for PLC based on DS2 chips

Ilevo and Netbricks have formed a partnership (they earlier have created VoIP products for the Broadband Power Line access platform) to provide to deliver integrated superior VoIP solutions for broadband over power line communications products which is based on DS2 chipsets. It will be supplied to the Alliance by a Spanish chipmaker. The companies have by now manufactured VoIP products for the Broadband Power Line access platform that are fully compliant with the VoIP SIP standard.

According to Eric Morel, chief executive at Ilevo, "We are always extremely positive about the creation of this type of powerline communications ecosystem. It has helped us to build a SIP-based VoIP solution in record time."

Via [Vnunet]

SMBs and IP telephony: Scope infinite

The scope of IP telephony in the small and medium businesses (SMBs) can be enormous. This report on Infoworld says SMBs employ 35% of the total workforce and account for about 42% of total business revenue. The current penetration of IP telephony among SMBs is not very high but in the coming years the scenario is bound to change. To be a better player with more efficiency and improve productivity an inclination towards IP telephony is bound to happen.

Critical success factors

Below are areas vendors should focus on to achieve success in this segment:-

 - Adopting SIP (Session Initiation Protocol)

- Vertical Specific Solutions.

- Adopting SIP (Session Initiation Protocol)

- Expanding go-to-market strategy.

- Alliances with Service Providers.

Via [Infoworld]

NeoAccel plans to foray in India

NeoAccel which is a leading provider of internet security solutions has ambitious plans to make foray in India. The company plans to invest fifty crores in its development operations. The company plans to recruit a team of world class IT professionals to address security, technical support and networking support to both Indian and global enterprises.

NeoAccel has made a late entry in the Indian market and would have to cope with market competition in the security space. Company’s SSL VPN-Plus achieves 6x to 30x better performance as compared to conventional SSL VPNs.

According to Michael Sussai, CEO, NeoAccel:

We are capitalizing on a significant fundamental technology flaw with existing SSL VPN products, so there should not be a tough competition.

via [CXOToday]

Avaya declared leader for global IP telephony market for 2005

Avaya has been identified as the global market leader in Enterprise Internet Protocol Telephony Port shipments by Synergy Research Group’s Enterprise VoIP Equipment Report for the year 2005. According to the report, Avaya is leading in IP Port shipments for the ninth consecutive quarter with 20% of the global market in the fourth quarter of 2005. Avaya was also declared as a leader for third consecutive year in IP Port Shipments with 21% for the full year. In terms of IP Telephony revenue also Avaya led with 23.1% share. The company also completed its eight millionth IP telephony line shipment during the quarter with nearly one million IP port shipments in the quarter alone.

via [Strategyiy]

Yak Communications introduces Yak Unlimited Calling Plan

Yak Communications has introduced the Yak Unlimited Calling Plan for international customers. It is being offered in addition to the other VoIP services offered by Yak which includes YakForFree peer to peer Virtual Videophone and YakToAnyone PC to PSTN calling. This plan allows international customers to choose a local North American number to associate with their account in order to make and receive calls to and from analog or mobile phones anywhere in the world.

It also provides many other features like voice mail, caller ID, unified messaging, conference calling and call waiting for $19.99USD.

via  [VoIP-Magazine]

Entone Technologies to showcase VOD solutions at IPTV World Forum

Entone Technologies would be showcasing its next generation personal video content delivery solutions that deliver disruptive price/performance levels at IPTV World Forum, London. Entone would be featuring open standards based video on demand solutions for delivering and managing digital assets which provide significant efficiencies and cost savings for video service operators.

The Entone solutions being showcased would include the StreamLiner network video recorder and the Armada Intelligent Asset Manager.

“In 2005 alone Entone deployed its StreamLiner VOD solution at more than 25 operators in the world, including the world’s largest IPTV service at PCCW” says Steve McKay, Entone CEO. “Many of these deployments have been in the EMEA market where Entone has seen great success. We look forward to participating in the IPTV World Forum as a platform for demonstrating our market-leading solution to our partners and some of the world’s leading IPTV operators.”

via  [IPTV-News]

VoX Communications introduces new retail VoIP service plan

VoX Communications has launched its new retail VoIP service plans that include lower pricing on multiple lines and international calls.  It has introduced VoX 1000 which offers 1000 minutes across U.S. and Canada for $ 14.95. VoX Unlimited Plus includes one VoX unlimited line for anywhere in the U.S. and Canada and also offers a second VoX basic line for $ 34.95. The company is also offering the VoX Unlimited WorldWide which includes the VoX Unlimited plan and 1000 VoX Worldwide minutes across 34 popular countries for $39.95. It has also introduced VoX Small Business which includes unlimited calling across the U.S. and Canada plus a dedicated fax line with 500 minute and 300 VoX worldwide minutes for $49.95.

via  [TMCnet]

Alcatel to provide integrated solutions in order to bring together Alcatel’s leading IP telephony and applications with IBM BladeCenter servers

Alcatel is planning to deliver integrated solutions that would bring together Alcatel’s leading IP telephony and applications with IBM BladeCenter servers. It is perfect for large enterprise and data centers, outsourcers and service providers who seek to centralize telephony services within their overall IT environment while providing flexible deployment models that support both premise based solutions and managed services or a mix of both.

The offering would integrate Alcatel’s OmniPCX Enterprise IP communications platform, Alcatel OmniVista management solution and Alcatel OmniTouch Unified Communications suite of applications into IBM environments. This solution can also be incorporated with various business workflow processes through a series of web service that permit a flexible and cost effective way to integrate communication interactions into business workflows which increase the speed in which business processes are completed.

via  [WebWire]

NetHead acquires VoIP rights for United States and Canada

NetHead has acquired the rights to VoIP for the United States and Canada through an agreement with Infinet Communications. NetHead has entered this market in order to serve the needs of its loyal community of users. NetHeadVoice plans start as low as $14.99 per month. Users are charged 35% less as compared to traditional phone service.
The savings would come handy at a time when utility costs have shot up leaving many families with a budget shortfall every month. It has also come out with plans for small businesses. One is not charged set up fees or purchase expensive equipments

via  [XTVWorld]

SMC Networks introduces Wireless Travel Voice gateway

SMC Networks has introduced an all in one travel device called the SMC Wireless Travel Voice gateway. It is a compact and versatile device which integrates the functions of wireless gateway and VoIP technology into one device for the business traveler. Users would now be able to select a number of a number of functions based on their specific needs in different networking environments and at the same time also provide option to use the RJ-11 voice interface for VoIP calls and life line function.

The retail price for the travel voice gateway is $ 150 and it would be made available at the end of the first quarter at all retail channels.

via  [VoIPCentral]

Zignal to launch a new service platform at London’s IPTV World Forum

Zignal would be launching a new service platform at London’s IPTV World Forum in March. The new solution would be delivering a range of revenue generating IPTV services through a single solution and the services would be accessible from a number of standards compliant digital media receivers like set top boxes, remote controls and smart phones. The new solution has been developed as a result of two years of intensive research and development. The services would be including digital television, personal video recording, video on demand, digital radio and online gaming. All the services would be accessible through a customizable user interface.

via  [TMCnet]

ISPhone introduces whitelabel SMB VoIP Network in Australia

ISPhone has started operations in Australia. The company plans to become the country’s largest SMB VoIP provider through a channel strategy that offers high level of support for partners. The company has signed Australian Satellite Services which has selected ISPhone to help it deliver a VoIP over Satellite service to remote Australian locations. The new VoIP service would be complementing ASCS’s data and fax service offering all over a single satellite connection which would result in cost savings of as much as 90% over traditional phone services. The company wants to distinguish itself from other VoIP providers who are offering a distinctively retail or enterprise flavored IP telephony service.

via  [VoIPNews]

Nokia and Motorola launch cellular-VoIP phones

Nokia and Motorola have unveiled phones which can switch between cellular coverage outdoors and cheap wireless internet calling inside using a single phone number. They have been introduced in order to meet the growing demand. The companies are aware of the fact that they can’t beat internet call operators like Skype for the cheap calls they provide and they think it is better to join them. Nokia 6136 and Motorola A190 handsets introduced at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona can connect to the internet via Wi-Fi rather than Bluetooth in order to make cut price calls from home, office or public hotspot. A number of smaller manufacturers have also announced similar phones in recent months.

via  [VoIPCentral]

Shanghai Telecom to issue IPTV numbers ahead of schedule

Shanghai Telecom and Shanghai Media Group are impressed by the rapid increase of IPTV service applicants and they are now pressing to issue the IPTV numbers ahead of schedule. According to local media reports, Shanghai Telecom has raised its first quarter goal from 5500 to 10,000 users. The company has been attracting users with competitive ADSL and IPTV package offers. According to an earlier plan IPTV network was to be completed in Shanghai by the middle of 2006 and thousands of users were to be developed by the end of this year. Apart from Shanghai’s Shenmin District and Pudong District where IPTV was initiated, Zhabei district has also been included in the list.

via  [ChinaTechNews]

BT deploying global VoIP platform

BT is investing $ 21 million in order to axe its legacy TDM across more than 30 countries as part of its new generation network development – 21st Century Network. The company would be applying half of its initial global rollout plan to Asia Pacific markets where the company has been experiencing an average 45 % year on year growth in overall voice traffic on its current voice network. Seven nodes have already been rolled out across Asia Pacific markets which include Australia, India, Japan, and Hong Kong. The new network would be offering a never before seen level of integration between applications and network services.

via  [VoIPNews]

Interactive Television Networks to launch Pulse

Interactive Television Networks has launched Pulse which is the first music video network. Pulse would be offering unlimited video on demand access to a commercial free library of more than 30,000 music videos from all the major recording labels with new videos added weekly. Videos would be organized into dozens of 24/7 channels, classified by specific group and genre. Subscribers would also be able to create playlists of their favorite videos which can be viewed in order or at random and can even be shared with other subscribers. It would be available from May at a cost of $ 4.95 per month.

via   [InformItv]

Asian VoIP market set to grow, according to Mergent Online

According to Mergent Online, the market for VoIP services in Asia including Japan would grow by $ one billion per year between 2005 and 2009 and would clock $ 10 billion by 2009. It is expected that the Smartphone usage in Asia would take off in the 3G mobile communications era and the Chinese mobile phone vendors are preparing for this new demand. It is also expected that the Asian market for television and other media on mobile phones is poised for an explosion. India has emerged as Asia’s fastest growing market for mobile services with subscriber numbers doubling to 55.31 million as compared to a decade ago.

via  [Forbes]

IDT to acquire Net2Phone, Finally!!

Net2Phone is being acquired by IDT for $ 28.1 million, a deal which would make Net2Phone a private company. The deal would bring to an end a long courtship in which IDT had repeatedly raised its offer for Net2Phone. As per the terms of the agreement, IDT would be paying $2.05 in cash per share for Net2Phone. It is the same price which IDT paid in an earlier tender offer for Net2Phone. When the deal gets finalized, Net2Phone would become a privately held wholly owned subsidiary of IDT. As on Feb 1, IDT’s holdings in Net2Phone gave it an 87.2 % voting stake in the company.

via   [VoIPCentral]

BT Group to invest $ 21 million on VoIP platform

BT Group PLC is investing $21 million on a global platform to provide voice calling over the internet. Half of the investment would go into developing the platform for the Asia-Pacific region. VoIP permits customers to save money by switching from company’s traditional phone system. It breaks sound into data packets that travel over the internet and get reassembled on the recipient’s end. The company’s platform would be able to support services such as voice calls, videoconferences and e-mails. When the project gets completed this year, it would cover 17 countries including Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan.

via  [SeattlePi]

deltathree expanding its presence in Caribben and Latin American markets

deltathree would be expanding its presence in the Central, South American and Caribbean markets. deltathree has entered into partnership within Colombia, Dominican Republic, Honduras, Peru and Mexico region that has led to an expansion of its global VoIP network. It would emerge as a major step in leveraging the growing demand for VoIP services in the region. Since deltathree has established distribution partners, it is targeting new business opportunities and successfully leveraging the overwhelming interest in their VoIP offerings. The company is trying to make it easy for partners to work with deltathree and maximize the revenue they derive from selling deltathree’s products and services.

via  [TMCnet]

IPcelerate to provide VoIP software applications for Subway Sandwich Stores

IPcelerate has been selected to provide VoIP software applications for a series of Arizona based Subway Sandwich Stores. The deal requires Ipcelerate to deploy a series of VoIP business systems onto a converged network in order to assist with business processes. The application would have an impact on time card and shift management, store emergency awareness, daily deposit, store task awareness, customer order improvement, employee recognition and employee safety. Applications would be developed specifically for this business initiative. The development and deployment of the VoIP application system would be delivered in three phases spanning around six to nine months. Phase one would be fully deployed in the first quarter of 2006.

via  [TMCnet]

TeliaSonera to conduct trials for wireless telephony along with Nokia and Cisco

TeliaSonera would be conducting trials for wireless telephony via WLAN for enterprise customers using equipment from Nokia and Cisco systems. The trials with Cisco and Nokia are part of company’s ambition to provide customers with an easy to use wireless VoIP concept. It has emerged as the first operator to conduct trials in this area along with Nokia and Cisco. Security, simplicity and quality would be tested in depth. The company has also been conducting trials of a wireless VoIP solution using UMA technology for consumers in Denmark and Sweden.

via  [Converge]

SIPphone launches new service named area775

SIPphone has launched a new service called area775. It has emerged as the first service that would give the user one number that would reach on his computer or mobile phone. It would also enable to transfer calls between the two locations. It is the first VoIP service that combines the PC calling world with traditional phones making it all seamless. One can signup for free from www.area775.com. If a person wants another area code, then one needs to pay $ 3.95 per month. It works with SIPphone’s Gizmo Project and is more than a phone number. The features which have been included are call screening, dual ring, call transfer and voicemail enabled with an SMS notification system that can be configured to send an alert to a person after one receives a voicemail.

via  [ZDNet]

iDial-IP turn key VoIP solution receives Best of Show award at Internet Telephony conference

GlobalNet Corporation’s iDial-IP turn key VoIP solution has been named winner for second year in a row for Best of Show award at TMC’s   Internet Telephony conference and EXPO East 2006. iDial-IP is a flexible private label consumer VoIP platform which has been designed and built specifically for service providers who require performance and ease of installation. The iDial-IP platform has been completely customized to fit the needs of specific local markets which include custom calling plans or region and custom rate management for profitability control.

via  [Chron]

Sprient expanding its portfolio of VoIP companies

Sprient Communications is expanding its portfolio of VoIP companies by acquiring QuadTex systems which is a supplier of VoIP multimedia subsystem test tools. The potential value of the deal is $ 9 million which also includes $ 7.5 million in cash and an additional $ 1.5 million conditional on the completion of certain agreed upon technical milestones. QuadTex was founded in 2002 and it has 14 employees. Its main customers are AT&T, Ericsson, Cisco and NTT. The acquisition reflects company’s strategy of selective acquisitions to contribute to its holdings in the areas of triple, VoIP and IMS testing. Sprient is also acquiring SwissQual at an estimated cost of $ 70.5 million.

via  [teleClick]

eWAN1 to launch Global Internet television service by April, 2006

eWAN1 would be launching their Global Internet television service in April, 2006 which would offer consumers 75 channels of high definition clarity on demand broadcast content through their television screens via any broadband internet connection. The company also plans to launch Triple Play Digital Media Center set top boxes in March 2006. It would emerge as the first company to lunch true IPTV service on a global basis. Its subsidiary company, Direct connect would be providing traditional broadcast television to subscribers who would be able to select channels and networks of their choice and would include popular networks such as CNN and HBO.

via  [VoIPMagazine]

Avaya bags multiple market awards

Avaya has bagged five prestigious market leadership awards from Frost & Sullivan which has recognized its expertise in enabling companies to use communications as a tool in order to gain competitive edge. The major award in Avaya’s kitty is the Company of the Year award for excellence in IP based enterprise communications applications and contact center solutions. The company also bagged awards for its strategy and market share in the following areas which includes messaging and mobility, conferencing and collaboration and for its leading Voice over Wireless LAN solutions. The company is being honored for its achievements and leadership in North America telephony and messaging.

via  [PrNewsWire]

Vonexus receives Internet Telephony’s Product of The Year award

Vonexus has won the Internet Telephony magazine’s 2005 Product of The Year award for the company’s Microsoft based IP communications system, Enterprise Interaction Center (EIC). The company has received the award for its commitment to innovation, quality and meeting real marketplace needs. Enterprise Interaction Center is a Microsoft based IP communications system which is built on open standards offering pre packaged IP PBX, IVR, auto attendant, web chat functionality, unified messaging along with Microsoft .NET Office desktop plug ins. EIC was built to fill the gap created by vendors offering proprietary, hardware based multi product VoIP based solutions.

via   [BusinessWire]

Carphone Warehouse plans to enter the Irish broadband market

Carphone Warehouse is conducting a feasibility study for entering the Irish broadband market. The company is already discussing with a number of existing broadband providers in the Irish marketplace. The company is looking for a partner to combine with its 80,000 strong CPS customer base in Irish market. They are also looking at the possibility of performing local loop unbundling. It is just a matter of time before the company comes up with a broadband offering under their Talk Talk brand at some stage in the near future. Carphone Warehouse is also evaluating a possible mobile virtual network operator play in the Irish market.

via [SiliconRepublic]

Avaya maintains leadership in Lebanon

The Dell ‘Oro Group IP Telephony Enterprise Report states that Avaya has maintained its leadership region in Lebanon with new installations in enterprise telephony, contact center and mobility solutions. The report for the third quarter of 2005 states that Avaya has maintained its global market leadership in enterprise telephony. This includes both IP telephony and traditional telephony revenues. Avaya has emerged as the leader in enterprise telephony with market share of 19% in the third quarter. This has been due to the business benefits which have been delivered by Avaya’s solutions. Avaya has been able to achieve growth in key MENA markets like Lebanon.

via  [CpiLive]

Iowa Public television to launch digital service in Mason City

Iowa Public Television would be launching digital service in Mason City by mid March and in the neighboring areas by the end of this year. This would enable users of HDTV sets to watch IPTV programming on digital channel 18 in HDTV with superior picture and sound. HDTV would be offered in the evening while IPTV would be broadcasted during the daytime. The digital services would be available free to all viewers and it would not require subscription to satellite or cable service. People who don’t have HDTV would still be able to receive the digital service with a set top box that converts digital signals into analog.

via  [GlobeGazette]

SIPquest becomes a member of Symbian Platinum Program

SIPquest has joined the Symbian Platinum Program in order to support the growing market for smart phones based Symbian OST. As a member of the Symbian Platinum program SIPquest would be able to bring functionally rich VoIP solutions to Symbian OS phones and satisfy the needs of the users that depend on dual mode Wi-Fi and GSM or Wi-Fi and CDMA features. As a partner in this program, SIPquest would be extending personalized control of communications services through FMC and IMS solutions over GSM, Wi-Fi and CDMA interfaces to Symbian OS ecosystem.

via  [SymbianOne]

Nokia, AIS and Avaya come together to offer Enterprise Fixed Mobile Convergence

Nokia, Avaya and Advanced Info Services have partnered to introduce the first phase of an FMC solution that would enhance office productivity and competitiveness. The FMC solution is available on mobile devices operating on the S60 platform and Symbian operating system which enables mobile workers to access the features and functions of office desk phones through an easy to use on screen interface. The companies have announced that they would be jointly providing the services to their enterprise customers. It includes PTT Exploration and Production Plc which is a petroleum exploration and production company based in Thailand.

via  [IT News Online]

Amdocs IP Convergence Solution for IPTV receives Internet Telephony’s 2005 Product of the Year award

Amdocs IP Convergence Solution for IPTV has received the 2005 Product of the Year award from Internet Telephony magazine. This solution includes the Amdocs billing, payment mediation, CRM ordering and self service products along with consulting and systems integration services. By incorporating these products into one comprehensive solution, carriers can provide a seamless experience whether consumers order a video on demand through the on-screen interface or logs a service complaint via the Web. Every year the Product of the Year award is given to those companies by Internet telephony that have shown excellence in technological advancements and application refinements

via  [PRNewsWire]

MyVillage.com joins hands with Voice Commerce Group to launch voice enabled online communities across UK

MyVillage.com has joined hands with Voice Commerce Group to launch voice enabled online communities across UK. Voice Commerce which provides low cost internet telephony services including free calls to PCs and video messaging is to be installed through MyVillage’s 121 local and city based online communities. This would be a major step in providing a real life online experience to communities that can be either geographic or internet based. The Whitephone technology uses advanced features such as CastAlive broadcasting and click to talk which enables users and advertisers to opt in to be alerted to local offers and news in their region.

via   [VoIPCentral]

Cordia Corp expanding its global VoIP network

Cordia Corp has added phone numbers from over 30 countries to its VoIP network. The additional numbers would serve as an important part of Cordia’s new service offering which would allow customers to select phone numbers from as many as 36 countries. The International telecommunications market reached $ 1.3 trillion in 2004 and is expected that it would reach $ 1.6 trillion by 2009. Cordia Corp through its subsidiaries Cordia Corp and Cordia Communications offers business, residential and wholesale customers local and long distance telecommunications services.

via  [Orlando Business Journal]

Wireless VoIP to emerge on the communication scene in 2006

According to a recent report by IDC, wireless VoIP telephony is set to emerge on the communications scene. Pilots, trials and proof of concepts wireless internet telephony projects would dominate the market in the year ahead. The other factors would be mass market availability of dual mode handsets along with IP telephony vendor’s integration of fixed mobile convergence into their IP PBXs. Companies have starting realizing the value of VoIP in terms of feature rather than just a cost saving technology. There would be an increased interest in ensuring that WLAN and VoIP systems are ready for future wireless VoIP deployments.

via  [ITWales]

BroadWorks Communicator chosen for 2006 Frost & Sullivan Award for Excellence in Technology

BroadSoft has been selected for the 2006 Frost & Sullivan Award for Excellence in Technology for its product BroadWorks Communicator which is a breakthrough multimedia softphone and for expanding and refining its BroadWorks product platform. It is a next generation voice application platform which enables fixed and mobile carriers to provide advanced voice and multimedia applications and innovative features. The BroadWorks Communicator enables users to make calls from anywhere using their PC and high speed internet connection. The award is given to a company which has pioneered the development and introduction of an innovative technology in the market.

via  [PRNewsWire]

Telesat emerges as the exclusive satellite provider for Auroras Entertainment

Telesat has emerged as the exclusive satellite provider for Auroras Entertainment. Auroras are working on a fully integrated IPTV service that would be available across North America including Alaska and Hawaii using C band service from Telesat’s Anik F2 satellite. Auroras IPTV network would permit broadband operators such as telephone companies to provide IPTV services quickly and economically. It would be available as a complete end to end IPTV solution or as a supplier for individual components required to complete IPTV initiatives.

via [OttawaBusinessJournal]

Acme Packet deploys Applied Micro Circuits network processor

Applied Micro Circuits popular network processor which includes a traffic manager, network processor and data manager is being used by Acme Packet. Session border controllers play a vital role in the VoIP market by satisfying critical security, law enforcement requirements and service assurance at service provider network borders. Applied’s nP7250 network processors, nPX5720/25 and nPX5710 traffic managers are being used in Acme Packet’s Net- Net SD and Net-Net SR devices. Acme Packet has incorporated Applied Micro Circuits network processor platforms in all deployments of Net-Net family of session border control solutions.

via [VoIPCentral]

Indian telecom companies focusing on IPTV

IPTV is going to emerge as a major additional revenue stream for Indian telecom companies. Many companies have already started working towards this area. BSNL, Bharti Tele-Ventures, HFCL Infotel, MTNL and Reliance Infocomm are some of the major companies of India which are already in an advanced stage of adopting IPTV. Bharti is set to deploy IPTV in the next six months.  Reliance Infocomm has been already conducting IPTV trials in Delhi, Mumbai and Jamnagar for the past one year. BSNL and MTNL could emerge as the first companies to roll out IPTV. It is expected that by 2010 the total number of subscribers for IPTV would cross 120 million worldwide. Asia Pacific would have a market share of 47 % and India would emerge as a major market.

via  [ContentSutra]

Mammoth Networks announces an increased demand for their standalone DSL platform from VoIP providers

Mammoth Networks announced that there has been a fivefold increase in wholesale DSL demand by VoIP providers. Mammoth permits VoIP providers to provision standalone DSL or without a phone line which enables VoIP providers to deliver a telephone like product to their end users. In the last half of 2005, the company has signed an increased number of VoIP providers to its wholesale DSL platform. It states that its capability to deliver a standalone DSL over private network is the reason behind increased demand. The company permits VoIP providers to provision standalone DSL loops to its network allowing providers to control the process from order to service

via [PRWeb]

Global Crossing to provide high performance VoIP services to AccessLine Communications

Global Crossing is providing AccessLine Communications with a number of high performance VoIP services which includes VoIP Toll Free, VoIP Outbound and VoIP DID. This partnership would enable AccessLine to deliver turnkey VoIP application suite to its customers over Global Crossing’s high quality VoIP network. The partnership between the companies is based on mutual objectives which includes industry leading service delivery, proactive customer support, true end to end life cycle management and network security. The contract extension between the two companies highlights a strong relationship.

via  [PRNewsWire]

Epgyi Technologies and iotum enter into a strategic alliance

Epygi Technologies has announced a major alliance with iotum and has already completed interoperability development and started beta trials of iotum Relevance Engine. It has also announced two PC applications to augment the feature set of Quadro IP PBX systems. All the applications would be available by the second quarter of 2006. Epygi has entered into an alliance with iotum to enhance Quadro IP PBX offering with iotum’s Relevance Engine. Quadro IP PBX and iotum’s Relevance Engine together would deliver the perfect combination of power tools to maximize the efficiency of growing businesses.

via [TMCNet]

Is Microsoft serious about VoIP?

Microsoft is planning to expand into VoIP and users can expect to see it integrated into future products and services.  Using the Widows Live Messenger one would be able to call their contacts directly using their centralized address book. Windows Live Expo would enable potential buyers and sellers to call each other’s computers.  Free Call which is an upcoming click to call capability of MSN Local Search enables consumers to speak to advertisers free of charge. Windows Live Messenger phones from Philips and Uniden which were demonstrated at CES 2006 would be debuting shortly in the market. This is certainly a clear indication about how serious Microsoft is about entering the VoIP market with a winning set of products.

via [LiveSide]

Go2Call conferred with Internet telephony’s 2005 Product of the Year award

Go2Call has received the Internet Telephony’s 2005 Product of the Year award. Their product Go2Call Softphone SIP Dialer has been designed for optimization of speed and reliability. It is the latest innovation from Go2Call’s R&D team. This product has got advanced features and it provides accelerated performance and enhances the Softphone to provide customizable skinning and branding options. The Softphone is expedient for the end users and enables the service providers to build brand value. The dialer serves as a major link in Go2Call’s hosted, private labeled residential and business VoIP offerings.

via [PrNewsWire]

VoIP emerges as a cheaper option as compared to landline

Nearly ten million homes and businesses are making use of VoIP and are also saving their hard earned money. Many consumers are giving up their traditional phone service for VoIP and saving up to 50% in their call bills. For as little as $ 25 a month users can avail unlimited national calls and inexpensive international calls. According to Consumer Reports, it surveyed 200 people and found them to be satisfied with the overall VoIP service although the voice quality offered was not as good as the landline service.  VoIP service is cheaper as compared to landline as currently there are no hefty taxes and surcharges.

via [KFoxTV]

Multi Tech and Ingate to provide SIP based VoIP deployments

Multi Tech systems and Ingate Systems have struck a deal to help enterprises extend SIP based VoIP deployments to their branch offices. They believe that this partnership would strengthen both the companies. This alliance would enable the companies to provide full VoIP functionality in their branch offices. Partnership with Ingate would provide a unique firewall that would solve the usual firewall traversal issues inherent in SIP communications by working with VoIP and not against it. The joint solution provided by the companies would enable the enterprises to gain productivity benefits of a converged network without fearing of compromising the integrity of the enterprise LAN.

via  [Enterprise IT Planet]

Library and Technology to launch another pilot for IPTV

Library and Technology would be launching another pilot this semester for IPTV. It would serve two purposes, firstly to permit viewers on campus to watch streaming videos on computers like a cable TV system and give the professors an additional instructional resource for classes. The channels that would be available on IPTV are local programming, news, sports and entertainment. There would also be a channel for classroom content and BTV programming. Its success would depend upon the feedback gathered by LTS and how many hits the webpage received. Currently LTS is not looking forward to make total switchover right now.

via [The Hoot]

IPTV creates fear for cable companies

Cable television providers are wondering whether their future revenue would suffer as a result of rise of IPTV. The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers’ Emerging Technologies conference in Tampa, Florida discussed about IPTV and how it could threaten cable television. Although customers are willing to try IPTV but it has certain drawbacks like it struggles to deliver 20 Megabits per second over their fastest ADSL2 lines. It is also seen that a single high resolution uses 12 to 15 Mbps by itself and limits the potential for multiple video streams on current technology. But firms like Verizon are optimistic that they have the required bandwidth to service their customers’ current and future demands.

via [ArsTechnica]

Packet8 Virtual Office solution conferred with Network Computing’s Editor Choice award

Packet8 Virtual Office solution has been bestowed upon with the Network Computing magazine’s Editor’s Choice award. The solution was selected for its rich feature set, low subscription and call management tools. It has emerged as a cost effective and easy to use option as compared to traditional PBX systems that permits users worldwide to be a part of a VoIP hosted virtual phone system that comprises of conference bridges, business class voice mail and a host of rich business telephone features found in high end PBX systems. It also minimizes the total cost of ownership.

via [VoIPCentral]

Proposal to prevent taxing of VoIP in Colorado rejected

Legislators of Colorado rejected a bid to prevent state and local municipalities from taxing internet based phone services. Voting by the House Finance Committee defeated the proposal by 7-6. This measure was proposed by Rep. Matt Knoelder. Voting was also done top prevent the matter from being heard in the current term. The opponents were of the opinion that the measure would result in less tax revenue for the municipalities and give VoIP providers an unfair cost advantage. Knoedler was of the opinion that this measure was necessary in order to make Colorado businesses competitive to out of state providers such as Vonage.

via [RockyMountainNews]

IDC releases report on Cable VoIP

According to a report released by IDC, the American market for cable based VoIP is expected to touch 19.8 million subscribers by 2009. The companies in order to be competitive with carriers must provide bundled offerings. The other major findings of the report were that American operators would lead the charge in terms of softswitch deployment, acquisition of  Scientific Atlanta has made Cisco a major force as a cable equipment supplier, Cisco, Siemens and Nortel would maintain would maintain their respective market share and Alcatel is increasing its involvement in cable equipment market.

via [LightReading]

deltathree honored with Internet Telephony’s Product of the Year Award

Internet Telephony magazine has awarded 2005 Product of the Year award to deltathree’s IConnectHere. The award has been bestowed upon deltathree as its products and services are committed to quality and innovation and they address the real needs in the marketplace. iConnectHere enables users to select from one of the four calling plans depending upon their unique calling needs. The plans offer unlimited in network calls, unlimited inbound calls, advanced calling features etc. The plan also offers to the users a unified VoIP calling card and PC to PC Phone soft client capabilities at no extra cost. The winner of the Product of the Year would be highlighted in the Jan and Feb issues of Internet Telephony magazine.

via [PrNewsWire]

In-Stat report predicts substantial growth in VoIP services

According to a report by In-Stat, the number of VoIP subscribers reached 16 million in 2005 and is expected to touch 55 million by 2009. Although there had been a 62 % year over year subscriber growth rate in 2005 but very few customers have come across the term VoIP. This report provides an indication that public needs to be educated about VoIP so that there is a significant room for market growth.  The development in the VoIP market is being attributed to the competition in broadband access services. In the future new players ranging from cable MSOs to broadband ISPs, from Google to eBay would be playing a major role.

via [WirelessInsightAsia]

Avaya’s IP Telephony Solution to help NBC Olympics to provide uninterrupted coverage of Torino Winter Games

NBC Olympics would be using an Avaya IP telephony solution to provide communication capabilities linking the NBC’s Field Shop and International Broadcast center with NBC Olympics Headquarters, Stamford, NBC Studios, New York and Sports venues, Torino. It is the fourth consecutive Olympic Game in which Avaya is providing services to NBC. For the games, Avaya has upgraded the NBC Olympics network to the modern version of the industry leading Communication Manager software and a highly scalable Modular Messaging application that will make voice and fax messaging accessible from any phone, PC or fax machine. NBC Olympics has been provided with a single point of contact for around the clock service and support which includes dedicated onsite field technicians.

via [PrNewsWire]

Is tax exemption necessary for VoIP users?

Rep. D-Aurora, Matt Knoedler, R-Lakewood and Sen. Bob Hagedorn want to provide VoIP users at the expense of citizens making use of existing landline and wireless services. Their bill, HB 1173 would be heard in the House Finance on Wednesday. The bill would be costing city and county governments the revenue collected from VoIP users but the tax advantage would drive nearly all phone traffic to VoIP by 2008. Some of the VoIP providers are of the opinion that it is an infant industry and deserves a tax break to enable it to grow but it already has a number of big players who don’t require such incentives.

Via [VoIPCentral]

Voyages installs Mitel’s IP Telephony solution at its resorts

Mitel’s IP Telephony solution has been successfully implemented by Voyages at its resorts in the Red Centre of Australia. This system ensures great automatic reporting and makes it easier to remotely administer multiple sites. The success of Mitel’s 3300 solutions in Ayers Rock and Kings Canyon has prompted the company to install Mitel’s IP Telephony solutions across other resorts in Australia. Ericom designed the voice solutions for Voyages resorts at Ayers Rock and Kings Canyon. Mitel’s 3300 ICP was used at each resort, voice and data communications were provided by Telstra Private IP services and installation and onsite support services for the remote resorts was provided by Telstra Business systems.

via [Cnw]

Freeline USA to highlight IP centric product lines at Network Ventures Conference

Freeline USA will be presenting –Technology for What’s Next in IP Communications at the Dow Jones Network Ventures conference 2006 to be held at Fairmont Hotel, San Jose, CA. It has developed a distinctive architecture to address the need for low cost and fully survivable corporate voice network. Real world applications of IP centric product lines would be highlighted at the conference. Unique network architecture permits the FL-USA 800 series to interoperate between 200 locations or more without any centralized point of failure such as softswitch or gatekeeper. This allows secure, low cost voice communications with no single point of failure which is as dependable as the internet itself.

via [Business Wire]

Amino and Espial partner to provide innovative IPTV set top box solution for Allin

Espial and Amino have come together to provide innovative IPTV set top box technology for Allin Interactive. The combined IPTV solution would include Espial Evo running on top of the underlying Amino’s IntAct IPTV software platform to deliver a seamless operating system and middleware environment that would provide a rich responsive user experience. Allin will be utilizing the set top box technology from Amino and Espial in its second generation digital ITV platform. This technology will be introduced by Allin at a March industry tradeshow. The distinctive combination of software from Espial and Amino can help Allin in developing customized ITV solutions which can be easily installed.

Via [IndianTelevision]

Avaya declares results for the first quarter of 2006

In the first quarter of 2006, Avaya posted a turnover of $ 1.2 billion. This represents an 8.8 % increase over the same period last year. This quarter results also included a full contribution from Tenois acquisition. During the first quarter, the company shipped its eight millionth IP line and shipments increased 16 % as compared to the previous year. Revenues for company’s Global Communications Systems and Avaya Global Services rose by 11.7 and 5.8 percent respectively. In the year 2006, the company expects to benefit from its global size, service portfolio position and its technological leadership.

via [VoIPCentral]

Alan Percy to deliver keynote address at Internet Telephony Conference and Expo East 2006

Alan Percy, Director of Business Development, AudioCodes Ltd will be delivering a keynote address at Internet Telephony Conference and Expo East 2006 which will be held from January 24th to 27th at the Fort Lauderdale–Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The session will be titled – The Tale of Two Engineers and in this address Alan Percy will investigate what the dot com application developers and legacy carriers have amassed for their future subscribers and how equipment manufacturers need to evolve in order to meet their needs. The address will take place on January 26 at 5:15 pm. Registration for the conference can be done at http://www.itexpo.com.

via  [TMCnet]

NEC’s UNIVERGE(R) receives Internet Telephony’s 2005 Product of the Year Award

NEC Unified Solutions UNIVERGE(R) SV7000 MPS has received Internet Telephony magazine’s 2005 Product of the Year Award. This product is a full featured SIP enabled telephony server made for SME marketplace and provides call control for up to 500 IP stations. It provides over 440 service feature which enhance productivity, improve communications efficiency and reduce operating costs. Since it has innovative software and hardware designs, this enables it to grow incrementally and serve efficiently and helps it in expanding from its minimum to the maximum capacity without any loss of existing hardware. The winners of the award will be highlighted in the January and February issue of the magazine.

Via  [PrNewsWire]

RiGHTv 4.5 introduced by Orca Interactive

Orca Interactive has introduced RiGHTv 4.5 which is a service creation and delivery system for speeding time to market interactive TV applications and services. It offers flexibility and service control to operators to easily and quickly introduce an unlimited number of revenue generating and targeted services from various vendors which would reduce the cost of ownership, business risk and operation cost. The integrated TV experience as a result of multiple applications will increase loyalty and customer satisfaction and enable service bundling for promotion and pricing.

via  [Business Wire]

Agilent Technologies introduces VoIP test kit

Agilent Technologies has introduced its VoIP test kit for the N2620A FrameScope Pro. The test kit will help service providers and network installers to quickly and efficiently deploy voice services to Ethernet based networks. Network qualifications that go beyond bandwidth measurement ensure a smoother transition to VoIP. In its class the handheld analyzer is the most compact gigabit Ethernet troubleshooting and RFC 2544 network performance benchmarking tool. It can generate traffic up to full gigabit line rate with optical and electrical ports.

via  [EmsNow]

Home Base Service Company adds free VoIP plan comparison tool to voip-research.com

Home Base Service Company has added a free to use VoIP plan comparison tool to VoIP Research site – www.voip-research.com. This will enable the users to compare over 80 residential VoIP plans and 23 VoIP business plans over 25 different VoIP service providers.  This will provide end users with an extensive database to find out the best VoIP plan which meets the telephony needs. The search result will produce the price of each VoIP plan, the features available and access user reviews of each service provider. The database is updated regularly.

via    [USPRwire]

IDC conducts study on ‘Australian Wireless VoIP – On Trial in 2006’

According to a study conducted by IDC, ‘Australia Wireless VoIP – On Trial in 2006’ this year will be the year of trial and proof of concepts of wireless VoIP installation and will be driven by mass market availability of dual mode handsets and IP telephony integration of FMC features into IP PBX. For Australian companies the most distinctive wireless VoIP installation would involve the co-existence of thick access points and Wi-Fi handsets autonomously or thin access points with analogous wireless switch.

via    [Linuxworld]

MatrixStream Technologies to introduce world’s first HD IPTV

MatrixStream Technologies will be introducing world’s first H 264 AVC Video on demand IPTV Set Top Box and PC Player competent of the high definition signal formats. This will permit users to watch videos on DVD or HD over any broadband speed and play instant VOD and streaming DVD quality video in real time. One needs to plug one end of the set top box into a TV set and the other into any broadband connection and watch Video on Demand and IP broadcast TV in HD or DVD quality.

via  [PressZoom]

Motorola acquires Swedish company Kreatel Communications

Motorola has acquired Swedish company Kreatel Communications which provides Linux based IPTV set top boxes. It supplies set top boxes to service providers throughout Europe and will be incorporated into Motorola’s connected Home Solutions business. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed and the transaction is expected to be closed in Q1, 2006.Acquisition of Kreatel will balance Motorola’s digital video solution. This would be beneficial to green field video networks around the world. With this deal taking place the existing customers of Kreatel will get the benefits of working with a global leader in digital video.

via  [VoipCentral]

Beijing Netcom commences full fledged IPTV testing

After testing IPTV in Harbin, Beijing Netcom has started issuing bidding documents to IPTV manufacturers such as Siemens, Huawei, Starcom, ZTE inviting them for participation in its IPTV test in Beijing.Beijing Netcom has till now not faced any technical difficulties in implementing IPTV but there are bound to be delays in its implementation as a full fledged government policy has not been framed for this sector.  It is also planning to build an IPTV trial network which can support fifty thousand users and support ten thousand online users of IPTV application.

via  [EFY Times]

Spirit Telecom deploys SpiritPhone to remain competitive

In order to ensure its competitiveness within the industry Spirit Telecom has gone ahead and installed a VoIP system called SpiritPhone. It was assisted by RCG in the engineering and implementation of SpiritPhone. SpiritPhone is currently being used by small and medium sized businesses. SpiritPhone digitizes traditional voice traffic and transmits it across the network to the Public Switched Telephone Network. It combines the voice and data needs into dynamically shared internet bundle. A number of advanced features are provided by SpiritPhone such as unified messaging, IP Centrex, Web Portal dialing, presentation viewing, conferencing and voice mail for cell and PDA devices.

via [24-7 PressRelease]

Bharti to enter Internet Protocol TV segment

Sunil Bharti Mittal is planning to enter the IPTV market which would enable video content to be delivered through telephone lines. It has partnered with UTStarcom for technology for the Triple Play venture. This move is in synergy with Bharti’s telecom operations where it has a considerable fixed telephone retail customers and rising number of broadband users. It plans to offer 100 channels and is working to create a network transmission capacity for IPTV. IPTV is generally provided in combination with Video on Demand and includes internet services such as Web access and VoIP where it is referred to as Triple Play.

via [The Economic Times]

IDT extends the date for buying Net2Phone’s shares

IDT has furthered the expiry date of its tender offer for buying Net2Phone. It first came up with a proposal for buying Net2Phone last year in June and has extended the offer till January 27th, 2006. IDT had offered $ 2.05 cash per share for the shareholders of Net2Phone. The company currently owns 79 percent of Net2Phone outstanding shares. The extended date comes after the announcement on 29 December when IDT gave two weeks to shareholders of Net2Phone to sell their shares. The original price offered for Net2Phone’s share was $ 1.70 /share which was revised to $ 2.05 /share in mid -December 2005.

via  [Msn Money]

XO and Yahoo release VoIP findings

VoIP findings have been released by both XO and Yahoo this week. According to XO, it had over 2.2 billion minutes of VoIP traffic in the fourth quarter of 2005 which represents 22 percent increase over the previous quarter. The increase is being attributed to the larger installation of XO’s VoIP solutions by business and service providers. Yahoo findings indicate that internet search has been found to be the most trusted and important information resource for consumers shopping for VoIP calling services. According to the report 90 percent of the people surveyed were making use of internet to obtain additional information about VoIP services.

via [Von Magazine]

Network Programs to launch IP telephony and call centre solutions

Network Programs and Interactive Intelligence have entered into a value added reseller partnership for a wide range of cutting edge technologies in call center and IP telephony space which adds to Network Programs existing portfolio and third party relationship. Including Interactive Intelligence product line will widen Network Programs offering of contact centre solutions. Customer Interaction Center product by Interactive Intelligence offers an open, software based platform for IP switching, automatic call distribution, interactive voice response, call recording, screen dialing administered from a single interface. It also provides real time quality monitoring and performance management tools via its open standards architecture.

via  [India Infoline]

Aculab’s Prosody X available for shipment

Aculab’s Prosody X, the state of the art IP based card has been made available for shipment. The company has started fulfilling advanced orders for dozens of customers. Prosody X has already been awarded the Internet Telephony product of Year Award 2005. Prosody X provides full convergence of IP and traditional TDM voice communications which facilitates seamless integration of telephony and networking communications. It enables integrators to develop highly scalable, cost effective and feature rich media processing solutions. Prosody X will set a new yardstick in the industry in terms of channel density and cost per channel along with scalability.

via [ElectronicStalk]

Increasing market share for cable companies in North America’s VoIP industry

The market share held by cable companies in North America’s VoIP market is growing. Time Warner’s has witnessed a rise of 25 % in its market share in the first quarter of 2005. This growth has prompted cable providers in U.S. and Canada to launch their own VoIP services. These pre established cable companies have been able to capture a larger share in the market in spite of the fact that companies like Vonage have been providing better deals. Cable companies are getting the advantage of being pre established brands. It is expected that by 2009 the total value of North America’s VoIP industry will reach $ 23.4 billion.

via [TeleClick]

Iocell integrates VoIP into a compact USB Flash drive

South Korean company Iocell has integrated internet telephony into a compact USB Flash drive for the purpose of convenience. The drive is compact enough and it can be carried in one’s pocket. It provides between 128MB and 4GB of removal storage capacity which can be squeezed into a 7.4 x 2.1 x 0.7cm USB drive. It also has a sound card and retractable earphone and holds its VoIP application in a write protected 5MB partition on drive. The phone drive can be plugged into the computer and it automatically loads up the softphone app. The company is currently looking for distribution partners for its product.

via [The Register]

Interlink Global adds more clients and carries out up gradation

Interlink Global announced that it has added a number of clients to its wholesale telecommunications division and has upgraded its equipments at its communication hub in North Miami. The upgrades have resulted in adding of retail VoIP service with video capabilities. The upgrades have increased traffic capacity to 500 million minutes per month from the existing 300 million minutes per month. The company will also be handling international infrastructure projects and running a significant amount of wholesale traffic simultaneously. These steps will result in increasing revenues for the company in 2006.

via [TmcNet]

Covad Communications introduces Covad VoIP PBXi Plus

Covad Communications Group has introduced Covad VoIP PBXi Plus which is a business class offering for small businesses and distributed enterprises with existing on premise phone equipment. It provides short sales cycle and easy customer implementation. It is very well suited for high volume channels. This product will enable Covad to reach nationwide customers interested in premises based VoIP solutions. It has been tailored for small enterprises with existing PBX or key telephone systems. It runs over Covad’s Voice Optimized access T1 lines which offer quality voice and data services and provides cost savings up to 55 percent.

via [VoIP Magazine]

Bright future for VoIP in Malaysia

It is expected that the VoIP business in Malaysia will generate $ 398.9 million in revenue by the end of 2010. VoIP has been identified as one of the eight services in Malaysian master scheme that will drive the delivery of communications, multimedia services and advanced information in the next five years. In 2006 it is expected that VoIP will generate $ 212.7 million in revenue. VoIP  has resulted in around 80 percent savings in overseas calls. It is believed that VoIP will act as a driving force for industry development in Malaysia.

via [Xinhuanet]

Atreus selected by Level 3 for VoIP alliance

Atreus systems has been selected by Level 3 communications to participate in its (3)VoIP(SM) Technology Alliance program. This program unites Level 3 with a select group of technology vendors to help service providers quickly install services interconnected with Level 3 network. The participation of authenticates that Atreus’ software is interoperable with Level 3’s current application programming interface for its (3) VoIP services. This relationship will permit service providers to quickly become operational with a fully featured VoIP service, hence allowing providers to successfully turn up, bill and manage subscribers.

Via [XtvWorld]

VoIP survey conducted by Empirix

According to a survey conducted by Empirix on Service Provider VoIP Deployment and Service Delivery Challenges, only one fifth of the respondents used VoIP application monitoring systems to ensure service quality. The majority of problems indicated in the VoIP network were subscriber complaints. The conclusion which was arrived at was that more efforts need to be put by VoIP service providers to ensure quality of service. The survey also reported that VoIP service providers were of the opinion that media quality problems posed the biggest threat to service quality and this threat would increase in the next two years.

via [Light Reading]

Yahoo survey reports internet search as an indispensable research tool for VoIP

According to the findings announced by Yahoo regarding a survey conducted by National American Testing Organization , internet search was found to be the most trusted and important information resource for consumers researching VoIP calling services. The major findings of the research were that internet played a pivotal role in the consumer research process for VoIP services, internet search was found to be the most trusted resource for conducting research and it was highly valuable throughout the entire buying cycle. The survey also stated that multi channel approach is the best for driving maximum awareness.

via [TmcNet]

Aastra Intecom introduces Pointspan (R) 4.5

Aastra Intecom has introduced Pointspan 4.5 which is a complete VoIP option for its award winning communications platform. The primary market for Pointspan 4.5 are the large enterprises that want to consolidate multiple technology platforms on the way to an industry standards based pure VoIP solution. It supports industry standard SIP devices with an unparalleled  large enterprise scale and global scope  and significantly enhanced reliability and disaster reliability and disaster tolerance which results in the highest performance converged VoIP system available in the market.

via [TmcNet]

Bluesocket selected for Avaya Developer Connection Program

Bluesocket has been selected by Avaya for membership to the Avaya Developer Connection program. This program encourages the development, compliance testing and co marketing of innovative third party products that are compatible with Avaya solutions. The members of this program are experts in broad range of technologies such as IP telephony, mobility applications and contact center. This program has more than 1,300 software and hardware developer companies, service providers, integrators and customers. The members of this group have been instrumental in creating hundreds of innovative solutions tested for Avaya compliance.

via [ business wire]

Fujitsu and Vertical to develop and market POS IP telephony solution

Fujitsu Transaction solutions and Vertical Communications have come together to develop and market a point of sale IP telephony solution on Fujitsu's Team POS family of terminals. It is being termed as retail industry's first integrated soft telephony solution on a POS.  This system is an extension of Fujitsu's GlobalSTORE POS cash management and back office application. This solution will eliminate the space required for a separate telephone on the service and avoid any additional cost of purchasing and supporting separate telephone devices. The system was demonstrated during NRF from 16 to 17 January.

via [ voip magazine ]

Sonus Networks registers 70 percent growth in VoIP traffic

Sonus Network's amount of voice traffic being carried over Sonus' solutions exceeded 17 billion minutes per month by the end of 2005 which is a 70 % increase over the traffic carried in December 2004. Globally network providers around the world are supporting increased amount of traffic over Sonus IMS based architecture to provide innovative features and applications to users, achieving better operating efficiencies and preparing their telecommunications networks for a seamless migration to IMS compliance. Sonus has expanded its business with network operators over the previous year and traditional telecom providers, wireless operators and internet service providers have accepted Sonus technology and are migrating towards all IP based network architecture.

via [ prnewswire ]

Subdued growth of VoIP in SA

VoIP technology has generated only 0.1 % of the total fixed line voice revenues since being liberalized in SA.  The growth of VoIP has been slow as it has not been able to provide serious alternative to the PST network as an all round service for calling routes and modes. The biggest problem which is being encountered is with respect to the costs.  However it is expected that the cost of adopting VoIP will come down and it will serve as an important component for unified messaging and offer integration capabilities customer relationship management applications.

via [ my broadband ]

BellSouth and Qwest avoiding limelight on IPTV

BellSouth and Qwest Communications have been avoiding undue attention in spite of the fact that each of them is making advances with respect to their IPTV preparations while AT & T and Verizon have been under intense scrutiny for the past 18 months. Although BellSouth and Qwest are being subjected to competitive pressures from the triple play offerings of cable companies in their territories still it is expected that these companies will go ahead with their own terrestrial video strategy in 2006. BellSouth will be getting hundreds of high definition channels via satellites to its video head ends and it will soon begin the trials of its IPTV service with the real customers while Qwest is working to spruce up its broadband offering in order to support the demands of video.

via [ lightreading ]

Ubiquity to provide SIP Application Server to AT & T

Ubiquity software and AT & T Services have entered into a three year agreement under which Ubiquity will provide its SIP application Servers for testing and possible use in giving enhanced broadband services over an integrated VoIP network planned for AT & T customers. AT & T's VoIP based residential service CallVantage is being offered at $ 29.99 per month and it includes unlimited local and long distance calls to U.S. and Canada. The plan includes features such as three way calling, call waiting, call logging etc.

via [ tmcnet ]

BT enters into content agreement for its IPTV service

BT is launching its new television service this autumn. It would be partnering with HIT Entertainment, Nelvana and National Geographic Channel for content. It has already entered into contracts with Warner Music, Paramount   and BBC Worldwide for content. This service will enable viewers to watch digital channels and archived programs on demand through an adapted Freeview box connected to BT broadband. The trial of this service will begin in summer and BT is experimenting with this option in order to generate new sources of revenue. Users would either have to pay per program or a subscription fee to access the on demand service

via  [ ecommercetimes ]

Texas Instruments announces embedded technology named Piqua

Texas Instruments would be introducing an embedded technology that would distribute, real time monitor and correct quality of service issues on IP based services such as VoIP calls. The technology termed as Piqua would be embedded into its silicon for client side devices and network infrastructure equipment. It will enable service providers to monitor and rectify problems such as dropped packets, echo and line delay. Texas Instruments has been recruiting manufacturers and providers of network provisioning tools in order to make Piqua part of their products. The first implementation of Piqua would be available later this year.

via [edn ]

Dittberner Associates releases report on IPTV

According to a report by Dittberner Associates the incremental IPTV market would be reaching $ 336 million by 2013. The number of IPTV subscribers would shoot up to 53 million worldwide by 2013. The report also carried out an in depth study of the impact of IPTV service on Aggregation, Access and Backbone networks. Even though the subscription growth is expected to be slow but the low incremental investment will make it an attractive offering for traditional phone companies. The report also states that IPTV would have a major impact on the design of public networks and manner in which service providers would conduct business.

via [ streaming media]

Accton and Boingo to jointly develop VoIP products

Accton Technology Corporation and Boingo Wireless Inc would jointly develop VoIP Wi-Fi handsets, personal gateway products and dual mode handsets. The first product will be available in March 2006. Later on dual mode handsets and portable personal gateways will also be introduced. Accton has become the first OEM/ODM company which will embed Boingo’s authentication services in its VoIP product lines. The partnership of Accton with Boingo will ensure that all its future products will be able to identify and access Boingo’s 25,000 global hot spots. These new products will enable VoIP service providers to give more flexibility and opportunities to its users to utilize their low cost VoIP telephony through any of Boingo’s global Wi-Fi network sites in airports, hotels, retail stores etc.

via [ bbwexchange ]

USB VoIP Handset for free

Bargain electronics store Computer Geeks is offering a great deal on a USB VoIP Handset.  Although the handset is priced at $ 39.99 but the store is offering a mail in rebate for $ 39.99 till 31st January. The AU -100 VoIP USB Phone connects via USB 2.0 and features noise reduction, full duplex communication and echo cancellation. Although it is not one of the best VoIP PC handsets but the best thing about is that it is free. To avail this offer one should not forget to mail in the rebate form. This phone is fully compatible with Vonage, Skype, Net2Phone, MSN Messenger etc.

via [ i4u ]

Infonetics Research predicts VoIP service growth in North America

According to Infonetics Research, VoIP service revenue in North America will multiply eighteen times between 2004 and 2009 to $ 23.4 billion. During the five year period $ 62 billion will be spent on VoIP services. Infonetics Research is expecting a triple digit growth from 2005 to 2006. It is also expected that six million new subscribers will be added every year from 2006 to 2008. Currently Vonage is the leader in the residential and VoIP subscriber market while Time Warner Cable and Cablevision each have a double digit share and together control over 40 % of all North American residential VoIP subscribers.

via [ zdnet ]

Only 4 % of Western European households have IPTV

According to an estimate by Canalys 50 % of digital TV households in Western Europe receive service via satellite, 24 % use terrestrial broadcast, 22% make use of cable and only 4 % make use of IPTV.  A large number of European digital TV viewers are paying for the privilege but free service is gaining momentum and accounts for more than 20 % of the market. It is expected that 40 % of European digital TV households will be utilizing free services by 2008. Digital TV market crossed 50 million households in the first half of 2005. Although satellite is the leading technology but cable, terrestrial and IPTV are gaining steam.

via [ zdnet ]

Tech Data and Mitel enter into a distribution agreement

According to an agreement Tech Data will be distributing Mitel’s hardware, software and peripherals. It is a noteworthy development that Tech Data will be providing end to end products from Mitel. This agreement will run through Tech Data’s Telephony Specialized Business Unit and will provide Tech Data’s resellers with Mitel communication solutions for enterprises ranging from 10 to 65,000 employees. The distribution agreement with Mitel makes Tech Data the only U.S. broadline distributor to provide Mitel’s software, hardware and other accessories.

via [ crn ]

Pac-West to become a one stop service bureau

Pac–West has signed a strategic alliance with VeriSign under which VeriSign will supply back office and database services including local number portability, calling party name and provisioning services. Pac –West will be combining these services with their network in order to give service providers a one stop service bureau for E911, customer ordering, directly services and physical infrastructure. This will enable Pac-West to establish a one stop shop for service providers that plan to become phone companies. The company believes the move was necessary as the phone calls will be migrating from the current switch network over the IP networks in the next five years.

via [  von magazine ]

Airplanes will soon provide Broadband and Cheaper Phone calls on board

US regulators plan to auction off airwaves for wireless broadband and other data services from May 10th onwards. This will enable air travelers to surf web using broadband or make calls from their seats itself. Verizon and other service providers are planning to bid for this auction. FCC wants to raise a minimum of $ 5 million from this auction. This step could generate a new line of revenue for cash strapped airline industry which could partner with companies wanting to provide broadband and cheaper on board telephone services. The customers will also gain as they will be able to surf the internet and make cheap calls from the airplane itself.

via  [ gizmodo ]

Jaanus Kase points fingers at Bill Gates web cast

Jaanus Kase of Skype watched the Bill Gates web cast from the International CES 2006 in which he talked about his vision of digital lifestyle. It stated that the day would start with watching news and tracking family members’ locations on single big screen. While going to office one would be able to watch the news on a cell phone and sit down with big screens to do his work. At an airport one would be able to place his cell phone on a smart desk and work in the same manner as working on a normal PC. Jaanus Kase stated that although it was a nice vision but Microsoft did not have a reputation of delivering such big visions.

via  [ zdnet ]

VoIP User shows sign of Scalability

VoIP User announced that since its inception two years back it has routed 500,000 calls to and fro BT’s PSTN network without any charge for its users. VoIP User is a community website which allows its members to self fund their own telephone calls by VoIP technology. It is a scalable concept and has done away with the concept of paying per minute charges. Currently VoIP User has a base of 20,000 members in 50 countries and it continues to grow at the rate of 40 subscribers daily.

via [ prweb ]

IPTV and VoIP result in increased investment in MPLS based metro Ethernet equipment

According to a study conducted by Infonetics Research, carriers and service providers are investing heavily in metro Ethernet and IP multiprotocol label switching technologies in order to bring new converged services to the market. A survey conducted on companies stated that the investment in MPLS based metro Ethernet equipment doubled last year from 42 to 84 percent. The increase in investment is as a result of rising traffic accompanied by the introduction of converged services like voice and internet television. It is expected that there will be a big increase in revenues from VoIP, IP VPN and metro Ethernet.

via [ cmpnetasia ]

Vistula strikes a deal with IUSA to provide VoIP services in States and Latin America

Vistula Communications has struck a deal with IUSACom Networks to provide feature rich telephone services to its subscribers and cost effective turnkey voice services to its residential and enterprise customers in United States and Latin America. According to the agreement Vistula will be installing their V Cube VoIP platform and delivering a turnkey feature rich VoIP application to IUSACom to cater to both its consumer and enterprise markets. The VoIP platform provided by Vistula will allow IUSACom to offer cost effective telephony services ranging from IP telephone calls to video conferencing to its customers.

via  [ Hispanic business ]

Aptela bags $ 5 million venture capital from JMI Equity

Aptela, an Internet telephony company has bagged $ 5 million venture capital from JMI Equity. This money will be utilized by Aptela for product development and broadening sales and marketing. JMI and other investors may further also provide finance for $ 3 million to Aptela. Aptela offers Web hosted platform for telephone calls over internet. It was founded in 1998 and serves more than a thousand business customers with many of them having less than two hundred employees.

via  [ washingtonbusinessjournal ]

Blue Wireless and Data to offer VoIP telephony service

Blue Wireless and Data has started offering business and residential VoIP telephony service. Currently the service is being marketed to its existing customers but it might also be offered to its 82 national markets outside its own broadband network. The service is being offered to its residential customers as an alternative to home phone and to its business customers as a replacement for PBX. The company is bundling its VoIP telephony and wireless broadband as a packaged deal to its business and residential customers at a price comparable to that of large telephony providers

via  [ dbusinessnews ]

UTStarcom renames its end to end IPTV solution as Rolling Stream

UTStarcom has given a new brand name to its commercially used end to end IPTV solution which was earlier known as m Vision. The solution has been rebranded as Rolling Stream. Rebranding will articulate the function of UTStarcom’s IPTV product to allow service providers to offer to their subscribers a number of streaming applications over a single platform. It is a distributed end to end solution which allows broadband service providers and telecommunication operators to provide broadcast quality TV and on demand entertainment programming over IP networks.

via  [ prnewswire ]

Zarlink Semiconductor introduces devices for IPTV

Zarlink Semiconductor introduced the first two devices in its Class Switch platform. Layer 2 Ethernet switches are meant for network access equipment supporting packet based applications such as IPTV. Class Switch platform supports the cost effective design of line cards installed in Cable Head Ends and Central Offices and inspects and modifies multiple real time applications delivered over Fast and Gigabit Ethernet. This device allows IP multicast packet forwarding service distribution which is an important element in the delivery of IP video.

via  [ light reading ]

Bell Canada to provide Internet Telephony services to RBC Financial

RBC Financial Group will be utilizing the services of Bell Canada for Internet telephony. Bell Canada will partner with Cisco Systems and IBM for this project. Around 8.400 bank’s phone line would be converted to VoIP. It will help in increasing productivity and efficiency at RBC and reduce costs. Bell Canada along with IBM will be providing IP telephony support in addition to pro active network monitoring and management of all IP telephony infrastructures.  Bell Canada will be handling systems integration, planning, design and implementation of new infrastructure along with testing, training, auditing, follow up and support.

via [TMCnet]

Avaya plans to capture 30 % share in IP office solutions for SMEs

Avaya Global Connect Ltd. recently launched its all-in-one IP office for small and medium enterprises and plans to capture thirty percent share in IP office solutions in the next three years. This product offers conferencing, messaging and contact centre suite of solutions for SMEs. Targeting seven to eight hundred small and medium companies every year, Avaya plans to achieve thirty percent of the market share for their IP office by 2007 -08. The revenue from India’s IP PBX market is expected to double by 2007-08 and the contribution of SME is pegged at forty percent of this revenue.

via [ The Economic Times ]

Qovia Inc selected by Pennsylvania State University for VoIP management

Qovia’s IP Telephony Manager has been implemented by Pennsylvania State University. The University spent five years in researching VoIP and the process was started in 1998. In order to ensure security, the university chose to lock down handsets to specific ports instead of permitting portability. Only predefined IP telephones are being used in the network. The university will not only realize the benefits of using VoIP but also achieve major cost benefits. With more than 6000 VoIP phones, the University Park campus is continuing to increase VoIP integration.

via  [ TMCnet ]

WhichVoIP.com introduces Free VoIP Plan Search Bar and Affiliate Program

WhichVoIP.com has introduced a new plan search bar and affiliate program. It’s a free service and quite easy to use. It can enable webmasters to allow their website visitors to access WhichVoIP.com database and earn revenue as a result of VoIP service sign-ups. From the website of whichvoip few lines of HTML code can be copied and pasted on a web page. The search bar allows users to search and access a VoIP service provider which matches their telephony needs. Currently three layout styles for the residential plan search bar are available. This is being done to provide flexibility to webmasters for search bar placement and ensure blending with the style of their websites.

via [WhichVoIP]

Verso Technologies to provide VoIP Softswitch to Telkom South Africa

Telkom South Africa will be using Verso’s Clarent Edge Access softswitch system as a part of its plan to expand its VoIP services and softphone applications in Africa. The agreement renews Verso’s longstanding relationship with Telkom South Africa. The new Clarent Edge Access Class 5 softswitch will enable Telkom South Africa to offer to its customers PC to PC calling. This equipment provides the Class 5 carrier grade control which is required to manage different H. 323 wholesale networks and support VoBB installations for enterprise managed services, wholesale, residential SoHo apps and other next generation voice.

via  [TMCnet]

Telecom New Zealand International selects Veraz Networks for VoIP softswitches

Telecom New Zealand International (TNZI) has selected Veraz Networks for the supply of VoIP softswitches. TNZI will be using Veraz’s ControlSwitch softswitch service delivery platform in major cities of US and UK. It would be completed in early 2006 and the installations would take place in London, Los Angeles, Miami and New York. Before Veraz was selected, TNZI undertook an assessment of proposals of six vendors, their products and their ability to deliver the business requirements. Veraz was selected for its open and flexible architecture and particularly for the flexibility of their system’s voice traffic routing.

via :[VoIP Central]

Hammer XMS earns the VoIP Product of the Year Award 2006 from Frost and Sullivan

Empirix has earned the prestigious VoIP Product of the Year Award 2006 from Frost and Sullivan. This award is in recognition for the next generation monitoring system for VoIP service providers, Hammer XMS. It is a carrier class monitoring and analysis solution used by VoIP service providers to ensure quality service.  This is for the third time that Empirix has earned the Frost and Sullivan award. This award is given to those companies which have shown excellence and innovation in their industry by introducing a new product or technology.

IPC sets up its 30,000th VoIP trading position

IPC Information Systems set up its 30,000th IP based IQMX trading position with the installation for Wachovia, New York. This number proves that IP is now a vital part of the global financial services marketplace. IPC has now become the only trading floor solution provider to have live clients trading with VoIP. In 2005 more than 75% of the turrets shipped from IPC’s plant were IP. Nearly 30 percent of IPC’s 100,000 global desktop installation leverage the power of IP.

MatrixStream introduces world’s first Video on Demand and IPTV Set Top Box and PC Player

Matrixstream Technologies introduced the world’s first Video on Demand and IPTV STB and PC Player at the CES. It has one of the highest high definition signal formats with 1080 vertical pixels by 1920 horizontal pixels. This product would exceed the broadcast and satellite quality video over any broadband network. It would allow users to see videos in HD or DVD over any broadband. It is an improvement over existing IPTV’s which get bogged down by bandwidth congestion and integration issues resulting in poor quality Internet videos and slower download rates.

Airspan’s products to be used by COLDECON Consortium in Colombian project

Airspan Networks Inc. products have been chosen by COLDECON Consortium for the operation of a large scale broadband rural access project in Colombia. Airspan’s Wip LL platform would be used in a number of frequency bands in combination with VSAT technologies for accessing and backhauling portions of the project. This agreement will generate more than $ 2.5 million of revenues over the next two years for Airspan. Around half of the sites in the project would be served by WipLL base stations and customer premise equipment. The first installation is expected to take place in March 2006 and would be completed in the next 20 months. The equipments would be operating in 900MHz and 5.8 GHz frequencies

Internet Telephony magazine bestows 2005 Product of the Year Award on Interwise

Interwise Inc. ECP Connect has been chosen by Internet Telephony magazine for the 2005 Product of the Year Award. The winners of this award would be highlighted in the January and February 2006 issues of the magazine. ECP Connect integrates voice and web conferencing to provide complete voice, web and video conferencing. This solution halves the cost of voice and web conferencing, ensures conferencing security, improves business productivity and extends the ROI of VoIP infrastructure. Since 1998, Internet Telephony has been the VoIP Authority. This award is given to those companies which have shown excellence in technological advancement and application refinements.

Asian VoIP market expected to multiply

The Asian VoIP market is set to reach $ 10 billion in the next four years. It is expected to grow at the rate of $ 1 billion from 2004 to 2009. The bulk of the revenue would be generated from long distance calls which would be initiated from PSTN terminals or IP local loops and would be carried over IP backbones to the recipients’ local network. In 2005 this type of call formed 85.4 % of the revenue in Asia. Although the future looks bright but there are certain regulatory barriers in many countries in the Asian region and is dominated by existing players which has slowed down the rate of adoption of local VoIP services.

Voxelle’s TLink™ VoIP Solution to be used by USRobotics

Voxelle’s TLink™ Personal VoIP Gateway chipset will be used by USRobotics in it’s USR9620 USB Telephone adapter. This would enable USRobotics to make use of a full featured VoIP adapter and enable the users to make VoIP calls with both cordless and mobile phones. USRobototics is the first North American company to ship products with Voxelle’s chipset. T Link is revolutionary ATA and Gateway solution which supports Skype and other applications. It provides value added services such as toll bypass, follow me and multiple line conferencing and support.

Visual networks chosen 2005 Product of the Year Award

Internet telephony magazine has selected Visual Networks Select VoIP software solution for 2005 product of the Year Award.

Select VoIP makes use of actual real time customer application traffic to assess VoIP readiness and when VoIP is implemented monitors the site to site traffic to discover the chronic cause of VoIP performance troubles.

"We are honored that we have received INTERNET TELEPHONY's Product of the Year Award for the fifth year in a row," said Larry Barker, president and CEO of Visual Networks.

via [TMCNet]

Foundry Networks among top 20 companies to watch for in 2006

VoIP magazine has chosen Foundry Networks as one of the top 20 companies to watch out for in 2006.

This list includes those companies which enjoy a command able position in the coming year to fasten the pace of adoption of IP communication and innovation besides catering to the immediate needs of the marketplace.

"Foundry's ability to help enterprises manage the costs and investments associated with a VoIP deployment stood out when we evaluated vendors," said Bryan Richard, editor-in-chief of VoIP Magazine. "We expect continued growth in 2006 for Foundry's switches and routers that allow enterprises to move into new technologies without replacing their network infrastructure."

via [PR News Wire]

Research points out means to promote VoIP

According to a research commissioned by Level 3 Communications VoIP awareness among consumers is growing. The research found that a greater number of users would shift to VoIP from traditional telephony if VoIP service providers were to market their services, highlight the values they offer in a more aggressive manner. Offering quality guarantees and taking concrete steps to build customer loyalty are cited as other activities that VoIP service providers could concentrate on. tmcnet.com reports:

However, as Cynthia Carpenter, vice president of marketing for Level 3, explained in a news release, “it did uncover that less than half of the respondents consider themselves familiar with VoIP.”

Read More: VoIP awareness on the rise

One IP Voice opens National Operations Center

One IP Voice, which is a subsidiary of the Farmstead Telephone Group, Inc., has opened a National Operations Center “NOC” in Denver, Colorado. Operating from this facility, One IP Voice will provide the latest SIP-based applications and products to SMBs. prnewswire.com reports:

The offering of One IP Voices products and services was launched nationwide January 3rd.

Read More: One IP Voice Opens National Operations Center in Denver, Colorado

Microsoft hopes to upstage Skype

Microsoft has stated that its Windows Live Messenger is at present undergoing limited beta tests in the U.S and U.K markets. When the application is available for all, it will offer users of MSN Messenger the choice of cordless dual-line VoIP phones. MSN Messenger is used by more than 200 million users. Microsoft hopes that its tie-up with Uniden and Philips will help in its efforts to take on Skype. informationweek.com reports:

The Philips VoIP433 phone will also debut this spring in European, Asian Pacific, and Latin American markets.

Read More: Handset Offer May Propel Microsoft's VoIP Efforts

Foundry Networks Inc. chosen for honor by VoIP magazine

Foundry Networks Inc. has been selected as one of the 20 companies earmarked to do well by VoIP Magazine. The VoIP Magazine 20: Companies to Watch in 2006 is a list of companies that are most likely to contribute in a big way toward the development of IP communications. prnewswire.com reports:

The company's comprehensive portfolio of products enable network convergence and deployment of feature-rich and secure network infrastructures to support next- generation data, voice, and video applications.

Read More: VoIP Magazine Selects Foundry Networks as One of the Top 20 Companies to Watch in 2006

8x8, Inc and Wireless Fulfillment Services, LLC in partnership

8x8, Inc, which provides Packet8 broadband VoIP and videophone communications services, has entered into an agreement with Wireless Fulfillment Services, LLC, as per which Wireless Fulfillment Services, LLC will distribute Packet8 Internet phone services and equipment via its VAR and SI channel. yahoo.com reports:

"With Packet8's Virtual Office service, Brightpoint's network of VARs and System Integrators will be able to provide a turnkey VoIP solution to their business and enterprise customers."

Read More: 8x8 Signs Agreement With Brightpoint

VoIP deployment by Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries

Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries is deploying a VoIP system in its contact centers and plans to use it for data services as well. The brewery’s brands include Marston’s Pedigree and the Pathfinder and Union Pubs. The company is trying to go live with the VoIP network by February; it will be using hardware from Cisco and software from Affiniti.

GlobalTouch Telecom and Auvi Technologies in partnership

GlobalTouch Telecom Inc has entered into a partnership with Auvi Technologies as per which Auvi will provide turnkey VoIP solutions and GlobalTouch Telecom will offer its SIPTalk(TM) service on VoIP-enabled hardware developed by Auvi. businesswire.com reports:

The partnership furthermore signals the increasing recognition of VoIP in the mainstream consumer voice market.

Read More: GlobalTouch Telecom Extends SIPTalk to Hardware Designer Auvi

VoIP system helps brewery cut costs

Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries, makers of Marston’s Pedigree and owner of Pathfinder and Union Pubs are planning to utilize VoIP for telephony in their contact centers and later on extend it for covering data services. It is planning to include VoIP in it’s network as the earlier system had become obsolete By the month of February VoIP would become a part of the company with Affiniti and Cisco providing software and hardware services respectively

The company would also get an advantage in terms of connecting with their remote centers. It also hopes to directly link with the company managed pubs. It would also extend to the merchant services and finally push through audio, video and jukebox –on-demand services.

The brewery company believes VoIP would make it’s customer service more efficient by enabling it to answer customer queries at the first call and it is believed that the company would be saving a whopping £ 240,000 in call costs over a period of next five years.

Read More

Second year in a row Pannaway Technologies bags Internet Telephony magazine’s product of the year award

Pannaway’s Broadband Access Manager has been included in the list of Product of the Year Award 2005 by Internet Telephony magazine. These awards are given to those companies which have carried out technological advancements and application refinements in the field of internet telephony.

Broadband Access Manager is a major part of the Service Convergence Network which allows municipalities and Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers to offer competition to cable and satellite companies for delivery of tiered triple Play services.

VONAGE announces formal relationship with Sonus

Vonage and Sonus Network Inc, a VoIP equipment vendor formally announced their relationship a year after being linked together. Neither of the company disclosed their financial terms. Vonage has already been using equipments supplied by Sonus in Los Angeles and New York and plans to use them in other parts of America when it expands.

This news will certainly give a boost to Sonus in the New Year which had missed out on a major deal and faced unpredictable financial situations in 2005. The stocks prices of the company have already shot up.

Bell South strikes deal with SES AMERICOM to offer Internet TV services

America’s No. 3 local telephone company BellSouth has struck a deal with SES Americo, SES Global’s U.S. arm to receive satellite video services as a part of it’s strategy to launch Internet television services.

This deal comes on the heal of the pact signed by BellSouth and Microsoft Corp (Research) last year to launch Internet based television by mid 2006.

SES Americom would be providing additional content to BellSouth in the form of video aggregation, monitoring, encoding and transport.

BellSouth has been adopting a cautious approach in adopting IPTV as compared to it’s rivals as cable operators are giving a tough competition by offering low cost phone calls over the Internet. 

Read More

VoIP growth in Malta

According to the Malta Communications Authority, VoIP traffic in Malta touched 10 million minutes in the third quarter as a result of the introduction of 1021 and Hello services. VoIP mobile minutes showed an increase of 43%. timeofmalta.com reports:

On the other hand, fixed-line volumes decreased by 19 per cent.

Read More: Use of mobile phones, broadband still rising

TMONE to run contact center

Iowa-based direct marketing firm, TMONE, will be occupying a 300-seat facility that was earlier used by MCI. TMONE is a marketing firm and it provides customers to companies that are into IP-based and digital telephony services. TMONE uses direct mail, contact center services; internet marketing etc, in order to provide its direct-response focused marketing solutions. emediawire.com reports:

The 27,000 square foot state of art facility is designed to acquire up to 50,000 telecom and information service subscribers a month at full capacity and support millions of customers.

Read More: TMONE Occupies 27,000 Sq. Ft. Contact Center to Support VoIP

Brasil Informtica looking for partners

Brasil Informtica, an IT systems consultancy based in Brazil is on the lookout for partners who can supply VoIP hardware. The company is involved in projects with more than 1,000 SMBs and large companies. The growth of VoIP in 2005 has resulted in the company looking for new manufacturers. Brasil Informtica offers VoIP technology systems priced at less than $ 4, 282.

News from the last week of 2005

Vonage Holdings Corp. is offering a $ 100 mail-in-rebate to its customers who purchase certified devices being sold in more than 9,000 retail locations inside the U.S. The promotion will continue till February 4th, 2006.

Southern New Hampshire Medical Center has selected Verizon for the installation of a new SONET telecom voice and data network. The network will allow the medical center to achieve integration of the telecom systems of the new facilities with the remaining locations. tmcnet.com reports:

Avaya Inc. announced that it was recently tapped by Xinjiang Unicom, a Chinese mobile phone carrier.

Read More: VoIP Week in Review from TMCnet: Ending the Year with VoIP

VoIP has a future in India

2005 saw good growth in the telecom sector in India. Major milestones included the easing of regulations and integration of the technology. 2006 could well be the year in which the government and the telecom players agree upon a telecom policy.

Factors such as a single call rate across the country and the growth of VoIP in India could be important in achieving concurrence on a telecom policy. VoIP could prove the most effective and cheapest means of connecting rural India to the rest of the country. hindustantimes.com reports:

Although the ministry’s move towards unified licensing and use of VoIP are positive steps, there are still limitations to its use within the country.

Read More: VoIP it into place

Beckham's boots purchased by VoIP millionaire

Idar Vollvik, who sold Chess/Sense to TeliaSonera, purchased a pair of soccer boots donated by English footballer David Beckham for US $ 147,000. tmcnet.com reports:

Norske Kvinners Sanitetsforening, which ran the charity auction, will use the money to buy tents that will provide shelter for thousands of Pakistani earthquake victims.

Read More: VoIP Guru Buys Beckham Boots for $147K

Enventis Telecom acquired by HickoryTech Corp.

ALLETE has sold Enventis Telecom to HickoryTech Corp for $ 35.5 million, which HickoryTech Corp. paid in cash. Enventis Telecom has a staff of 75 employees and its revenues for the year 2004 were $ 43 million. tmcnet.com reports:

Today's news follows HickoryTech's announcement made yesterday about its acquisition of Mouseworks Computer and Network Services, a North Mankato, Minn. firm.

Read More: HickoryTech Completes VoIP Co. Acquisition

VoIP favored for long distance calls

VoIP is fast becoming the favorite mode of communication for long distance communication. Travelers, students studying abroad benefit specially from this service which allows users to make calls using a softphone installed on PCs or using special instruments such as the like Wi-Fi Utstarcom F1000 phone. financialexpress.com reports:

VoIP works by digitizing your voice and sending it via the internet to the other caller, who hears it on his PC's speakers, or by routing it through regular telephone lines to anyone's standard phone line.

Read More: Phoning home, inexpensively in 2006

OneStream Networks offers converged services

OneStream Networks is 10-person strong and is owned by Ronco Communications & Electronics Inc, which has an annual revenue of $ 150 million and is located in Tonawanda, Erie County. democratandchronicle.com reports:

OneStream looks to combine voice, data and Internet into one system and one bill. Launched in November 2004, OneStream installed about 1,000 lines in its first year, Smith said.

Read More: OneStream offers Internet, data, VOIP in one system and one bill to businesses

Increase in telephone users in China

In its 11th five-year plan (2006-2010), China foresees an increase in the number of its telephone and Internet users, which are expected to reach 1 billion and 200 million, respectively. China expects to have 350 million fixed-phone users and more than 388 mobile phone users by the end of 2005.

IDT to try for Net2Phone shares

IDT has stated that its tender for acquiring outstanding shares of common stock of Net2Phone has expired. IDT already owns 41% of Net2Phone. telecomweb.com reports:

IDT’s NTOP Acquisition subsidiary is handling the existing tender offer of $2.05 net per share in cash.

Read More: IDT’s Net2Phone Tender Offer Expires

Avaya may partner Xinjiang Unicorn

Avaya Inc. has stated that it has been approached by Xinjiang Unicorn, which is a mobile carrier in China. The carrier is already using the Avaya IP Contact Center system for making its services available in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. tmcnet.com reports:

The new system would connect the carrier's headquarters in Urmuqi and 16 other major offices in the region.

Read More: Xinjiang Unicom Adopts Avaya IP Contact Center

Consolidations in the VoIP sector

The consolidations that occurred in the telecom industry overshadowed the M&As that took place in the VoIP sector. In the VoIP sector, Vonage’s next move regarding its future is being awaited eagerly. Skype’s acquisition by eBay made headlines. The growing consumer confidence in VoIP, improvements in services, and new applications that lead to new sources of revenue will probably lead to more partnerships in 2006. VoIP could see M&As in any of the businesses including Gateway vendors, Edge access device providers, IMS pure-plays.

IP telephony in England

Experts opine that more than half the population of England could switch over to IP telephony in the next five years. 10 million English citizens will be using VoIP by the end of 2006. lse.co.uk reports:

Calls to landlines and mobile phones incur a small charge, but are still much cheaper than conventional calls.

Read More: Rise Of VoIP Could Be Last Call For Phones

MCI selected for award

The INTERNET TELEPHONY(R) magazine has selected the next-generation suite of Voice over IP (VoIP) Services from MCI as the recipient of its 2005 Product of the Year Award. MCI’s VoIP services consist of hosted IP Centrex, IP Integrated Access, Managed IP PBX, and IP Trunking Services. prnewswire.com reports:

In 2005, MCI launched two new additions to its VoIP portfolio, including Managed IP PBX and IP Trunking Services.

Read More: MCI Receives INTERNET TELEPHONY(R) Magazine's Product of the Year Award

CBeyond reaches landmark

CBeyond Inc. has achieved four billion minutes of VoIP traffic and has reached 20,000 small business customers. CBeyond, which was formed in 2001, offers high-speed Internet and a phone service that includes both local and long distance. Other complementary services include data backup, fax to email, web hosting, etc.

JOS appointed exclusive distributor for 3COM Asia

Jardine OneSolution (JOS) has been appointed exclusive distributor for VoIP solutions provided by 3COM Asia Ltd. 3COM hopes to significantly increase its revenue in the first half of 2006 from local SMBs. star-techcentral.com reports:

The NBX V3000 comes with four PSTN ports, a fax port, voice-mail, auto-attendant and 15 IP telephone licences, and costs RM10,000.

Read More: JOS to supply 3Com VoIP solutions

Microsoft teams up with Softbank BB and Japan Telecom

Microsoft has teamed up with Softbank BB and Japan Telecom to develop and trial communication services that would include Internet telephony, e-mail, IM, etc. The trials would commence in the spring of 2006 before the services are made available to customers.

Microsoft will provide its solution for Enhanced VoIP, which includes hosted versions of many of its communication software packages. Softbank BB and Japan Telecom will provide broadband VoIP services and the network infrastructure, respectively. Microsoft has also entered into partnerships with Qwest Communications and MCI in order to achieve a presence in the VoIP market.

Covad share prices jump

Covad Communications Group Inc saw an increase of 40% in its shares post its announcement regarding the settlement of an antitrust lawsuit with Verizon Communications Inc. Under the terms of the settlement, Covad will be able to offer its DSL services over the lines sold by Verizon voice resellers. Covad has also entered into a line-sharing agreement with MCI. customwire.ap.org reports:

Shares of Verizon, which is expected to close its MCI deal early next year, closed at $30.25, down 19 cents, on the New York Stock Exchange.

Read More: Covad Shares Soar on Verizon Settlements

Verizon spends $ 290 million on Texas network

Verizon Wireless has spent in excess of $ 290 million for the enhancement of its Texas voice and data wireless network in 2005. The money has been used to expand the BroadbandAccess(SM) EV-DO high-speed wireless broadband network, in the upgrade of more than 460 cell sites in areas that include Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, etc.

Verizon has also invested in enabling services such as wireless broadband computing, text and video messaging, etc. prnewswire.com reports:

The network investment is key to maintaining strong coverage during hurricanes and other emergencies and continuing Verizon Wireless' leadership in network reliability and customer service.

Read More: Verizon Wireless Completes More Than $290 Million

BT to implement end-to-end IP network

BT has entered into a $ 17 billion agreement with four of its partners, Ciena, Huawei, Lucent and Siemens, for revamping its network. Over the next five years, BT intends to convert its entire network into an end-to-end IP network for voice and data. The network, referred to as 21CN, will use MPLS for voice and data QoS. According to BT, around six million calls have already been made as a part of the 21CN project.

Migration of customer lines is expected to happen in the second half of 2006. This will be the beginning of the end of PSTN for 30 million customer lines. An all-IP converged network is expected to be ready by 2008/2009 and will save BT around $ 1.7 billion every year. Juniper Networks has been named partner by Siemens and Lucent for helping with routing requirements for 21CN.

3Com does will in the second fiscal quarter

3Com has reported an increase in sales, higher revenue, and lower losses for the second fiscal quarter. The company reported a loss of 3 cents per share that amounted to $ 10.7 million. The global revenue was of $ 184 million, a 4% sequential growth on the Q1 figures.

However, the revenue for North America registered a 10% sequential decline. Networking products were the major contributors, Layer 2 and Layer 3 stackable 10/100/1000 managed switches and Office Connect and Baseline-branded SMB products resulted in sales worth $ 132 million. The 3Com-Huawei Technologies joint venture registered revenues of $ 111 million for the third quarter that ended September 30, 2005. networkingpipeline.com reports:

3Com's security products generated revenue of $21 million, a sequential growth of 24 percent that was fueled by the TippingPoint acquisition, as well as strong growth in embedded firewall products.

Read More: 3Com Reports Networking Sales Growth

Telecom industry to touch $ 1.6 trillion by 2010

Insight Research has stated that revenue for the telecom industry will amount to $ 1.2 trillion by the end of year 2006 and by 2010; it will touch $ 1.6 trillion. The analysis titled "2006 Telecom Industry Review: An Anthology of Market Facts and Forecasts" states that by the beginning of 2006, almost 1.8 billion people will utilize mobile wireless phones. Sections of the industry that have experienced growth include VoIP, Wi-Fi, IMS, etc. voip-magazine.com reports:

“Wireless communications will continue to displace wireline communications for voice calling and as the number of wireless 2.5G and 3G data services increases, wireless will continue to squeeze traditional landline calling."

Read More: Telecom Industry Revenue to Reach $1.2 Trillion in 2006

Level 3 acquires WilTel

Level 3 Communications Inc has acquired WilTel Communications Group, LLC. The Leucadia National Corporation has been paid $ 386 million in cash and has also received 115 million shares of Level 3 common stock.

New services from TelTel

TelTel, which provides free PC-to-PC VoIP services based on SIP, had initiated its beta phase in September. The company has recently introduced two new services, namely TelTel-Out for connecting to the PSTN and Call-Forwarding. TelTel does not operate over the public Internet; instead it operates via a global cluster of managed, SIP-based telephony networks. These networks are referred to as the PsipTN. ISPs, IPSPs, and CLECs are the SIP Virtual Network Operator partners of TelTel and they maintain the individual networks. Subscribers to TelTel-Out can purchase credits in chunks.

$ 10 gives a talk-time of 500 minutes. Regions that attract high traffic such as North America and Western Europe have been assigned a flat rate of 2 cents per minute. The rate varies for other locations. The Call-Forwarding plan is available globally and enables users to forward their calls to any phone located anywhere in the world.

Key trends of 2005

VoIP regulations received greater attention from the FCC in 2005 under the chairmanship of Kevin Martin. FCC implemented rules for making 911 available over VoIP. This action was preceded by a few instances, which received widespread coverage, in which VoIP users were unable to avail the emergency 911 services. VoIP subscribers and providers will also have brace for the enforcement of CALEA and get ready to contribute to the Universal Service Fund.

IP/cellular handsets found favor with users as the number of Wi-Fi access points grew in 2005. Wireless VoIP also offered hotels, hospitals, airports, etc with a cost effective alternative to cellular mobile technology. However, issues regarding coverage, service handoff, and power consumption need to be resolved before wVoIP really comes of age.

2005 also had some news-making M&As, such as the acquisition of Skype by eBay. Microsoft acquired Teleo, Yahoo purchased Dialpad, and Google acquired Dodgeball. The growth of VoIP led to several network providers either blocking VoIP calls or downgrading VoIP traffic.

Madison River Communications in North Carolina attempted to block VoIP services by Vonage and earned a fine of $ 15,000 slapped by the FCC. Countries such as Mexico, Qatar, Costa Rica, and China have not been too receptive of the technology. VoIP also caught the attention of SMBs who stand to gain from the cost-saving and productivity-enhancing advantages of IP telephony.

SMBs are being offered a range of VoIP implementation choices such as broadband VoIP, hosted VoIP, premise-based VoIP, etc. Almost three-fourths of the SMBs surveyed by the Yankee Group have professed a desire for premises-based system.

MetaSwitch and Allied Telesyn together

IMS vendor, MetaSwitch, has provided Allied Telesyn with an interoperability certification. The solution offered jointly by the IMS vendor and the networking equipment vendor will allow service providers to access POTS using VoIP without having to deploy a TDM/IP gateway. voipplanet.com reports:

The joint solution also enables local calls, that is calls that originate and terminate on the same access network to remain within the same network.

Read More: Allied Telesyn Certifies with MetaSwitch

Solutions from Nortel

Nortel has a strong presence in both enterprise as well as carrier switching markets. Its three main products are the Business Communications Manager (BCM), the Communications Server (CS) 1000 and 2000, and the Multimedia Communications Server (MCS) 5100 and 5200.

SMBs and regional offices can utilize the BCM, which is an IP-enabled, single-platform communications system. It can also be used as a hosted solution for small sites. The BCM can scale up to 200 digital or IP-based stations and offers a number of applications such as routing, fax, voice messaging, IVR, wireless capabilities, etc.

The Communications Server 1000, which is a server-based IP-PBX, comes with more than 450 telephony features. The advantages of a converged network and IP applications can be had in one IP PBX. It is targeted at the enterprise market as a private, customer-managed solution, or as a part of a managed service solution from a service provider. It offers support for ISDN, H.323, and SIP signaling and can handle up to 15,000 clients for each call server.

The Communication Server 2000 softswitch is designed for large enterprises. It is a single platform that can be used as the basis for providing a hosted solution to several customers. It is the intelligent core of a multiservice network and offers local and long distance call services.

The Multimedia Communications Servers boost the existing voice and data capabilities by providing SIP-based multimedia and collaborative communications applications. The 5100 server can support up to 60,000 active subscribers and is meant for enterprises, the 5200 server is targeted at hosted service providers and it can support 100,000 subscribers. MCS includes applications such as white boarding and file exchange, co-web browsing, IM, call management, etc.

Offerings from Lucent

Lucent has concentrated on three major segments, namely communication service providers, the government, and big enterprises. These segments are handled by Network Solutions, Worldwide Services, and Bell Labs. The network service providers are catered to by the Network Solutions group, which also provides support for the wireless and wireline systems used for the integration of multimedia services.

Big organizations around the world are managed by a global group of engineers, consultants, and network designers that constitutes the Worldwide Services group. The communications networking requirements of the US Government and service providers situated around the world are met by Bell Labs. Lucent is currently researching several technologies such as 3G wireless, broadband and DSL access, multimedia systems and their applications, etc. voipplanet.com reports:

Their softswitch research is part of the Accelerate™ Next Generation Communications Portfolio. This architecture is based upon the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), and is focused on the service provider market.

Read More: Vendor Network Architectures—Part IV: Lucent Technologies

Thomson and CableLabs in an agreement

Thomson, which is based in France, has entered into a license agreement with CableLabs for its CableCard-Host Interface License Agreement (CHILA) specifications. The interface between a digital cable receiver and a set-top box with the CableCARD is defined by the CableCard Host Interface specification. eetimes.com reports:

These products would be capable of receiving and displaying advanced cable services such as program guides and video-on-demand (VOD).

Read More: Thomson licenses CableLab spec for two-way cable

IBM to purchase Micromuse

IBM has stated that it will be purchasing Micromuse Inc, for a sum of $ 865 million in cash. Software from Micromuse manages Internet-based computing networks and facilitates the management of voice, video, and data. nytimes.com reports:

The move by I.B.M. is the most recent evidence that the many software markets continue to consolidate. And the data center management market - where Micromuse occupies a niche - is one such business.

Read More: I.B.M. to Buy Software Company for $865 Million

Low cost drives VoIP

According to research firm TeleGeography, the main driver of VoIP deployment is still its low cost. The improved call quality provided by VoIP and facilities such as click-to-dial and a number of area codes have also contributed toward residential and enterprise VoIP adoption. The TeleGeography VoIP report for 2004 states that VoIP traffic in 2004 was of 30.8 billion minutes. The figures are exclusive of PC-to-PC VoIP traffic. VoIP growth was the highest in Brazil, Nigeria, and Bangladesh. Countries that have deregulated telecom market have seen a spurt in VoIP traffic. In 2004, inbound international VoIP minutes in Brazil, Nigeria, and Bangladesh grew by 112%, 103%, and 97%, respectively.

Covad Communications tops

The report "Steady Growth Ahead for Hosted VoIP Solutions" has named Covad Communications Group, Inc. as the leading hosted VoIP provider for business customers. Covad has a 28% share of the market, which is greater than the share of other companies such as MCI, SBC, etc. Covad has concentrated its efforts on the SMBs. home.businesswire.com reports:

"The primary drivers for this growing demand are both cost savings and the enhanced feature sets available from VoIP applications."

Read More: In-Stat Names Covad Market Leader

Print publication from TMC

TMC will come out with two bi-monthly print publications on SIP and IMS in the year 2006. The SIP magazine will offer news on deployments, case studies, etc. The first issue will be published in January 2006. The first issue of the IMS magazine is scheduled for a February release.

Growth of the VoIP market

The maturation of the IP telephony market has witnessed two distinct periods and the growth is now entering into its third phase. Beginning in 1996, the first phase saw trials with VoIP and proprietary protocols; this resulted in a Linux-based IP telephony platform. Over a period of time, certain suppliers have acquired the capability of providing QoS similar to that of TDM phones.

The second period in the growth of VoIP saw companies moving away from PSTN and toward VoIP attracted by the promise of an attractive ROI and convergence. The third stage in the growth of VoIP is going to involve its contribution at a strategic level. networkworld.com reports:

Two new industry developments propelling this phase are Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and Web services in an SOA construct. SIP standardizes call signaling and communications between different types of devices from different vendors.

Read More: Is Avaya poised for a breakaway?

8X8 to sell shares

8X8, Inc, which provides the Packet8 services, will be selling 7, 142, 858 shares of common stock at a price of $ 2.10 per share. The shares are being purchased by two institutional investors. The share price is exclusive of the placement fees and adds up to around $ 15 million. The money will be used for scaling the Packet8 services and adding both retail and wholesale subscribers. prnewswire.com reports:

The investors will also receive warrants to purchase 1,785,714 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $3.00 per share. The warrants contain weighted average anti-dilution provisions.

Read More: 8x8 Enters Into Agreements

VoIP peering benefits MSOs

Cable operators stand to gain a lot if the concept of VoIP peering is propagated. It will enable cable operators to transmit VoIP calls to the backbone networks of other cable operators; they stand to gain from substantial savings by circumventing the PSTN. VoIP peering would also enable the cable operators to provide multimedia services that are not available through the PSTN network.

MSOs in North America have around 2.4 million customers of IP telephony and the customer base is growing at the rate of 50,000 customers every week. This has made VoIP peering a critical business issue. cabledigitalnews.com reports:

In a move just before Thanksgiving, CableLabs issued a formal request for information (RFI) about possible "technologies, products and service solutions" that would allow cable operators to "share VoIP traffic directly over their respective IP networks."

Read More: Cable MSOs Move to Jumpstart VoIP Peering

VoIP offering from Microsoft

MS Exchange 12 beta offers unified messaging. Microsoft’s VoIP offering, if integrated with Exchange 12, could be considered a safe buy by many IT administrators and it would enable them to incorporate VoIP into the desktops of users with ease. eweek.com reports:

Whether the Microsoft channel will be able to effectively sell VOIP, or whether the VOIP industry will gravitate toward Exchange server are two important challenges that Redmond faces.

Read More: Don't Make Us Wait for New Exchange Features

Microsoft sells its stake in Jupiter Telecom

Goldman Sachs purchased a 12.6% stake in Jupiter Telecommunications Co. from Microsoft Corp. It then sold of the stake to institutional buyers. eweek.com reports:

Shares in Jupiter have risen 22.2 percent since the company debuted on Japan's Jasdaq market for start-ups in March.

Read More: Microsoft Cuts Stake in Japan's Jupiter Telecom

Verizon tests Nortel IMS solution

Verizon is conducting a lab evaluation of an IMS solution developed by Nortel. The testing is for evaluating the IMS solution for interoperability with products from different vendors and also to check if it can provide full support for voice services over FTTP. webwire.com reports:

VoIP is being introduced into the local service network as well, potentially allowing Verizon to provide customers with network-based services that dramatically increase functionality, mobility and productivity.

Read More: Verizon Tests Nortel IMS Solution

Office Communicator from Microsoft

According to Gurdeep Singh Pall, who is the Vice President of Microsoft real time collaboration, it is important for businesses to ensure the interoperability of their VoIP infrastructure with the developments in communications applications. Microsoft is working on presence communication that improves the communication between employees. The Office Communicator and Live Communication server are efforts in that direction. networkworld.com reports:

Microsoft is prepping applications that better integrate with communications channels - voice, instant messaging, e-mail, videoconferencing - that it says will improve efficiency and productivity among workers, says Pall.

Read More: Microsoft: Keep converged nets open for new applications

Microsoft and MCI come together

Microsoft Corp. and MCI Inc. have come together in a partnership to make such software and services available that will enable callers to use a PC and call up any phone anywhere in the world. The service will be similar to that offered by Skype. The service will be available as a part of the Windows Live Messenger. The service will be available upon subscription and calls will be allowed on paying a fee, the concept is similar to that of Skypeout.

During the beta phase, users will get one hour of calls free and the rates for calls to the US, Canada, the UK, and Western Europe will start at 2.3 cents / minute. Prepaid calling time will be available in slabs of $5, $10 and $25. Customer registration, terminating calls, customer support, and billing will be managed by MCI.

LiteScape raises $ 5 million

SOFTBANK Capital, Telesoft Partners, and Blumberg Capital, which are investors in LiteScape technologies, Inc. have pooled in another $ 5 million as a part of the Series A venture financing. The additional capital will be utilized to increase the scope of sales and marketing activities and strengthen relationships with the existing business partners like Cisco and Avaya. The company has registered strong growth in the past year and has increased its customer base thrice over. It also signed an agreement SBC which allows it to deploy its solutions for SBC’s customers.

The Multi-modal Application Platform (MAP) from LiteScape allows management of interactive sessions made up of voice, video, data in real time. These can be made available concurrently to several IP phones. LiteScape is concentrating on the enterprise VoIP market and its solutions, including OnCast, are aimed at empowering enterprises and service providers to integrate their business applications and IT infrastructure in a manner that will improve day-to-day communication.

Growth of CPE market

According to In-Stat, the Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) market grew 20% in 2005 riding on a wave of increase in broadband subscribers and the increase in usage of wireless- and VoIP-enabled equipment. The broadband CPE market is moving from being primarily one of modems and hone-networking devices to include gateways as well. In-Stat states that the increased interest in VoIP and the drift from two-box solutions to residential gateways has had a positive effect on the CPE market.

The 2006 Small Business Technology Outlook

The 2006 Small Business Technology Outlook by the Information Technology Solution Providers Alliance has highlighted some pertinent points for SMBs. Very often SMBs do not make use of services that really matter, these include VoIP, e-mail and mobility. These affordable solutions offer improvements in efficiency and better growth prospects. smartbiz.com reports:

VoIP has become mainstream in small businesses. It increases business viability and efficiency and reduces costs by avoiding the traditional phone companies when making local and long distance calls. These services also increase phone-based applications.

Read More: Small Businesses: Focus On VoIP and Mobility

VoIP for SMBs

The acceptance and growth of VoIP within organizations occurs at three levels; the first level is of cutting costs by deploying VoIP and moving away from POTS, the second level involves improving operational efficiencies by deploying a converged network that enables smooth and centralized management of voice and data spread over multiple locations; the third level covers the convergence of applications that help in improving productivity and customer experience.

VoIP is now being leveraged by smaller companies to improve the functioning of their CRM applications. The acquisition of Skype by eBay points to the fact that soon VoIP will cease to exist as an independent offering but will be available embedded in a wide range of IP applications. The ubiquity of VoIP underlines its importance as a tool for enhancing communications and the business experience. For SMBs, the initial pull of VoIP is its low cost of ownership, VoIP services also provide features such as voicemail and conferencing and in terms of voice quality are on par with traditional telephony.

The increased number of service providers offering VoIP services has opened up the options for SMBs who can now choose the one with quality and service bundle of their liking. Looking beyond the obvious benefits of VoIP, SMBs are now discovering that it can also generate revenue by enhancing productivity, enabling user-level customizations that make work easier for employees. Automatic routing and prescreening of calls are just some of the features that a company can use to its advantage by deploying VoIP.

SMBs that invest in solutions aim to meet their crucial objectives that are usually on the lines of increasing sales and reducing expenses. This has led to VoIP solution providers and channel partners joining hands so that the most effective converged solution can be made available to the business. The 2005 SMB Communications, Broadband, VoIP Survey by the Yankee Group has found that saving money on inter-office calling and long-distance calls was the prime reason for VoIP adoption by 37% of the SMBs questioned. Employee productivity and mobility were rated as reasons for VoIP adoption by 32% and 31% of the respondents, respectively.

Partnership between Pactolus and Convedia

Pactolus Communications Software and Convedia have come together in a partnership to hasten the deployment of SIP-based, IMS-compliant services by service providers. The partnership will make use of RapidFLEX Service Creation Environment and SIPware Carrier Service Suite and IP multimedia processing by Convedia. convergedigest.com reports:

Pactolus has implemented IMS across its RapidFLEX Service Delivery Platform and SIPware Services using an open software environment that includes SIP, SOAP, XML, HTTP and other IP-based technologies in an extensible framework.

Read More: Pactolus and Convedia Collaborate on IMS

MiRS Communications and Tekelec come together

MiRS Communications, which provides integrated wireless services in Israel and has around 333,000 subscribers, has chosen Tekelec for providing it with a core convergence switching solution. The solution will allow MiRS to move to an IMS architecture and acquire next-generation capabilities such as FMS and hosted SIP services. The MIS architecture will support the execution of network applications and manage the switching of the MiRS mobile devices and SIP-based clients.

RFP by CableLabs

Responses for a RFP released by CableLabs have to be made by December 14. The RFP is regarding a VoIP peering solution and pertains to information on the architectures required, specifications, operations and management needs for creating a production grade environment.

Marconi focuses on IP telephony

Marconi, which has for long been a leading player in the global communications field, has included a few key elements in its Impact portfolio of next generation of switching products. The elements are an IMS and Softswitch platform, an access network for accessing xDSL, POTS, VoIP, GSM, etc, a common application and management environment.

The core business products of the company include those required for broadband routing and switching, microwave radio, optical networks, etc. Customers of the company include ISPs, public network operators, etc. voipplanet.com reports:

One of the strong features of this architecture is that the SoftSwitch is software upgradeable to the IMS Session Controller, as they run on the same hardware, and with the same management platform, yielding greater flexibility in network deployment.

Read More: Vendor Network Architectures—Part II: Marconi

Voip at Del Monte

The merger of H.J Heinz and Del Monte resulted in the jettisoning of a hundred systems and voice over IP was given a boost within the enterprise. eweek.com reports:

The moves were intended to cut costs and expedite the integration of the business, but IT got a bonus, Brown said: "It drastically improved system reliability."

Read More: Del Monte Cuts Help Desk Calls by 90%

Merging fixed-line and wireless divisions

Telus Corp. has announced the merger of its fixed-line and wireless divisions. The company’s wireless division has been growing and is the main driver of revenues. lightreading.com reports:

Carriers across North America and Europe have been busy reorganizing their businesses to incorporate fixed and mobile operations, and many have been buying other mobile operations to expand their presence in key growth markets.

Read More: Telus Catches Convergence Fever

NetZero's calling plans

NetZero has introduced five calling plans for PC to PC and PC to VoIP phone service in the United States. The paid calls are in packages of $5, $10, $25, and $50. A free package allows NetZero users to make free PC-to-PC calls. The plans include functionalities such as voicemail, an email account, instant messaging software, caller ID, call waiting, and call blocking. The paid packages also include a personal phone number and 3-way calling. Other plans include a 100, 250, and unlimited minutes plans. They are priced at $3.95, $9.95, and $14.95 per month.

BellSouth gets certification from Cisco

BellSouth Corporation will now support Rich Media Conferencing. BellSouth provides support for advanced enterprise VoIP applications. Cisco Systems has awarded the Rich Media Communications (RMC) Advanced Technology Provider (ATP) status to BellSouth. The designation is acknowledgement of the fact that BellSouth is capable of providing the knowledge and skills necessary for a successful deployment of Cisco RMC systems that cater to high-end and enterprise clients. tmcnet.com reports:

"BellSouth's full portfolio of VoIP solutions allows customers to experience productivity enhancing applications that immediately impact business operations."

Read More: BellSouth Expands VoIP Applications Portfolio

AirGATE to provide VoIP in correctional centers

AirGATE Technologies Inc. will be providing a VoIP add-on module for telephones used in correctional centers. The modules will be wired and wireless. LANs and the Internet can be used for routing the VoIP-enables telephone calls. Power-over-Ethernet powers the wired module and a power line that can provide voltage and current is used for the wireless modules.

Free Wi-Fi for New Orleans citizens

Post Katrina, New Orleans is moving to reduce its dependence on traditional and mobile telephony. The city will be offering a free Wi-Fi network to the citizens. The city will get a municipal-scale network from Tropos Networks. mobilepipeline.com reports:

During the height of the hurricane’s destruction, a dramatic broadband moment occurred when existing telephone and cell phone services were disabled and the White House was able contact city officials over a broadband link using Vonage VoIP technology.

Read More: Big Easy Gets Free Wi-Fi Network

Nortel for wireless network in Alberta

Nortel will be developing a commercial broadband wireless access network in Canada. It has been selected by the Alberta Special Areas Board (SAB) to do so. The network based on WiMAX IEEE 802.16-2004 (fixed WiMAX) standard is the first of its kind in Canada. NETAGO Wireless is working in conjunction with the SAB to make wireless broadband available to the rural populace of Alberta spread over an area of 8,000 square miles. webwire.com reports:

"This WiMAX network will support our goal of bridging the digital divide through affordable broadband wireless Internet services to users located in rural areas of Alberta," said Jay J. Slemp, chairman, SAB.

Read More: Nortel to Build First WiMAX Network in Canada

IP telephony products sales grow

According to Infonetics, global third quarter sales for PBX/KTX have been $2.1 billion. The figure is a 17% growth in sales compared to the third quarter of 2004. 47% of enterprise IP line shipments in the third quarter of 2005 were meant for the United States. voipplanet.com reports:

Data from Synergy Research Group's Q3 2005 enterprise VoIP market shares shows a 30.6 percent year-over-year increase in the worldwide enterprise IP telephony market. According to Synergy Research's metrics, Avaya and Cisco were the worldwide leaders in Q3, each growing their enterprise IP telephony port shipment by almost 20 percent on a quarterly basis.

Read More: Global IP PBX Market Continues to Grow

Avaya products

Avaya Inc. evolved from Lucent Technologies in October 2000. The company traces its history to AT&T and Bell Telephone Laboratories; these two companies have been major players in circuit-switched telephony. Avaya, however, is one of the leaders of packet-switched telephony.

The core areas of Avaya’s business include IP Telephony, Contact Centers, Mobility, and Services. Their IP telephony products include the Communication Manager Software, the supporting Media Servers, and Media Gateways. The company released Communication Manager 3.0 in June 2005. The product integrates functions like call processing and control, messaging, contact center, etc. The software is the feature product of the Multivantage ™ communications applications portfolio offered by Avaya. It can manage up to 36,000 users on a single system and in excess of 1,000,000 users on a network. Media Servers that utilize the Linux operating system and the Avaya DEFINITY server are capable of running the software.

The Enterprise Edition of this software is equipped with an Enterprise Survivable Server (ESS) feature. It is located on the main server and enables an ESS server to assume command if the main server located at the headquarters suffers from a communications failure. The Communication Manager 3.0 also has the Inter-Gateway Alternate Routing (IGAR) which enables the transferring of traffic to a PSTN if the IP network is overloaded. The SIP Enablement Services support analog, digital, H.323, and SIP endpoints.

The Avaya Media Gateways are available in a variety of sizes and support the H.248 protocol. They are stackable and modular in design. They support applications using Ethernet for LANs, T-1 for WANs, and also DSL, cable modem, and Power over Ethernet (PoE).

Sprint Nextel partners cable companies

Sprint Nextel is looking to speed up the process of development and deployment of multimedia services to cell phone services and provide quadruple play to cable companies. To achieve this, the company has planned JVs with major cable companies such as Comcast, Cox, Time Warner, and Advance/Newhouse. The venture has a 20-year term, both Sprint and the MSOs will be pooling in $ 100 million each. The products and services that result from this partnership will be available at Sprint stores that are more than 1,600 in number, cable outlets, distributors, and Radio Shack stores.

The partnership can reach the 75 million homes that the cable companies cover and they stand to gain from new services that can be made available with technologies such as remotely programmed DVRs, integrated mail boxes, Internet via phone, and viewing streaming music and video. The billing and customer service activities will be handled by the cable companies.

Avaya leads in Enterprise Telephony

According to the Dell ‘Oro Group IP Telephony Enterprise Report, Avaya has retained its position as the market leader in Enterprise Telephony. Avaya is concentrating on providing IP solutions to enterprises in the MENA region. ameinfo.com reports:

Avaya MENA recently announced a strategic customer win with Aramex, a leading global provider of business communications applications, systems and services.

Read More: Avaya leads global enterprise telephony market

Nokia and PLTD come together

Nokia and PLTD, which is Philippines’ leading telecom provider have come together to develop an NGN laboratory for the creation and testing of end-to-end Fixed-Mobile Convergence services prior to a market release. Customers of the PLDT group stand to benefit from the existing mobile and converged networks of the company. The NGN laboratory will have end-to-end Fixed-Mobile Convergence solutions that consist of converged access networks and VoIP-enabled terminals. webwire.com reports:

As an example of the new services development, PLDT and Nokia organized a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) contest for Filipino application developers called the "SIP Challenge".

Read More: Nokia and PLDT cooperate in Fixed-Mobile Convergence solutions

VoIP lounges at Changi airport

Changi Airport at Singapore now has two VoIP lounges that can be used by travelers to make long-distance VoIP calls. The lounges have been set-up as a result of a partnership between the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and MediaRing Limited. The VoIP lounges will allow callers to save up to 80% on their long-distance calls; the calls are made using the Global Talk service of MediaRing. The two VoIP lounges have 23 VoIP booths and are located at the departure/transit lounges at terminals 1 and 2.

News roundup

Internet phone service provider, SunRocket has achieved 96% E911 compliance and has also met the FCC November 28 deadline for doing so. The company had plans on building E911 into its service from the very beginning and did not want to wait for a government directive to get into action.

8x8, which provides VoIP and videophone services has enabled nomadic E911 emergency services across its network of domestic residential and business services. tmcnet.com reports:

According to the company's news release, all of Packet8 subscribers with a U.S. service address will now be able to contact emergency service personnel by dialing 911 from their Packet8 phone.

Read More: Weekly review

VoIP terminology

Codec: It is a compression/decompression algorithm which is used for IP telephony as well as other streaming media.

G.723.1: It’s a codec developed by the ITU-T and has two associated bit rates; 5.3Kbps and 6.3Kbps. It is mainly used in IP telephony systems.

G.729: It is a codec developed by ITU-T and has a bit rate of 8Kbps.

Gateway: It is network which converts voice and fax transmissions between PSTN and IP networks in real time.

H.323: It is a collection of standards by ITU-T. The standards define endpoints, gateways, etc that are used in VoIP calls. The H.323 standards are older than SIP.

IP-PBX: An IP-based phone system is configured and has call control provided by an IP-PBX server.

IP Phone or Handset: It is used for connecting to the IP PBX over an IP LAN.

MPLS: It stands for Multiprotocol label switching and is a set of QoS labeling standards released by the IETF. It helps ISPs to prioritize the different data streams.

PBX trunk: It is a path of communications shared by both the public network and the PBX at the customer end.

PSTN: It stands for Public switched telephone network and is also referred to as plain old telephone service POTS.

Q. Sig: Q Signaling is a signaling standard that is used for PBX interoperability in the US and Europe.

RTP: It stands for Real-Time Transport Protocol; it is the Internet protocol that is used by IP telephony systems to stream voice and video.

The right time to switch to VoIP

Enterprises should consider VoIP as an alternative if they are in one of these situations:

If a phone system is in need of an upgrade or the Centrex service contract is expiring, exploring the option of a hybrid or pure VoIP system is an alternative.

Companies with varied phone systems attract extra overheads. A VoIP system can provide valuable cost savings.

VoIP can be integrated into a company’s telecom plans if it has just set up office or has added a new branch.

A hybrid VoIP system can make its benefits felt immediately in operations like sales, where the mobility and convergence provided by VoIP increases productivity.

Visual Networks to be bought by Fluke Corp.

Fluke Electronics Corp., which is owned by Danaher Corp, will be acquiring Visual Networks for approximately $ 75 million. Visual offers managed VoIP service capabilities and posted revenues of $ 52 million last year.

VoIP grows in America

VoIP is growing at a healthy rate in the US. According to the research firm Telegeography, the number of voice-over-broadband users increased 33% in the third quarter of 2005. There were 2.7 million voice-over-broadband users in the second quarter. The number of subscribers has shown a 400% increase over the third quarter of 2004. There were only 714,000 lines in use then.

VoIP revenues were $ 220 million and $ 304 million for the second and third quarters, respectively. The third quarter earnings were a 473% increment on the earnings for the same period in 2004. Vonage and Time Warner Cable are the two leading VoIP providers in America. Time Warner Cable grew 39% in the third quarter and added 240,000 users. It had registered a growth of 65% in the second quarter.

VoIP will grow

The growth of router-based telephony has placed VoIP firmly as an alternative to PSTN. VoIP adoption in enterprises and SMBs is on the upswing. According to the TIA, IP-based communications were supposed to be the major expense for companies in 2005. One reason is that enterprise networks are approaching the time to upgrade and several enterprises are exploring the VoIP option.

A report by the Synergy Research Group released in October 2005 states that the market for Service VoIP in 2005 will be worth $ 2 billion. Factors that companies consider before opting for IP-enabled communication networks include reduced infrastructure costs, reduced total cost of ownership, service levels identical to PSTN service, availability of bundled services such as fax.

The growth of VoIP can be attributed to the increased availability of cheap broadband and interoperability facilitated by IP telephony. Telecom and cable companies are also readying themselves for VoIP. In October 2005, Verizon made known its intention of deploying optical fiber lines in order to converge all products on to an IP network. Convergence is of major benefit to large organizations; the reasons why an IP network is an attractive means of convergence include the fact that there is only one technology to manage, the number of network elements is reduced, and IT systems support for network management is also reduced.

The major obstacles to VoIP deployment include the inability of existing networks to handle real-time VoIP traffic that is sensitive to latency. This calls for network upgrades like adding WAN bandwidth and replacing switches and routers. The cost of an IP deployment is affected by the size of the enterprise and the vendor selected for the job. According to a study by Nemertes Research in November 2004, the cost of IP hardware and that of implementation adds up to $ 525 for every 1000 users and $ 763 for 100 users and less. The report also stated that even though VoIP deployment costs were high, large enterprises could quickly gain significant savings from them that could be up to $ 28,000 every year.

The US IP-PBX market

According to Infonetics Research, Nortel is the leader in the North American IP-PBX market. Avaya is placed second with Cisco hot on its heels. The IP PBX market registered revenues of $ 2.1 billion in the third quarter; this is a 17% growth over the previous year and a 7% growth over the second quarter. The growth is driven by companies migrating to VoIP. At present, the major chunk of the revenue comes from hybrid PBXs; pure IP contributed only 1% of the total revenue.

Cisco lands DoD contract

Cisco has been selected by the DOD to provide it with networking equipment for IP conferencing. The voice and video conferencing project will have the Cisco IP Video Conferencing 3540 Multipoint Control Unit for managing video conferencing and MeetingPlace for video, voice and Web conferencing. voipplanet.com reports:

The DoD award is the second major video-related announcement from Cisco this month. Earlier, it said it would pay $6.9 billion for set-top box maker and video networker Scientific-Atlanta.

Read More: Cisco Enlisted For DoD IP Conferencing

VoIP to grow in 2006

The research firm Gartner has identified telephony as one of the six sectors that will influence business and drive growth in 2006. By 2010, VoIP and cellular phones could be the only type of telephony used by close to one-third of the homes in America. POTS, which has been around for nearly 125 years is witnessing regression and IP-telephony appears to be the way forward. voipplanet.com reports:

"To catch the waves of change at their early stages, vendors, users and investors in technology will need to look outside their industries to find early adopters that provide inspiration for how these trends translate into business value," said Daryl Plummer, group vice president and chief Gartner Fellow in a statement.

Read More: Gartner Predicts Key Tech Trends for 2006

Cable VoIP could flourish in 2006

The competition between cable companies, telecom companies, and other types of providers is increasing and VoIP could well turn out to be the deciding factor. Experts feel that in 2006 there could be a shift in advantage toward cable companies; currently independent hosted service providers have the upper hand in the VoIP market. Cable companies offering VoIP are mostly providing only voice service. However, the quality of voice service is high because they are using their own network and can promote voice packets over other data streams.

Hosted operators on the other hand are ahead in terms of innovation and are trying to integrate their service with other programs. Since they use a third party’s network, cannot prioritize their voice packets. Telecom companies are in a slightly tricky situation because if they go full-steam ahead with VoIP, they do so at the risk of eating into their existing POTS services. The advantage in the VoIP market will swing with the ability to offer packaged services for triple and quadruple play. The move by cable companies to tie up with Sprint Nextel is viewed by experts as a move to acquire capabilities to provide voice, video, and data services in a single package. voipplanet.com reports:

One example of the future of such offerings, Arden says, is Japan's SoftBank, which has had a broadband-focused business model from the beginning. "SoftBank really built everything on leveraging that broadband customer base, and that's why they've been really successful with VoIP," he says. "I think that's the business model that a lot of the cable guys have looked at."

Read More: Cable Providers Grab VoIP Advantage

CAP from Converged Access Inc.

Converged Access Inc., which provides application performance management solutions for converged enterprise WANs, will be using its expertise in advanced traffic management and security for SMBs and remote offices that look to mobilize their workforce. The Converged Access Point (CAP) product can be integrated with the 802.11 b/g wireless LAN (WLAN). This allows SMBs and remote offices to provide business-class security and guaranteed performance to those who access VoIP, data, and other applications through either a wired or wireless network. CAP is a business class solution that simplifies management by integrating VoIP gateway, security, and critical routing functions.

An increase in the number of voice and data users should not come at a cost of application and security performance. VoIP and Voice over Wi-Fi should achieve toll quality performance standards. CAP provides a package that consists of a VoIP gateway, precise traffic management, firewall and VPN security, and an intuitive policy management solution. CAP provides business-class security and its connectivity to wireless devices such as PDAs, Wi-Fi phones, laptops, etc ensures that productivity does not get compromised due to worker mobility. CAP provides toll quality VoIP and bandwidth utilization in excess of 95%.

Cablemas to use ARRIS products

Cablemas, which is a Mexican Multiple System Cable Operator (MSO) will be using the ARRIS Cadant C4 CMTS, which will enable it to provide advanced voice (VoIP) and high-speed data service to its clients. Cablemas reaches more than 1.5 million homes in Tijuana, where the installation and activation of several C4 CMTS chassis has already taken place. The CMTS platform has an all-component redundancy and provides hitless sparing. Cablemas will also be using the ARRIS Touchstone(R) TM402G Embedded Multimedia Terminal Adapter (E-MTA).

Level 3 and Acme to come together

Level 3 has selected Acme Packet as a participant in its (3) VoIP Technology Alliance Program (TAP). The objective of the program is to institute a formal relationship between Level 3 and selected vendors in order to facilitate speedy deployment of services that are interconnected with the Level 3 network. tmcnet.com reports:

Acme Packet's Net-Net family of session border controllers (SBCs) satisfies critical security, service assurance and regulatory requirements for voice, video and multimedia sessions crossing IP network borders.

Read More: Acme Packet Joins Level 3's (3)VoIP Technology Alliance Program

Report from Wainhouse Research

The quarterly WebMetrics research program from Wainhouse Research has found that of its panelists, 70% were of the opinion that Skype was acceptable for business calls. According to Andy Nilssen, Wainhouse Research, the consistent high quality of VoIP service delivered by Skype has resulted in increased acceptance of VoIP. tmcnet.com reports:

"While we're not likely to see enterprises adopt Skype per se, Skype will lead to VoIP adoption among both enterprise and small-medium business markets sooner rather than later."

Read More: Skype Showing Newfound Acceptance for Business

VoIP steals a march over legacy telephony

The commercial VoIP market is presumably stealing a march over the enterprise market. Enterprises are still at the stage of evaluating the market and readying themselves for deployment by first getting the network ready.

According to In-Stat, with the growth of integrated VoIP functionality in CPE such as modems, routers, and gateways, the market for VoIP ICs will grow to $ 1.3 billion by 2009. Another opportunity in the VoIP market is that of security products. A VoIP solution has to include traffic management and security solutions.

VoIP sales outstrip legacy system sales

According to a report by Merrill Lynch, the sale of VoIP systems, for the year ended in June 2005, were higher than those for traditional systems. Traditional voice systems registered a drop of 20% whereas VoIP systems sales grew by 31% for the year. The drop in sales of legacy systems has meant that the overall growth in the telecom market was just 2% year-over-year and amounted to $ 2.24 billion.

The two top VoIP vendors, Cisco and Avaya are adopting different product strategies in order to gain market share. The solution offered by Avaya allows a company to replace its existing telephony infrastructure in a gradual manner; the slow migration to IP enables companies to get a feel of IP telephony at every step of the deployment. Cisco deployments consist of new IP deployments and new IP telephones. For the quarter ending June 2005, Cisco’s market share for pure-play VoIP products increased 15% and that of Avaya’s hybrid VoIP products grew by 14%. VoIP vendors like Alcatel, Siemens, and Nortel are actively exploring the IP-telephony option.

VoIP market in America

JupiterResearch has released a study of the market for VoIP in America. The study is titled U.S. Broadband Telephony Forecast 2005 to 2010 and is available for $ 750. The report states that VoIP subscriptions will grow to 20.4 million by 2010.

Connection Central in North America

Connection Central, which is a networking device developed by Lake Communications, will be distributed by Sprint North Supply in North America. The device is aimed at the SOHO market and can integrate a DSL modem, router, PBX, VoIP, voicemail, etc. Connection Central consists of 2 POTS lines and 2 VoIP lines. It also has four wire extension ports and can support up to four wired extension LAN ports.

VoIP in Asia

According to In-Stat, the market for VoIP in Asia is expected to grow at the rate of more than $ 1 billion every year and will be worth more than $ 10 billion by 2009. The number of users will double by then and will be more than 20 million. By the end of 2004, there were 8.7 million local VoIP lines in Asia. The growth of VoIP is being fostered by the discounts that service providers are offering their customers if they shift to IP for their long distance calls.

According to In-Stat, this is the reason that revenue from long distance calls accounts for 85.4% of all VoIP revenue. South Korea and Japan are the two developed VoIP markets in Asia. The growth of local VoIP service has not yet picked steam because of resistance from the existing telecom companies that are invoking regulations to slow down the spread of VoIP. Telecom companies in China are actively seeking to block service such as SkypeOut that offer a cheaper alternative for long distance revenue.

Global IP Sound and InterObject

Global IP Sound will be integrating InterObject’s MPEG-4 and H.264 video encoding and decoding technology with its own technology. InterObject undertakes turnkey outsourced software development projects. tmcnet.com reports:

Global IP Sound, whose voice processing tools enable real-time communication over packet networks and are integrated in such VoIP software products as Skype, has chosen to embed InterObject’s technology within the foundation of its VoiceEngine Multimedia.

Read More: InterObject and Global IP Sound

The RTC market report

The report A Market in Transition For Vendors and Users of RTC Technologies by David Coleman has studied market growth and the trends that are prevalent in the RTC market. tmcnet.com reports:

If you are a real-time collaboration (RTC) vendor, selling audio, video, or data conferencing technologies or are an RTC reseller, you are probably aware of the profound changes that have occurred in this market place over the last two years.

Read More: Market for RTC Almost Makes the $13 Billion Mark

VoIP vendor profile

In the early years, getting started with a VoIP business required little more than some capital, a website, and customers with an Internet connection. However, federal regulations and the entry of large companies has altered the profile of VoIP vendors.

Verizon, which is the largest local phone operator in America, should not face any problems from the FCC regulations regarding E911 implementation. However, most startup VoIP vendors will face problems in complying with the November 28 deadline and will not be allowed to canvas for new customers.

Carrier VoIP products sell very well

During the third quarter of 2005 more than 27.3 million media gateway, soft switch and integrated VoIP ports were shipped. The market for carrier products grew at a rate of 67.8%. tmcnet.com reports:

Huawei Technologies dominated the quarterly results shipping 12.36 million VoIP ports and displacing Nortel the consistent leader until now. Siemens maintained its second place gaining 16% of global market share. Nortel Networks slipped down to the third place with 13% of market share.

Read More: Carrier VoIP Soars

VoIP adoption rate not impressive

The main benefit of VoIP to businesses is the cost savings resulting from using an IP connection to communicate. VoIP can also enhance business communications by enabling video conferencing, audio conferencing, unified messaging, etc. According to the report "2005 Telecommunications Report," which gathered information from over 300 businesses in the US, 91% of the businesses were familiar with VoIP but only 10% had deployed it in some measure. The report was released by Harris Interactive in October 2005.

Given the interest that VoIP has generated, the 10% adoption rate may appear to be low. One reason is the reluctance of the SMBs to embrace the new technology; these have chosen to adopt a wait-and-watch policy. However, this stance could result in a competitive disadvantage for the SMBs that do not adapt. By the year 2008, more than half the number of contact centers will be using VoIP to avail the competitive advantage that it brings.

Industry experts feel that the decision of deploying VoIP should be taken considering the capacity to implement it successfully over a period of time because the IP-based technology comes with its own set of problems such as jitter and delay. The ability of the phones to communicate with the servers, voice quality, configuration of the switch ports, etc are aspects that require careful consideration. Enterprises should consider deploying VoIP-enabling productivity tools that can result in increased employee efficiency.

Cisco to acquire Scientific-Atlanta

Cisco will be acquiring Scientific-Atlanta for a sum of $ 5.3 billion. Scientific-Atlanta is one of the largest manufacturers of set-top boxes. The acquisition should help Cisco to further its objective of transmitting data, voice, and video traffic over one network. tmcnet.com reports:

Now the trend is finally making its way into the home, as cable companies and phone companies start offering customers a triple play of services that includes high-speed Internet access, telephony and, finally, video-all over an IP network.

Read More: Cisco's IP vision becomes reality

The 2005 Technologically Advanced Family

The 2005 Technologically Advanced Family (TAF) survey by the Yankee Group has shown that the consumer VoIP market has still some way to go before attaining maturity. The average consumer still does not have a clear understanding of VoIP technology. The survey has led the group to conclude that almost 38% of the families that are aware of VoIP believe that VoIP provides a better set of features as compared to traditional telephony. However, almost 35% of the VoIP-aware families in the US did not know that VoIP can be used with a regular telephone. tmcnet.com reports:

"For instance, cable companies are positioning their VoIP telephony service as the same as regular phone service which diminishes the need for awareness as a prerequisite to adoption," noted Yankee Group's news release.

Read More: Yankee Group: Consumers Might be Confused About VoIP

VoIP deployment

Enterprises are increasingly beginning to recognize the benefits offered by VoIP and are looking to deploy it. Before implementing VoIP, an organization needs to understand the manner in which the voice service is to be integrated with the data services and the infrastructural changes that are required.

If an enterprise already has an IP network in place, it can deploy VoIP technology to transfer voice traffic. Even though VoIP enables a company to make use of its existing network, a complete assessment of the network infrastructure that includes routers, switches, firewalls, etc is required. This helps to assess the capabilities of the existing equipment for providing the necessary QoS with VoIP and also if the existing switches can segregate the voice and data networks into separate VLANs.

The existing hardware may need to be boosted in terms of resources such as memory in order to fulfill the minimum requirements for smooth delivery of voice and data. Before investing in additional hardware and bandwidth, bottlenecks, sources of errors in the network, and average bandwidth consumption should be considered. VoIP can be deployed in two ways; one way is to shift to VoIP in a staggered manner and the other is to shift completely by a cut-off date. A staggered migration allows enterprises to test their VoIP deployments but it requires that the VoIP system be connected to the existing network.

By connecting legacy phones with VoIP by using WAN companies can test the VoIP system and also save on long-distance costs. The linking of VoIP and the existing system can be made easy by using a dial plan with non-overlapping numbers. Interoperability between systems is achieved by emulating a station-side or trunk-side connection. It is therefore important that the signaling types supported by both systems be verified before large-scale roll-outs. A VoIP system should also be able to support standalone voicemails being used by the legacy systems. This may not be possible with every VoIP system as voicemails use specific messaging protocols not supported by every VoIP solution.

VoIP solutions are designed to work with most telephone circuits. This is of significance because companies, both large and small have Primary Rate Interface (PRI) circuits for outbound connections. An ideal solution will enable the unplugging of the exiting circuit from the PBX and connecting it directly to the VoIP gateway. Framing and line coding also influence interoperability. If an enterprise wishes to use both VoIP and the legacy system at the same time, it may require separate PSTN lines for each.

VoIP call costs

The popularity of IP telephony is driving down the costs of calls. Charging by the minute will soon be impractical and companies may have to look at other sources of revenue such as advertisements and transaction fees. However, some analysts believe that even though the pricing system based on time and distance is undergoing changes, per-minute rates will still be used by telecom providers although to a lesser extent.

VoIP also offers the attraction of multiple services bundled together; for example, Sprint Nextel has signed a $ 200 million deal with cable companies that will offer data, video, mobility, and voice to its subscribers. Voice services could soon operate with a new business model in which voice is the loss leader and the revenue is generated by advertising. The growth of VoIP will also be influenced by the stance that the telecom industry takes. Already, companies such as Vodafone and Comcast are taking an interest in the VoIP-blocking software provided by Narus, which is based in Mountain View, California.

Telecom news

The Competition Council in France has fined France Telecom 80 million Euros for maintaining a monopoly on the ADSL broadband service from 1999 to 2002. According to the council, France Telecom used its position in a manner that proved detrimental to the country’s economy. Orbital sciences have sold a satellite to Measat Global. The satellite will enable telecom coverage of Malaysia, Indonesia, and even the Middle East. tmcnet.com reports:

A report in Malaysia's Edge Daily said Friday the transaction for the Measat-1R spacecraft was "valued at nearly $70 million" and would give Measat C and Ku-band coverage and 36 Megahertz of bandwidth for 15 years.

Read More: Telecom Weekly Roundup

Citrix Systems, Inc.

Citrix Systems, Inc. has released Citrix Application Gateway 6.0, which heralds the arrival of its new Smart Agent technology. Smart Agent enables more than just IP telephony via a computer. The integration of computers and telephones has met only limited success due to the difficulties in systems integration.

Click-to-call was the first application by Citrix that made use of the Smart Agent technology. It enabled calling up desk telephones by clicking on the linked telephone numbers in Web applications. The Hospitality Voice Services introduced by Citrix at the end of October were targeted at hotels. The features in the service enabled the hotel to advertise and present current information on their phones by integrating the phones in the guest rooms with property management systems. The Smart Agent technology is simple to deploy and use for the administrators and the end-users. It uses an auto-updating client that is easy to upgrade. tmcnet.com reports:

Citrix Application Gateway is an appliance for organizations with IP telephony systems that delivers converged voice and data applications to the screens and speakers of their IP telephones. The Application Gateway also can transform existing Web-based applications for the screens of IP phones and any wireless device.

Read More: Citrix's Smart Agent Released With Application Gateway 6.0

VoIP and SMBs

According to a new study by CompTIA, even though several SMBs are not satisfied with the level of security available in VoIP applications, the number of SMB customers for VoIP telephony is expected to grow steadily for the next 18 months. The study, which interviewed 300 US businesses having 20-500 employees found that 76 percent of the respondents were concerned about the level of security offered by VoIP. Significantly, 36 percent feel that VoIP security will improve in the next 12 months.

The report suggests that if vendors are going to market a new telephony system, they should also be able to sell its security features. 70 percent of the interviewees stated that service disruptions on voice and data networks lead to material losses. voipplanet.com reports:

SMBs do recognize the value in converged solutions, such as unified messaging and integrated voice and data applications. Twenty-five percent of respondents, when asked about unified messaging systems, indicated that they have already deployed unified messaging and felt it provided "good business value." Another 41 percent have not deployed unified messaging but said they recognize it would provide good business value.

Read More: Will Security Concerns Hold Back SMB VoIP Adoption?

VoIP usage

According to a report by In-Stat the integration of cellular, Wi-Fi, and VoIP will help the growth of IP telephony. The report stated that savings and innovative features will be the main drivers of growth of IP telephony. According to the report, by the end of 2004, there were around 1.3 million broadband lines in the U.S. In-Stat expects the number of lines to grow to 3.9 million by the end of 2005. Customer concerns regarding security, E911 connectivity, and connectivity in the event of an outage are some of the issues that service providers will need to address.

Is VoIP ready for the enterprise

The hype surrounding VoIP can make IP telephony sound as the right choice for every company; however, this need not be the case. In fact, even the companies that are opting for VoIP are not doing away entirely with their traditional telephony setup. Companies that rely too heavily on telecommunications should consider the impact of VoIP on their business. Medical clinics and sales persons cannot afford dropped calls and poor voice clarity.

Cost savings do not always justify making a switch in technology. The quality of VoIP service may vary from one market to another and also between providers. Cable companies and phone companies offer better voice quality in their VoIP services as compared to that offered by startups. The dependence of VoIP on high-speed connectivity and the availability of power can affect its reliability. Even if high-speed connectivity and broadband are available, if the bandwidth is already being used for other purposes, VoIP may suffer.

Even though the number of features provided by VoIP is increasing, a VoIP system may not be able to offer all the features that are required by an enterprise, most prominent being E911. VoIP offers long-term savings but has a high initial cost including that of the IP-based PBXs. Also, wiring up a building for high-speed Internet can be expensive.

HickoryTech Corporation

HickoryTech Corporation, headquartered in Mankato, Minnesota, is a 108 year old company that provides a wide range of telecom products and services to its customers. The services include broadband, DTV, IPTV, etc. The live webcast of the company’s conference call regarding its acquisition of Enventis Telecom will be held on November 10 at 9 am EST and can be accessed at www.hickorytech.com.

XO Communications Inc.

XO Communications Inc. has reported the financial and operational results for the third quarter of 2005. For the quarter ending September 30, 2005, the company had revenue of $ 358.7 million. The revenues for the same period in 2004 were $ 391.9 million. The consolidated net losses for the third and second quarter 2005 were $ 30.6 million and $ 29.5 million, respectively. tmcnet.com reports:

Consolidated adjusted EBITDA(1) for the third quarter of 2005 was $34.0 million compared with consolidated adjusted EBITDA of $36.4 million in the second quarter of 2005 and a $20.5 million consolidated adjusted EBITDA loss in the third quarter of 2004.

Read More: XO Communications Reports Financial Results for Third Quarter 2005

Occam Networks ® Inc

Occam Networks ® Inc, a global supplier of Ethernet and IP based loop carrier equipment will be providing its Occam BLC 6000(TM) System to the West Kentucky Rural Telephone Cooperative. The Occam BLC will replace the DLCs and facilitate the offering of Triple Play services. tmcnet.com reports:

"Occam has a very strong and growing portfolio of customers who attest to their expertise. We were able to visit multiple Occam customers and saw the BLC 6000 delivering video services to paying subscribers. They can truly deliver what they promise, today."

Read More: West Kentucky Rural Telephone to Deploy Occam BLC 6000

MetaSolv Software

MetaSolv Software, which provides comprehensive operational support system solutions, will be displaying the Catalyst work project at the TeleManagement World Conference in Dallas. The project is being supported by BellSouth, EMBRATEL, Pantero, and other companies. lightreading.com reports:

This expert solution addresses the process for providing consumers with Voice over IP (VoIP) services with immediate service activation. The Catalyst solution scope is architected using the TMF's eTOM process framework, including the Fulfillment processes.

Read More: OSS Firms Demo VoIP

VoX Communications Corp.

VoX Communications Corp., which is the wholesale and retail wing of eLEC Communications Corp for VoIP services, will use its network for marketing and reselling VoX VoIP services. lightreading.com reports:

Under a wholesale agreement, VoX will enable MTP to meet growing customer demand for a top quality VoIP service that is both affordable and highly reliable.

Read More: MTP Resells Vox VOIP

Time Warner

The spate of mergers in the telecom industry has led enterprise customers looking for different vendors to approach Time Warner. This has boosted the company’s enterprise business, which has grown to $ 15.8 million. lightreading.com reports:

Time Warner reported total quarterly revenue of $177.8 million, an 11 percent increase from last year's $160.6 million. Officials attributed the upswing to a 31 percent increase in data and Internet revenues.

Read More: Megamergers Don't Scare TWT

Santa Cruz Networks

Start-up Santa Cruz Networks Friday announced an update to its Festoon video plug-in software so that users of Google's IM service can see who they're talking to. The plug-in for Google Talk will allow users to hold video voice calls on a one-to-one basis or with groups as large as 200 people, as well as to share photos and applications with whoever's on the calls, according to Santa Cruz Networks. networkworld.com reports:

The start-up already provides Festoon for the Skype free Internet telephony service now owned by online auction site eBay. The plug-in for Google Talk is designed to also work with Skype, Santa Cruz Networks said in the release.

Read More: Santa Cruz Networks adds video to Google Talk

SNET DG

SNET DG will be introducing the new Switched IP Services portfolio in December. The portfolio will enable public and private termination of international and domestic VoIP traffic among other services. xchangemag.com reports:

Dave Ioime, senior product manager for IP switching applications at SNET DG, has been leading SIPS product development for about a year. He says SIPS is a “nice fit” with services the carrier already provides, such as its SuperTandem Switch Network solution, which aggregates traffic at the company’s tandem switches in Connecticut. “Our SuperTandem does TDM. Now, we can take calls over IP.”

Read More: SNET DG Quenches VoIP Thirst With SIPS

Interstar Technologies

Interstar Technologies, which is a Canada-based vendor of fax capabilities for IP networks has become a member of the Avaya DeveloperConnection program. The program already has more than a 1000 members. tmcnet.com reports:

Interstar will be joining the more than 1,000 members of the Avaya DeveloperConnection program. Some of Interstar's products include the LightningFAX enterprise fax server; and the XMediusFAX, a software-only, real-time T.38 fax system that operates without traditional fax boards on a voice over IP network.

Read More: VoIP Week in Review

Telephony in the Asia Pacific

For IP telephony in the Asia Pacific region to take off, the enterprise telephony vendors need to make the end users aware of its advantages over TDM regarding cost, features, compatibility with other technologies, user experience, etc. According to Frost and Sullivan, the revenues for the telephony market for the second quarter of 2005 were $ 612 million and IP telephony provided $ 279.8 million.

Japan accounts for 43.5% of the revenues in the Asia Pacific zone. Greater China has registered a 20% growth in the second quarter. The demand for enterprise telephony in China is driven by sectors such as banking, multinationals, hospitality, etc. Broadband acceptance in China is expected to fuel the growth of telephony in the Asia Pacific region.

More than 75% of South Korean homes have broadband; the figure is more than 50% for Singapore and Hong Kong. Broadband penetration in China is not very high but broadband Internet services in China will cater to 176 million homes by the year 2010, which will be around 64% of all the broadband users in the region. End users are laying emphasis not only on costs but also on user experience. In order to meet the increasing consumer expectations, vendors are getting into partnerships with application developers to provide improved communications with IP-based productivity tools.

VoIP information for SMBs

It is important that SMBs know the basics that govern VoIP voice quality before they implement VoIP. A handset affects voice quality. An IP handset or an analog telephone adapter should be from a trusted vendor. There are several websites that present information and user reviews on VoIP equipment. Pre-release firmware should be avoided as it can result in problems such as dropped calls and poor audio quality. A handset should ideally support at least two codecs.

Codecs that need greater bandwidth are less of a strain on the CPU. Larger offices connected to a PABX or a local LAN whereas SMBs use Internet broadband. A full-rate codec like G711 can be used with a local LAN where there are no bandwidth constraints. A codec such as G729 is useful where some amount is compressing is required. The traffic should be routed such that voice traffic gets higher priority. This can be achieved by setting routers so that they accord the highest priority to traffic meant for a given IP address and port number. Handsets with a static IP address allow prioritization by using an internal IP address. Smart devices that connect between the modem and the router do not require configuration and can prioritize voice traffic automatically.

Sprint and the cable companies

The deal between wireless carrier Sprint and cable companies Comcast Corp, Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications Inc, and Advance/Newhouse Communications Inc will integrate their capabilities. Sprint is contributing $ 100 million for R&D and the four cable companies are pooling another $ 100 million in seed funding. Other cable operators may also be able to join the venture.

The venture offers “quadruple play” services that include wireless calling, landline calling, high-speed Internet, and cable television. Services for the future include unified messaging capabilities, delivery of video content on mobile devices, etc. The services will be made available in early 2006. The arrangement will also enable the participant to offer their networks for consumer services. This would enable users to access all their voicemails and emails from a single account and switch between calling platforms like PSTN and VoIP.

Spendings by companies

According to CCMI, small businesses spent around $ 10,000 per month on telephone services whereas on an average, the enterprises spent around $ 175,000 per month. eweek.com reports:

Sprint led the way in April, according to CCMI's DealWatch, a Web-based publication, with 174 new negotiated deals, while SBC had 62 such deals, and BellSouth had 44 such deals.

Read More: When Telco Pricing Info Dries Up

Microsoft acquiring VoIP vendor

Microsoft intends to add VoIP to its Office products and to that end is in the process of acquiring the Switzerland-based software company, media-streams.com, which specializes in VoIP applications. The deal should enable Microsoft to increase the functionality of its Office Live platform. The platform currently supports IM; its real-time capabilities will increase with the addition of VoIP.

Office Live, the beta version of which will be available in early 2006, offers website and email hosting, collaborative file sharing, etc for SMBs. Microsoft aims to integrate the different communication technologies so that users can use a unified, Web-based platform for all their voice communication needs.

Voice Print International

Voice Print International has appointed ePlus Technology, Inc as one of its key distribution associates for its interactions recording and performance optimization solutions. This should help Voice Print to further strengthen its distribution networks in the US. ePlus, which is a public company, has registered growth for the past 15 years. The company has been involved in the buying and selling of goods and services worth more than 2 billion dollars.

The coming together of these two companies should augur well for the commercial, municipal, government customers who can avail the solutions developed by ePlus and the cutting edge contact center technologies developed by Voice Print. The solutions developed by ePlus are flexible and easy to deploy. These include eProcurement, Lease Process Automation, Asset management, etc.

Activ! Voice IP, which is designed by Voice Print, enables evaluation and analysis of multimedia interactions over convergent networks. This facilitates a smooth transition from legacy PBX to VoIP networks.

Brekeke Software Inc.

Brekeke Software Inc. has completed the compatibility testing of its OnDO PBX with the VoIP-based calling services provided by Vonage. The OnDO PBX can be downloaded to create a PBX system that enables connectivity with SIP-enabled phones. tmcnet.com reports:

When combined with the local and long distance calling services of Vonage, the PBX functionality of OnDO PBX would create a tool for users wanting a phone system equipped with voicemail, call forwarding, and call conferencing.

Read More: Brekeke OnDO PBX Now Vonage-Compatible

Zingo Inc.

Zingo, Inc., which is one of the leading global IP communications service providers, has conducted a successful marketing campaign with the help of Internet portals, Yahoo and Google. tmcnet.com reports:

ZingoTel most recently announced that its services will be used by the United States Federal Government. The emergency phone system is identical to the systems being offered to the general public, stated ZingoTel's consumer department this week.

Read More: Zingo, Inc. Announces Record Sales

VoIP market set to grow

According to IDC, the US market for VoIP and WLAN equipment is set for growth till 2009 at a CAGR of 20%. The retail sector will see a growth in IP PBX spending at a CAGR of 7.6%. voipplanet.com reports:

Dan Corsetti, senior analyst in Vertical Market Research, explained that spending on IP PBX equipment by retailers is in an effort to improve communications between branch locations and headquarters, between branch offices, and with suppliers, in order to address difficult inventory management issues.

Read More: IDC: VoIP and Wireless LAN to Grow through 2009

Avaya for ABN AMRO and Allstate Insurance

Avaya will be using its VoIP expertise to implement IP telephony for Allstate Insurance and ABN AMRO. voipplanet.com reports:

Allstate already has a relationship with Avaya, which under the new deal will be expanded to additional locations in the U.S. and Canada. Allstate is using Avaya's Customer Interaction Suite IP-based contact center application to manage calls and handle intelligent call routing.

Read More: In Good Hands with Avaya

Alliance between cable operators and Sprint Nextel

According to the Wall Street Journal, an association of cable operators that includes Comcast Corp, Time Warner Inc, etc is on the verge of an agreement with Sprint Nextel Corp, which will enable them to sell cellular services using the Sprint Nextel’s wireless network. eweek.com reports:

The deal, expected to be announced in the next few weeks, would give cable operators another weapon in their battle with telephone companies, the paper said.

Read More: WSJ: Cable Companies, Sprint Near Wireless Pact

Lucent Technologies Inc.

Lucent Technologies Inc. has reported lower profit for this quarter but the demand for high-speed Internet and optical network equipment has increased. Lucent has had two profitable years in a row. The net income for the company in the fourth quarter has fallen to 8 cents per share. It was 23 cents per share for this period last year. eweek.com reports:

Lucent Chief Financial Officer Frank D'Amelio said in a statement that the company expects fiscal year 2006 revenue to rise on a mid-single-digit percentage basis, roughly in line with Wall Street's average expectation for a 6 percent increase, as tracked by Reuters Estimates.

Read More: Lucent Profit Drops but Sales Inch Up

BeyondVoice™

BeyondVoice™ from Cbeyond, SIPconnect services, and the Sphericall IP PBX allow businesses to use common all-IP connections for converged voice and data and connecting the same to the PSTN. In the absence of SIP Trunking, PSTN media gateways have to be used for the conversion of IP voice to narrow-band circuit connections. The need for PSTN media gateways is either reduced or eliminated completely with the introduction of SIP Trunking. voip-news.com reports:

“Sphere’s platform is delivering on a powerful new form of IP communications and we’re pleased that Sphere customers can now enjoy a pure IP connection with Cbeyond,” said Chris Gatch, Chief Technology Officer at Cbeyond.

Read More: Sphere Communications Announces Certification of SIP Trunking Service Provider

Merger of EAS Group Inc. and Brooktrout Inc.

Brooktrout Inc. has been acquired by EAS Group Inc. The merger has resulted in the creation of the largest provider of enabling technology. voip-news.com reports:

“We expect to complete the integration of Excel and Brooktrout in the first quarter of calendar year 2006. Customers of both companies can expect a seamless transition that will result in a combined entity with unrivaled technology expertise,” added Zionts.

Read More: EAS Group, Inc. Completes Acquisition of Brooktrout, Inc

IFX Networks

IFX Networks, which is a major networking service provider in Latin America, will be implementing Aperto Networks PacketWave broadband wireless solutions in cities such as Buenos Aires, Bogota, Medellin, etc. IFX intends to use the solutions for providing IP, MPLS, VoIP, etc services to SMBs and enterprises and then cover the consumer and residential markets. The PacketWave system architecture includes features such as an innovative multi-service design, rapid deployment, etc. Service providers are assured of a fully integrated entry-level platform that facilitates personalized service when they opt for the Aperto Networks WiMAX class system. tmcnet.com reports:

"We chose Aperto Networks because of their reputation for having the most advanced broadband wireless technology and the most reliable equipment in the industry," said Jack Bursztyn, CEO of IFX Corporation. "Aperto Networks is the acknowledged leader for WiMAX. We believe our strategic alignment with Aperto will contribute to IFX's growth and expansion.

Read More: IFX Deploys Aperto Networks Broadband Wireless Solutions

VPN de Mexico

VPN de Mexico, which is one of the leading VoIP service providers in Mexico, will be deploying MyCall by Netcentrex to provide residential and enterprise VoIP services to around 25 cities in Mexico. The VOXIP VoIP service provided by VPN de Mexico offers caller ID, call waiting, caller ID block, voice mail, etc via an automated provisioning system developed by Netcentrex. tmcnet.com reports:

"The Peralta family created the first mobile carrier in Mexico with IUSACELL and now we are continuing the family tradition by offering the first VSNO-based VoIP service with coverage over 25 cities throughout Mexico and with services that will continue to make us leaders in this market," said Pablo Peralta, CEO of VPN de Mexico, recalling his family's roots in the Mexican telecom industry.

Read More: VPN de Mexico Chooses Netcentrex MyCall(R) to Deliver VoIP Services to Mexico and the US

TriAxis

TriAxis, which provides voice, data, and cable television triple play services, has chosen the Compleat-200 Service Delivery Gateway provided by Carrius Technologies. tmcnet.com reports:

"Our Service Delivery Gateway is an ideal match for forward-looking service providers like TriAxis," stated John McNamara, senior vice president of global sales for Carrius. "They represent a new breed of companies that is taking advantage of VoIP technology to deliver enhanced service bundles over fiber-based broadband networks."

Read More: TriAxis Providing VoIP over Fiber-Based Broadband Network

Better Online Solutions Ltd

Better Online Solutions Ltd. (BOS) will be selling the assets of its Communications Division to Qualmax, Inc., which is a U.S-based VoIP service and equipment provider. Qualmax will pay BOS four million Qualmax shares and 4% of the royalties generated from future revenues up to $ 800,000. One million shares will be paid by Escrow and released every quarter subject to Qualmax achieving certain revenue figures from the business it has acquired. Before the transaction is frozen, Qualmax will be merged into a publicly traded company. tmcnet.com reports:

Mr. Adiv Baruch, CEO of BOS, commented, "We are delighted to enter into this agreement with Qualmax. We have structured the transaction so that we receive our sale price in Qualmax shares primarily because we believe in Qualmax's potential, which we expect will be greatly enhanced by integrating the BOS Communications Division.

Read More: Qualmax Acquires BOS' Communications Division

There's no stopping VoIP

According to Michael Powell, former chairman of the FCC, the personalization and openness afforded by VoIP make it a unique proposition. Carly Fiorina, CEO, Hewlett Packard, opines that the future of content is digital, mobile, virtual, and personal. tmcnet.com reports:

With the tremendous advances in those three fields, Powell said that we have gone from the early 1980s, when he bought his first 10-meg hard disk for $1,582 to the present-day, hand-held iPod, which can store 25,000 photos and 15,000 songs for less than $400.

Read More: Former FCC Chairman Powell: VoIP 'Unassailable'

Voxeo

Voxeo Corporation has released VoipCenter 6.0 SIP platform, which delivers standards-based VoIP capabilities to an enterprise. The platform uses Call Control XML (CCXML) and VoiceXML standards to enable open SIP application delivery.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which developed HTTP and HTML, has developed the VoiceXML and CCXML standards. The CCXML and VoiceXML engines developed by Voxeo have been used by 14,000 organizations to avail SIP-based telephony applications. Ever since early 2002 when the Call Control XML engine was first introduced, it has been used to route more than a billion calls. Intelligent SIP applications that are capable screening, transferring, and initiating VoIP calls can be created using CCXML.

The VoipCenter SIP Media Server software, which has been built using the Host Media Processing (HMP) engine, has handled three trillion voice packets since 1999. VoiceXML IVR, which drives the VoipCenter SIP Media Server, enables audio recording, playing of prompts, receipt of inputs by means of speech recognition, etc. English- language speech recognition and speech synthesis engines are bundled with the server at no extra charge. The VoipCenter Media Server acts as a media server and media proxy that is MRCP compliant.

The Voxeo SIP Fusion Server is an integrated rack-mounted device that offers VoiceXML, IVR, CCXML, speech synthesis, etc as a part of a turnkey telephony platform. The VoipCenter Fusion Server works in PSTN, PBX, and VoIP networks. It is available in models for 120/240 volt AC and -48 volt DC. Products from vendors such as Avaya, Delta3, Sonus, etc are compatible with VoipCenter SIP.

TriAxis

TriAxis, which provides voice, data, and cable television triple play services, has chosen the Compleat-200 Service Delivery Gateway provided by Carrius Technologies. tmcnet.com reports:

"Our Service Delivery Gateway is an ideal match for forward-looking service providers like TriAxis," stated John McNamara, senior vice president of global sales for Carrius. "They represent a new breed of companies that is taking advantage of VoIP technology to deliver enhanced service bundles over fiber-based broadband networks."

Read More: TriAxis Providing VoIP over Fiber-Based Broadband Network

VPN de Mexico

VPN de Mexico, which is one of the leading VoIP service providers in Mexico, will be deploying MyCall by Netcentrex to provide residential and enterprise VoIP services to 25 cities in Mexico. The VOXIP VoIP service provided by VPN de Mexico offers caller ID, call waiting, caller ID block, voice mail, etc via an automated provisioning system developed by Netcentrex. tmcnet.com reports:

"The Peralta family created the first mobile carrier in Mexico with IUSACELL and now we are continuing the family tradition by offering the first VSNO-based VoIP service with coverage over 25 cities throughout Mexico and with services that will continue to make us leaders in this market," said Pablo Peralta, CEO of VPN de Mexico, recalling his family's roots in the Mexican telecom industry.

Read More: VPN de Mexico Chooses Netcentrex MyCall(R) to Deliver VoIP Services to Mexico and the US

VoIP Open Application-Enabling Platforms

Motorola will be releasing VoIP Open Application-Enabling Platforms. These are based on Motorola’s FACT-SIP software that is integrated with the ComStruct(TM) CompactPCI packet voice resource boards. SIP commands are sent across an IP socket by the FACT-SIP software. This enables control of the ComStruct packet voice resource hardware which leads to easy interfacing of the SIP-based applications with the ComStruct hardware so that VoIP enabled applications can be set up easily. tmcnet.com reports:

Motorola also intends to create new VoIP Open Application-Enabling Platform families that integrate FACT-SIP software with MicroTCA(TM) and AdvancedTCA(R) hardware. The increasing adoption of SIP supports Motorola's vision of seamless mobility by making it easier for devices and applications to communicate.

Read More: Motorola Announces its First VoIP Open Application-Enabling Platforms

Overhauling telecom laws

According to some experts, the development of new technologies such as Internet Protocol TV has necessitated a new regulatory structure for the cable TV industry. eweek.com reports:

A panel of the Judiciary Committee of the U.S. Senate on Wednesday heard testimony from SBC Communications Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc., two major phone companies that plan to deliver TV, and Internet access, via an IP network.

Read More: Internet TV Provokes Changes in Telecom Laws

Pricing issues with cable broadband.

Broadband providers are caught on the horns of a dilemma because although customers are going to pay more for broadband they are also expecting more from the service providers. Moreover, once a user is online, he uses the net to avail alternatives to the traditional phone and video services that have been revenue earners for the cable operators and the telecom companies for a long time.

The service providers are trying to figure out ways to make the customers pay more for services such as video file sharing and IP telephony as these can consume greater bandwidth. eweek.com reports:

After all, cable companies don't like to provide Internet access so customers can use BitTorrent, the video file-sharing service. It's not hard to see how it could replace their TV business. And since one of the nation's largest cable companies also makes movies, it's not hard to see that happening.

Read More: Consumers and Broadband Providers Are Bound to Tangle

Sphere Communications

Sphere Communications will demonstrate the Sphericall IP PBX for Service Oriented Architectures (SOA) at the TMC INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference and EXPO Fall 2005. The EXPO is the largest VoIP event of its kind in the world and provides a platform for showcasing VoIP-related products.

Sphere Communications has developed the next generation of IP PBX as a business application that is able to deliver a rich set of communications services to a host of other business applications within the context of a SOA.

Read More: Sphere Communications to Demonstrate Communications Web Services

SURF Communication Solutions®

SURF Communication Solutions®, which was established in 1996, will be funded by Texas Instruments Incorporated, Giza Venture Capital, etc. The funding is aimed at enabling the company to extend its reach in various regions, particularly North America.

The company is one of the foremost developers of high-capacity multimedia processing software. SURF is keen to duplicate its successful track record in other regions. To this end, it plans to pursue direct sales and marketing activities; build distribution channels; and carry out the development of its media processing enabling technologies at an increased pace.

“For the past two years Surf has focused its strategy on areas of high market demand where we bring significant and unique added value. We call it our ‘unfair advantage’,” said Eyal Zagagi, President and CEO of Surf.

Read More: Surf Communication Solutions Secures New Round of Funding

Yahoo Messenger and MSN

MSN and Yahoo Messenger are to come together to form the largest IM community numbered at 275 million and growing. The two companies that own the services, i.e. Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. have stated that the two services will be integrated keeping in mind consumer security and data privacy.

The integrated version is expected to be made available to users in the second quarter of 2006. Users will be able to avail all the IM facilities including PC-to-PC phone calls and add members from both the services on to their lists. The security will be based on SIP for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions (SIMPLE) protocols. SIMPLE, which has been developed by the IETF, enables buddy list subscriptions and notifications and IM commands.

In 2001, AOL had mentioned its desire to employ SIMPLE for its IM service but is using proprietary standards. SIMPLE uses a session mode and a page mode. Session mode is used for setting up a call. Page mode does not employ call setup and is similar to an SMS service for issuing short messages and announcements. eweek.com reports:

Being able to IM with friends and family that use other IM services is the most requested service from users, said Blake Irving, corporate vice president of the MSN Communication Services and Member Platform group at Microsoft. "It's been bubbling up on the request list for years."

Read More: Yahoo, MSN to Form World's Largest IM Community

CN 1000

Ciena Corp. has announced that it is capping further investment in CN 1000, the broadband loop carrier that it obtained when it purchased Catena Networks. CN 1000 could be used to provide triple-play services using the existing copper network of a carrier. lightreading.com reports:

Sources close to Ciena say the CN1000 never lived up to its billing from a technology standpoint. "It was not an IP or Ethernet-based technology," says one source.

Read More: Ciena Backs Off BLCs

StarVox Communications Inc.

StarVox Communications Inc. is an IP service provider backed by three venture capitalists, Novus Ventures, Deutsche Suisse Asset management, and Trinad Capital Master Fund. These three companies have invested $ 9 billion in StarVox Communications Inc., which in its earlier avatar as a IP Centrex developer was known as StarVox Inc.

StarVox's current VP of marketing, Rich Barry, would not say whether the old StarVox ever reached profitability during its five-year lifespan, though he ought to know -- he was the CEO back then.

Read More: StarVox Morphs Into IP Voice Provider

SBC

Like its sister concern Cingular Wireless, SBC too is going to deploy a next-generation network architecture, the IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS), provided by Lucent. With the help of IMS, SBC should be able to provide its customers with new services accessible on both wireless and wired devices. networkworld.com reports:

The carrier, one of the largest U.S. providers of telephone and broadband service, expects to being offering services made possible by the IMS in late 2006 or early 2007.

Read More: SBC follows Cingular to Lucent for IMS

Mergers create opportunities

The recent mergers involving six big telecom players will result in a new breed of companies promising a host of services including local and long-distance VoIP, broadband Internet connectivity, wireless, etc.

The changing scenario will lead to a need for better vendor management. The present flux can be a good thing for the users who can ask for better rates for the host of bundled services on offer as well as better customer support services.

According to Fred Gratke, Assistant V.P Telecommunications, Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway, two or three financially stable national carriers that can offer better service are sufficient to spur competition.

According to J.T Johnson, President, Nemertes Research, a mega carrier offering several services can afford to offer volume discounts and is also less complicated to deal with as compared to interacting with a host of carriers and managing multiple accounts.

Apart from offering volume discounts on bundled services, the carriers can streamline the order processing, billing, and provide prompt troubleshooting. The changes in the internal setup of carriers are already causing billing problems and customer relationship is also being affected.

Paul Lowenwirth, V.P Telecommunications, Viewpointe Archive Services, feels that it is important for customers to ensure that they stay relevant to the carrier’s scheme of things. If customers lose their significance for the large carriers created due to the mega mergers, they risk facing a fall in the standards of service offered to them.

Customers will be required to hone their vendor management skills in order to be able to negotiate the best packages as a result of the new setup emerging in the telecom industry. IT personnel will need to know more than just the technicalities of MPLS and VoIP technologies. Their opinion will be important in drafting service level agreements and redefining the minimum revenue requirements given that data packets are being added to the voice minutes.

The interaction between the provider and client is also set to increase as the complexity of the services provided increases. Thus, a carrier’s ability to help clients utilize their technology along with providing cost savings will matter. Large clients will often pay more in return for improved services such as managed services and carriers playing an active role in securing data.

According to Gartner, half of their clients are signing 3-year contracts and around 20% are opting for 4-5 year contracts to avail greater discounts. A longer contract period is not such a bad idea as prices are not really going down. Moreover, it allows both parties to work out a mutually beneficial service-level agreement.

The spate of mergers is also good news for the smaller players who are stepping in to fill the spaces created due the mergers. These include remote-access companies such as New Edge Networks, virtual network operators such as Virtela Communications, and outsourcers like IBM.

VoIP in business

Several businesses such as the New York-based brokerage firm Coldwell Banker are realizing the benefits offered by Internet telephony. According to Info-Tech Research Group, 50% of all businesses should be using VoIP by 2008 and by 2015 every business will probably be into using IP telephony. techtarget.com reports:

Yet while a host of benefits await-cost savings, efficiencies, applications that can be tied into the system--make no mistake: This is a vendor-driven upgrade. Leading telephony vendors have all but discontinued their traditional time division multiplexing (TDM) private branch exchanges (PBX), opting instead to make all of their products IP-enabled.

Read More: MAKING STRIDES WITH VOIP

Wireless Office

Office Depot, Inc has launched a hosted Wireless Office Service for SMBs. The service enables communication with employees who are provided with an extension number based on a single business phone number. Wireless Office Service integrates the cell phones of the employees with the office phones, irrespective of the service providers.

The service is hosted by AccessLine Communications and a single voice-menu-driven number is used for routing the calls. The call is transferred to the employee using virtual phone numbers and can be accessed on any type of instrument. The service works like a virtual PBX for the SMBs without the cost or time involved in setting up an actual PBX. It has features such as integrated voice mail, find me/follow me, etc and can support up to 500 employees.

The SmartVoice service provided by AccessLine allows businesses to implement VoIP in an incremental manner. A gateway required to access the service is far easier to install as compared to the expense and effort involved in replacing the entire phone infrastructure. Since Wireless Office is an IP-based application placed on top of the currently used phone service, it provides the business with enhanced functionalities without having to shift to a full hosted VoIP solution.

A web-based management tool forwards all business calls to an employee’s voicemail after office hours. This helps the employee to keep his professional and personal life segregated. Information regarding the service rates can be obtained at the company web site.

MCI offers increased service

MCI is providing increased network support services to its clients so that they may integrate voice, data, and video in a better manner. MCI plans to provide support to its government and wholesale data customers by the first quarter of 2006. networkworld.com reports:

In expanding enterprise services, MCI is looking to be a "one-stop shop" for providing on-site network support, said Cliff Cibelli, MCI's senior product manager for managed network services.

Read More:

CIT200

The new CIT200, introduced by Linksys, is a cordless VoIP handset that uses Skype running on a PC as its base station. DECT wireless used by the device eradicates the interference that is associated with the 2.4GHz cordless phones. The CIT200 comes with a charger and a USB base station along with the handset. The Skype caller list can be viewed on the handset. The handset can be used to send and receive messages of up to 10 minutes in length and it also supports SkypeIn, SkypeOut and Voicemail.

GIPS

Global IP Sound (GIPS), which is one of the main vendors providing embedded voice processing solutions for VoIP tools, has made a successful foray into the VoIP hardware market. GIPS intends to position itself as the vendor of choice for semiconductor companies and ODMs by assuring help in delivering consistent call quality.

According to statistics published by In-Stat, the number of wireless VoIP subscribers will grow to 73% of total VoIP users by 2009. The VoIP gateway market will be worth $ 985.7 million per annum by 2009. Waveplus Technology Corp. and Marvell Semiconductor are two companies that are working with GIPS to establish a presence in the IP phone, ATA, and mobile handset market. The GIPS Voice Quality Enhancement (VQE) for ATA resolves issues regarding echo and noise in consumer-oriented gateways.

Jack Blaeser joins Qovia

Jack Blaeser, former CEO, Concord Communications, has joined the Board of Directors of Qovia Inc. voip-news.com reports:

Mr. Blaeser, a well known and respected leader in network performance management, will help drive Qovia’s growth by working with the company to enhance its award-winning Qovia VoIP Monitoring and Management System, develop new strategic partnerships, increase sales and raise growth capital.

Read More:Former Concord Communications CEO Jack Blaeser

GL and Telchemy come together

GL Communications is going to integrate VoIP call quality monitoring technology, provided by Telchemy, with its packet telephony tools. voip-news.com reports:

VQmon is the first VoIP Performance Management software to support the new VoIP management protocols, providing the essential metrics for the International Engineering Task Force (IETF) RFC 3611 (RTCP XR) media path reporting protocol and QoS reporting protocols for SIP, H.323, MGCP, Megaco and PacketCable.

Read More: GL Communications Chooses Telchemy's IP Performance Analysis Solution

P2P VoIP and SMBs

P2P VoIP has the potential to make available PBX functionality to businesses at a far reduced cost than traditional telephony. Nimcat Networks, which has recently been acquired by Avaya, and Popular Telephony are two important players in the P2P VoIP space. Peerio, which is second generation enterprise P2P architecture, is attracting attention because of its scalability and the fact that it is protected by patents.

Peerio enables the creation of a virtual exchange without any hardware requirements and there is no need to build a PBX. The edition of Peerio which is targeted at SOHOs enables PBX functionality by using a soft phone. The second generation P2P networks can be used for much more than file transfers. They are suitable for business-strength VoIP applications. They are capable of storing encrypted data and call-control information similar to as in a central call server.

The Peerio software reduces costs by up to 80% as it eliminates the need for a central PBX. It is compatible with any IP phone or PDA and allows these devices to connect automatically with other Peerio-enabled devices. This facilitates easy and cost effective MCAs. Data distribution and retrieval is handled in an efficient manner with Peerio. Plug-and-play cost effective P2P solutions will make inroads into the SOHO market where traditional telephony works out to be expensive.

VeriSign and Net2Phone

VeriSign recently announced a trial of its Wireless IP Connect Service by VoIP provider, Net2Phone. The Wireless IP Connect Service provides cell phones with an IP address in areas that have Wi-Fi connectivity; thereby improving cellular to Wi-Fi interoperability. wi-fi planet.com reports:

According to Tom Kershaw, vice president of next generation services at VeriSign, the Net2Phone trial is significant because it is the service's first announcement of a consumer application. To date, VeriSign has announced four customers running the Wireless IP Connect Service in VeriSign's trial environment.

Read More: VeriSign Ups the Ante for IP Wireless Connect

VoIP in India

In India, VoIP telephony can be used for making phone calls from a PC to a phone abroad, PC to PC within and outside India, and between SIP/ H.323 devices globally. However, VoIP cannot be used to access traditional telephony devices; this is curbing the growth of VoIP in India. According to figures released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), approximately 160 million minutes of VoIP communication took place from June 04 to July 05. Higher PC penetration and broadband availability are the two major factors that will drive the growth of VoIP in India.

Telecom stocks look good

According to Jeffries & Co. Inc. the telecom equipment stocks have shown resurgence due the arrival of Internet giants in the field of telecom via VoIP. lightreading.com reports:

Notter points out that it is the defensive reaction by legacy voice providers to new VOIP offerings, not infrastructure spending by the non-traditional players themselves, that will drive new business for equipment providers in the short term.

Read More: VOIP Players Spur Spending

WiredRed Software

In the second week of September 2005, WiredRed Software, which is based in Santa Clara, California, announced the launch of its next-generation software engine for PC desktop multipoint VoIP. voipplanet.com reports:

Like other components of the company's turnkey communications product, e/pop Web Conferencing—multipoint video, data sharing, and presence—the VoIP engine is available to "commercial vendors that seek to include the same capabilities in commercial-trade products and services" via application programming interface or API.

Read More: New VoIP Module from WiredRed

TelTel

TelTel, which is based in Santa Clara, California, has launched a program that will allow participating ISPs, ITSPs, CLECs to function as SIP Virtual Network Operator partners. This will enable them to offer their customers SIP-based IP telephony, IM, and other features. TelTel has around 1.3 million users as compared to more than 50 million for Skype. Skype uses a proprietary messaging protocol whereas TelTel uses one that is based on SIP. voipplanet.com reports:

Both offer the same basic feature mix: in addition to the aforementioned instant messaging and presence, free PC-to-PC calls, low-cost call origination and termination to the PSTN. TelTel also offers a modest array of availability notification and 'call me' features in the client interface. Skype offers three-way conferencing and, as an extra-cost option, voicemail.

Read More: TelTel Launches SVNO Program, Announces First Partner

DMS-10 600 series

Nortel Networks has launched its SIP-enabled DMS-10 600 series, which can be upgraded to DMS-10. According to Nortel, DMS-10 is the most widely accepted rural voice switch. There are over 3,000 units currently in service globally. It is a carrier-class central-office switching platform and can support up to 20,000 lines. voipplanet.com reports:

Nortel has now added SIP-based VoIP capabilities with the new upgrade to the DMS-10. Volume shipments of the upgrade are expected to begin in October, though Scheible noted that more than 75 carriers, accounting for 200 switches, had already signed up for the upgrade.

Read More: Nortel Rolls Out Easy Rural Carrier Upgrade to VoIP

Money Matters

Before implementing a VoIP network, it is important to consider the financial implications of such a move. For investments in the new VoIP hardware to be favorable, it is sometimes essential to shift a fair number of minutes from the legacy network. This may lead to the cost of maintaining the existing network becoming unrealistic. Although, the lure of free or very low-cost long distance calls is very strong, a net manager needs to consider the company’s calling patterns in terms of domestic and international calls. voipplanet.com reports:

For example, assume that your existing service agreement specifies a rate of $0.05 per minute if you use one million minutes per month, and $0.03 per minute if you use two million minutes per month. Assume that you have recently used over 2 million minutes per month (at $0.03), but you estimate that you will drop substantially below this amount when you divert some of your voice traffic to data transport.

Read More: Putting it all Together—Part III: Implementation Tips, continued

Macromedia

Macromedia too has jumped on to the VoIP bandwagon. It is soon going to become a part of Adobe Inc. In May 2005, Macromedia added VoIP features to its Breeze Web conferencing application, such as a telephony gateway. Macromedia is in the process of furthering its VoIP strategy by negotiating with Avaya, Cisco, and HP. Cisco has incorporated Flash-based web conferencing to MeetingPlace Express, including features of both Macromedia Flash Platform and Breeze.

HP will market the Macromedia Flash Platform and its own HP Service Delivery Platform (HP SDP), which allows providers to deliver content across fixed and mobile networks. Macromedia intends that service providers and network equipment providers use the Flash Platform for enriching their integrated communications networks and services. Macromedia envisions VoIP as an integral part of all applications enabling them to achieve increased margins. After providing a convergence of VoIP, audio, and web-conferencing facilities, Macromedia is looking forward to add features such as group list, presence location, etc into a single business process.

RNKVoIP

RNK Telecom has teamed up with Freedom Calls Foundation to provide free VoIP calls to soldiers posted in Iraq. voipplanet.com reports:

RNK's phones communicate over a Freedom Calls Foundation-supplied satellite VoIP uplink.

Read More: Free VoIP Calls for U.S. Troops in Iraq

Talkswitch

Talkswitch ® and RAMTelecom have come together to deliver a satellite-based VoIP solution for companies that have their offices located in remote areas. voip-news.com reports:

Remote businesses, like mining operations, have struggled to find ways to keep connected to the outside world while keeping communications costs reasonable.

Read More: TalkSwitch® and RAMTelecom

GITEX 2005

GITEX 2005 was hosted in Dubai this year. 2000 IT companies including giants such as Oracle and Microsoft were present. voip-new.com reports:

IntereXchange Carrier (IXC) participated in GITEX at the booth of its regional partner CarrieX, which has been successfully utilizing IXC Billing Center.

Read More: IXC participated in GITEX 2005 in Dubai

Offerings from Intel

Intel offers a range of products that are aimed at furnishing a network with high-bandwidth capabilities. These include network processors, layer 1 and layer 2 interface devices, etc. intel.com reports:

In a small office or home office you'll find our Intel XScale® technology-based network processors in many wireless access points and media gateways, and most of those products also support VoIP.

Read More:Understanding Voice over IP

Justifications for investing in IP communications – part 2

IP communications provide solutions such as IP telephony, unified messaging, and IP contact center. These solutions are ideal for an increasingly mobile workforce, which includes salespersons, consultants, troubleshooters, that needs to stay connected while on the move.

Traditional voice networking tools can cost more than $1500 for every remote worker. IP telephony uses a VPN that enables a company to provide secure voice capabilities to the remote worker. A remote worker, with broadband connectivity, can access the office network via a handset or a softphone on the PC. Hot-desking employees can run up significant charges in hotel bills and leased-lines for their offices that are not sufficiently used. The convergence provided by IP telephony allows mobile employees to operate from home and stay connected with the head office.

According to a study conducted by The Radicati Group, Inc., unified messaging can add up to 40 minutes of productive time per worker per day. Unified messaging enables a person to access any type of communication using a single device. Unified messaging on a converged network can also help to reduce IT support costs by up to 70%. Unified messaging presents some difficulties in implementation in a setup that has multiple networks but is relatively easy to implement in a converged network.

IP-enabled video conferencing places this tool within the reach of every employee. With traditional network models, cost was the major constraint in using videoconferencing as communication tool. The emergence of converged networking has allowed companies to extend this facility to every desktop. Uses of video-on-demand and videoconferencing include real-time and face to face communication between colleagues and periodic long-distance training for skill upgrading. IP-based phones have a range of features including XML-based applications that allow a user to look up calendars, emails, and voice mails. Companies will soon arrive at the kind of information that can be made accessible to employees to help them with their work. IP soft phones allow employees to use their computers for making calls and conferencing.

A convergent network provides applications that facilitate remote collaboration. This enhances the level of knowledge management, for example simultaneous reading of a document to agree upon the content, online editing of video content, etc. Convergent networks help in the proliferation of important data that has significance for CRM as well. Multi-channel contact centers can now satisfy customer requirements by reducing the handle-times as they are able to access sensitive data quickly.

Justifications for investing in IP communications – part 1

Enterprises and SMBs are moving toward deploying IP communications as a means of achieving a cost-effective convergence of voice and data communication, which enhances employee mobility and reduces expenditures related to network maintenance and administration. According to a study by Phillips InfoTech, around 85 percent of the organizations have implemented IP communications at some level. Of the companies that have implemented IP communications networks, two-thirds of these feel that IP telephony has delivered the desired results in terms of increased productivity and savings in time and money.

Implementing IP telephony is an IT investment that requires business and financial justification. This is because increasingly IT implementations are being aligned with achieving particular business objectives and not just for a general accomplishment of business goals.

Reduced cost of network ownership and improved communications due to easy and quick deployment of applications are the two prime justifications for opting for IP telephony. Seven out of ten IP deployments yield a positive ROI in 16-18 months. The cost of network ownership is reduced as infrastructural requirements are simplified and voice and data networks are converged.

Network administration, carrier costs, and equipment maintenance contribute 44%, 22%, and 34%, respectively to the company savings.

• A converged network leads to reduced equipment costs because the company does not have to purchase dedicated PBXs and maintain separate ISDN connections.

• Centralized call processing enables a company to reduce the amount of equipment required in remote offices. The wiring work can be reduced by around 50% per user. The same Ethernet port can be used for running a PC and an IP phone, which results in significant dollar savings.

• By switching to an IP-based network, the hardware connection costs are reduced to one-tenth with a 100-fold increase in performance. With the existing systems, a T1 line having 1.5 MB of bandwidth supporting 24 users is required to connect a voice mail server to a PBX. This costs around $6000. With a 100 MB Ethernet that runs an IP-based network having a unified messaging solution, a single server can host an equivalent number of sessions for a cost of $600.

• Network management costs are reduced as productivity increases and management is simplified.

• Improved internal productivity leads to a reduction in requirements to be outsourced, which allows companies to control the management to a greater extent and deliver results faster to their users.

• A converged network also enables a company to manage a far greater number of users than before.

• The expenses involved with moving and shifting of equipment and staff is an ongoing cost. A single move can cost a company up to $ 135. The extended mobility that IP telephony offers can help to bring down this cost significantly.

• IP telephony leads to reduced network costs because of a reduction in the number of voice circuits and reduced PSTN tariffs levied for toll-bypass, which results in major savings in making international calls.

Business communications benefit from the deployment of an IP-based network, which provides a basis for the deployment of a range of applications. The applications and services can be used to deliver better mobility, streamlining of operations, improved functionality, etc. In a networked environment, a person can communicate more effectively through the multiple communication channels, such as voice, email, fax, video, etc.

Selecting the right outsource partner

Carriers are increasingly being faced with the challenge of interfacing the VoIP and TDM networks. VoIP carriers can accrue significant savings if they can find the right party for outsourcing certain network functions. Carriers operating TDM networks outsource in order to cut costs and to avail the technical proficiency provided by the third party. These considerations are important in a VoIP network as well.

VoIP usage by the retail consumer has grown from 40 billion minutes in 2002 to 850 billion minutes in 2005. For the same period, usage in retail enterprises has grown from 60 billion minutes to 1150 billion minutes. The wholesale market for VoIP grew from 0 minutes in 2002 to 450 billion minutes in 2005.

Given that IP technology and VoIP are radically changing the face of telecommunication, it is important that the service provider has the technical and monitoring capabilities to deliver the desired QoS. Such an endeavor is bound to be influenced by facts such as VoIP being a “best effort” protocol. The maintenance of a high level of availability system for a system that utilizes several discrete components that may be housed separately is easy. The open architecture has led to the growth of several components and achieving smooth interoperability is a difficult task.

A managed outsourced VoIP solution is of interest to both the established TDM carriers and the VoIP only carriers. The outsource partner should ideally have the experience of having worked with the legacy as well as the VoIP services. A VoIP network can be quite fragmented and the outsource partner should have the requisite network management systems and tools in place if it is to deliver the promised QoS. Network management includes activities such as ensuring redundancy, carrying out network testing, supervising call quality and the flow of traffic, managing SIP messages, ensuring round the clock network availability by providing back-up systems, carrier class facilities, etc. The back-up NOC systems should be able to provide details of key business and engineering metrics in real time.

There should be a clear understanding between the carrier and the outsource partner regarding the Service Level Agreements. This is because it is not possible for a single party to manage the QoS of every end-to-end connection. Both active and passive monitoring should be carried out. Active monitoring is done in order to try and enhance the level of user experience, passive monitoring helps to determine the QoS achieved by the network. ASR and ALOC are measures used for monitoring customer experience.

For established carriers, an outsource partner can assist in migrating to VoIP by providing the technical expertise, the carrier does not have to install an IP infrastructure, the speed-to-market increases as the carrier is free to devote its energies on marketing selling the service, the outsource partner is better qualified to select the right vendor. Carriers also have the option of a build-operate-transfer (BOT) arrangement which allows them to approach the VoIP market faster and more confidently as they can benefit from a smoother transition during which the carrier can educate its own staff. However, if the service provider owns a proprietary platform, he may be loath to agree to a BOT agreement.

If a service provider is recruited to provide VoIP-TDM interconnection, he should be able to ensure redundancy in both systems as well as redundant internet connectivity, C7/SS7 signaling support, live monitoring at all times, adequate site security, etc.

Outsourcing services is an attractive alternative for VoIP carriers who wish to establish IP-to-IP networking capabilities. This is because the capital investment and maintaining a technically qualified staff is an expensive proposition. A VoIP-only service should provide the customer with centralized IP routing by employing SBC technology. An ideal pricing would be one in which the rates are linked to volumes, this facilitates the initial investment by the carrier and allows for the payment of the new opportunities as and when they appear. Carriers should look for IP-to-IP interconnections that offer interoperability between protocols and gateways, route sizing, real-time reporting, round-the-clock monitoring and routing, etc.

Openreach

BT has announced a new multibillion pound business Openreach, which will ensure that its retail and wholesale divisions access its network in a fair manner. thebusinessonline.com reports:

Openreach will employ BT’s field force of 25,000 engineers. Its 22,000 vans will be re-sprayed to distinguish them from the rest of the BT fleet.

Read More: BT’s Openreach could have to list separately

VoIP in the banking sector

Banks and financial institutions, particularly small and mid-sized ones have been quick to appreciate the benefits that VoIP can offer in terms of cost savings and enhancing customer experience. Other benefits include more robust disaster recovery systems, improved CRM, greater mobility for the staff, etc. According to Susan Cournover, analyst with Gartner Inc., VoIP will be indispensable in 70% of the businesses by 2008.

Currently, the education sector is the most enthusiastic adopter of VoIP and accounts for around 35% of the total market, healthcare and financial institutions account for 16% and less than 16% of the market, respectively. Small and mid-sized banks have been the early adopters of VoIP and are using it to improve the service of their customer contact points.

Banks have been a trifle slow in adopting VoIP as there is more at stake with banking services as compared to other businesses. However, the attraction of almost 50% savings in communication bills and the maturing of VoIP have meant that financial institutions are venturing forth to adopt VoIP.

SouthTrust Bank, based in Birmingham, Alabama, saves in excess of $ 5 million per annum after having installed a VoIP solution by Cisco Systems. The savings have accrued due to cost reductions across the communications setup. These include a 20% reduction in cost related to frame-relay circuits, a 51.3% reduction in moving and adding costs, a 94% reduction in conference call costs, etc. The bank is also targeting a 15.4% reduction in the voice and data systems maintenance costs. For the bank, a major advantage of implementing VoIP is that the safety and integrity of its data will not be compromised in the event of a mishap at any of its locations.

Open source vs. proprietary technology

The main reason for VoIP providers to push for open standards is to reduce their dependence on proprietary software, which sometimes inhibits their ability to provide quality service. eweek.com reports:

Silicon Valley is fast moving into the world of telephony, and it is dragging the contest between open and proprietary code along with it.

Read More: Telephony Battle: Open Vs. Proprietary

The growth of VoIP

By 2006, more than 66% of the Global 2000 companies will implement VoIP. At present there are close to 400 VoIP only providers in the US and even network vendors, including the RBOCs are now providing IP options. Cost reduction achieved by running voice traffic on packet-switched networks is the main reason for companies switching over to VoIP.

Savings on toll-charges, shifting, operating expenses are possible with VoIP. However, it must be borne in mind that the capital cost of IP applications is not very low, even if the VoIP network is hosted by a third party, it does not automatically translate into savings. New applications such as unified messaging and instant messaging can be implemented in a smooth manner by converging voice and data networks. This is a big reason for companies to migrate to IP-driven networks.

The advantages offered by the new applications and improvements in IP PBXs resulting in better security and QoS are an attraction for many companies. These developments, which keep cost in mind, are helping in bridging the disconnect between customer needs and vendor marketing, which had occurred initially because vendors approached the issue of VoIP adoption from a technology perspective.

To encourage companies to adopt VoIP without losing out on their investment in the existing systems, vendors are offering hybrid IP systems that allow a gradual convergence. Thus, companies need not wait for their existing equipment to come to the end of its life-cycle. In Illinois, the village of Lombard deployed an IP telephony network purchased from Cisco. The network consisted of Cisco switches, unity voice mail, dual Call managers and around 240 IP phones. The village has around 42,000 residents and has used the IP system to connect the Village Hall, the police station, fire station and the water works department. The village of Lombardy is an example of a community or organization that wants to do away with its existing system and is in a good position to employ VoIP from scratch.

In order to achieve a truly converged network, network monitoring and balancing of the traffic need to be managed. To this end, the enhanced remote monitoring diagnostics offered by Avaya should be of help. The migration to a VoIP-enabled network should happen on a large scale in the next few years because the existing networks installed around the year 2000 will be coming to the end of their lifecycle. The onus is on the IP- systems vendors to ensure that the transition for its customers is as smooth as possible.

VoIP for telecommuters

In the last week of August 2005, 3Com Corporation and Ingate Systems came together to provide VoIP facility to telecommuters who can now hope to avail enterprise-level IP telephony, even when on the move.

The new IP Telecommuting Module that has been designed by 3Com enables remote employees to securely access corporate VoIP applications. Companies that are already using 3Com can benefit from the seamless convergence provided by the module. The module is based on open standards and uses SIP. The employees can use their laptops to make telephone calls from any place with an Internet connection, by using the corporate VoIP system.

Ingate System technologies will help 3Com to manage the Network Address Translation (NAT) aspects related to the SIP communication. A single module can handle up to 100 users simultaneously. The module is available for $80/user.

VoIP migration

When Provident Funding Associates LP decided to shift to VoIP to manage its growing communication needs in a cost-effective manner, it assessed VoIP solutions provided by a host of vendors including Cisco Systems Inc., Nortel Networks Ltd., Avaya Inc., etc.

The investments that were required in implementing solutions developed by the larger vendors did not assure the company of an early ROI. Also, the solutions proposed required the purchase and installation of around 200 discrete items, which would have made the management of the VoIP network almost as difficult as the legacy network that they wanted to phase out. VoIP systems require several pieces of equipment such as media servers, voice mail servers, gateways, etc that need to work together, whether housed together or separately.

Provident wanted a system that would integrate with solutions in-house and the company need not have to hire an outsider for managing the system. Large companies can promote their proprietary standards on the strength of their already established client base. Provident finally decided to implement Zultys MX250, which is based on open standards and required only seven components to run the VoIP system. The MX250 provides a PBX and Internet gateway in one box.

The ZultysMX25 can be employed as a SIP gateway and can also handle up to 30 simultaneous calls. Provident also benefited from the fact that any SIP-based handset can work with the Zultys equipment. Implementing the Zultys VoIP system has enabled the company to save on the cost of internal calling which used to be around $ 300,000 per annum. Provident will also be able to do away with six Primary rate Interfaces (PRIs), which will result in annual savings of $ 500,000.

VoIP implementation

eBay’s acquisition of Skype has brought into sharp focus the manner in which companies will choose to communicate in future. Skype adds around 170,000 users daily to its roster of around 55 million users. This implies that people have been quick to appreciate the benefits of Internet Telephony.

Vendors of traditional telephony have also decided to jump onto the IP-telephony bandwagon. In the UK, BT Global Services does business of around £5bn with its corporate clients, out of which £300m comes from calls revenue. The advent of IP may well signal the end of this stream of revenue. Implementing IP telephony will help to cut costs because of the cheaper calls, reduced maintenance bills due to remote maintenance, and reduced mobile bills.

However, it is important for companies to time their migration to an IP system such that they extract the maximum ROI from their existing telephony network. VoIP offers a very distinct advantage if the company has several locations but for a single office, a change to VoIP may need more justification than just reduced charges.

Some companies that have implemented VoIP have also continued with the traditional telephony network, which they hope to phase out once they feel satisfied with the QoS and speeds offered by VoIP

VoIP security

VoIP undoubtedly has the potential to effect huge savings on call charges, infrastructure, and maintenance. However, it still has to assure IT administrators that it can offer a level of security similar to that offered by traditional telephony. The concerns arise from the fact that VoIP uses Ethernet and is therefore susceptible to DoS, interception, spamming, etc.

As compared to data networks, phone systems may be difficult to patch. VoIP phones are susceptible to Address Resolution Protocol spoofing that can lead to illegal tapping and crashing of the VoIP phone. According to tests conducted by Secure Test, the Cisco 7900 series phones are vulnerable when running the default Skinny protocol and can be crashed easily.

An attacker can use a PC attached to the VoIP network and send a stream of malformed messages that can result in a buffer overflow and crash the instrument. If such an attack were to be performed on a switchboard network, it would be possible for an attacker to disable the network in a matter of minutes. VoIP enables routers are also susceptible to DoS attacks. A large message in which the number of characters exceeds 50,000 can sometimes cause every phone on the VoIP network to reboot.

Prevention of tapping in PSTN networks is more a question of maintaining physical security whereas VoIP data, if unencrypted, can be intercepted by any other phone on the network. It is important that VoIP phones support the secure RTP protocols required to ensure default encryption of data. The attacks on a VoIP network can be carried out remotely with the help of Trojans that may be distributed via a PC connected to the VoIP network.

IP telephony in enterprise voice communications

Enterprise voice communication is shifting from the PBX systems that are based on Time Division Multiplexing to IP telephony. VoIP offers the benefit of convergence to companies as voice, data, fax, video are all managed from a single platform.

Even though converged systems have been available only for some time, they already account for one-third of the market. Avaya and Cisco are two of the leading companies providing IP telephony systems. Although the earlier designs were complex and expensive, advances in the technology have made IP telephony an ideal choice for even the SMBs.

The results of a survey conducted by Sage Research showed that savings and productivity gains are the two main reasons for migrating to IP telephony. With traditional telephony, the initial investment is usually half of the total cost of ownership (TCO). Factors such as relocating or adding instruments over the lifecycle of the communication system lead to an increased TCO. Relocating workspace is far easier with IP telephony deployments. With new IP-based systems, such as those provided by Zultys, phones can be moved without incurring a cost.

Unlike traditional telephony, increasing the capacity of an IP network does not require extensive wiring, a user license may be required but it works out cheaper than installing line cards. TDM systems need additional switches and control units to accommodate growth in user numbers. This installation is expensive and the cost can easily run into more than $10,000. With IP telephony, if the growth rate is greater than the maximum capacity of the base system, the new users can be added by acquiring new phones and the relevant software licenses.

The MX250 system developed by Zultys has features like MXgroup and MXcluster that enable the inclusion of multiple systems located anywhere on the globe. Since traditional systems work with proprietary architecture, adding enhancements such as IVR and call center functionality can be prohibitively expensive. Integration with third party products can be a difficult process. With IP-based systems, most upgrades and enhancements can be achieved via a software download.

The growth of IP telephony will spur competing third party providers to offer services at the most competitive rates; this should make the addition of enhancements even cheaper. IP telephony also means reduced cabling costs as both voice and data traffic travels over the same LAN, which results in the wiring requirements getting reduced by half. The same Ethernet ports serve both computers and phones.

Maintenance costs are reduced with only one set of cables requiring maintenance. Some phones have multiple ports; this allows companies to reduce the number of Ethernet ports. The centralization of the administration process as facilitated by IP-based telephony is allowing companies to shift locations in a cost-effective and timely fashion. Companies that have branches are not required to install switching units at each branch. Each branch has a gateway for providing interoperability throughout the company. The administration is done thorough a user interface that is accessible from anywhere.

IP-telephony maintenance can be done remotely in most cases. Long-distance calls are a significant expense for most corporates. With IP telephony, voice data travels over a WAN on the Internet without incurring an incremental cost. Many businesses use high-speed private WANs. By adding voice and video, they can improve the utilization of the network facilities. As of now, intra-state calls are regulated; even a 20% decrease in IP telephony toll costs would enable a company to recover their investments in toll savings alone.

IP allows for real-time delivery of voice and video data to the various devices. Real-time communication of information enables timely decision-making. IP telephony also supports intelligent call routing and call forwarding.

CB1000 voice conferencing platform

The FreeConferenceCall.com and Gizmo Project will be using the CB1000 voice conferencing platform that is provided by Vapps. Vapps is a major vendor of audio conferencing systems used in both IP and TDM networks. The CB1000 voice conferencing platform enables users to hold joint IP and PSTN conferences using either a traditional handset, cell phone or the IP softphone provided by Gizmo Project. The service would be free and available anywhere in the world. voipnews.com reports:

Based on the modular SIPphone VoIP architecture and founded on the principal that next-generation voice communications should be free to all; the Gizmo Project softphone client is a desktop interface designed to place crystal clear, high quality voice calls over the unregulated Internet infrastructure with the ease of instant messaging.

Read More: FreeConferenceCall.com and Gizmo Project Leverage Vapps CB1000 Platform for Free Unrestricted Conferencing Calling

VoIP Inc.

VoIP, Inc. which uses VoIP as its core technology to provide global communication services has launched VoiceOne™ Carrier Direct Program. voipnews.com reports:

VoIP, Inc.'s CEO Steven Ivester commented, "Our Carrier Direct Program enables carriers to increase their level of service offerings and recognize an immediate ROI, utilizing our technical expertise to support them as they quickly gain entry into this fast-paced market."

Read More: VoIP, Inc. Launches its Carrier Direct Program

Infozech

Infozech has been selected by a prominent Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) in Europe to provide a billing and VoIP solution. Infozech offers a pre-paid VoIP service that includes both IP and PSTN termination. voipnews.com reports:

Infozech’s solution is centered around a billing server and the i-Voice - SIP-based IP calling platform. The PSTN gateway is being provided by Cisco.

Read More: Leading European MVNO selects Infozech solution

Cable operators and VoIP

The number of cable VoIP users grew over 900% from 2003 to 2004. The two major companies that between them share more than 75% of the cable users are Cablevision and Time Warner. Comcast hopes to be able to reach out to 15 million homes in America offering VoIP services; it plans to have around 8 million subscribers by the year 2010. Cable companies will have the advantage over VoIP providers as they have control over the quality of the broadband service. In 2004, cable operators spent nearly $ 123 million in purchasing soft switches, routers, media gateways, application servers, etc.

VoIP implementation by cable is going to witness double digit growth till 2007; this is a positive development for companies like Cisco and Lucent. According to the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), another reason for the increased spending on VoIP equipment by cable providers is that carriers are moving toward IP networks to manage the VoIP traffic.

VoIP in Japan

According to Kamal Anand, VP Marketing at Meru Networks, Japan represents the most developed and challenging VoIP market in the world. Jupiter Research states that the adoption of VoIP in the US will grow from 1% in 2004 to 12% in 2009. Even though this adoption rate is fantastic, it is less than half of what is projected for Japan. Japan has less than half the population of the US and according to Yano Research Institute, by 2008 will have around 28 million VoIP users.

The main reason for the difference in growth rates is that the level of public awareness in the US regarding VoIP is not very high. According to Will Stofega, VoIP analyst at IDC, the Japanese are accustomed to communication on the move and see VoIP as a cost-effective method of supporting voice services. A call using VoIP is approximately eight times cheaper than that using circuit-switching technology. As far back as 2003, the Japanese government had introduced 050 numbers that would enable the traditional telephone services to make the switch to VoIP.

Another important factor that favors the growth of VoIP in Japan is the availability of broadband. More than a fourth of the Japanese population has access to high-speed broadband and the speeds can touch 12 Mbps, while in the US, the average broadband speed is 3 Mbps. Unlike in the US, regulatory requirements in Japan are not very stringent. Providers are not expected to comply with regulations such as support for 911 and electronic surveillance. Latency and QoS are not major issues in Japan as there is ample bandwidth available for the IP providers.

To try and achieve better growth, VoIP providers in the US should focus more on services and promote features such as soft phone handsets and virtual phone numbers. The entry of online companies like AOL should also boost the growth of VoIP as they have an established customer base to target and can focus more on providing service.

In Japan, VoIP services are marketed bundled along with video and Internet by the cable providers. VoIP is also available with land line and cell phone packages. In the US, providers need to present a stronger case for VoIP apart from highlighting the cost-benefits of VoIP.

Avaya makes a foray into the P2P voice market

Avaya has bought Nimcat Networks, which is a Canada-based company in order to enter the P2P VoIP market. It paid $40 million for the purchase. This purchase gives Avaya access to the technology patented by Nimcat, which allows users to avail PBX functionality without actually having to build a PBX. The device knows as nimX enables users to track other users in a network, thereby establishing a virtual exchange.

Avaya plans to add the Nimcat software to its IP telephony solutions in an year’s time. It will develop different products around the technology to suit the needs of different customers. It will also continue to service the existing customers of Nimcat. nimX stands to benefit from the expertise that Avaya has in enterprise-wide security applications.

The drivers of VoIP adoption

According to a study conducted by research firm Ovum, the main drivers pushing VoIP adoption are need for communication on the move and cost effective communication. 61% of the respondents in the survey, which was held in England in Apr – May 2005, felt that telecommuting and teleworking were the prime reason for adopting VoIP. 47% of the respondents felt that VoIP enabled mobility of the workforce. 41% felt that VoIP helped in linking remote workers.

According to the survey, companies in England primarily favor a premise based VoIP deployment, with 53% opting for it. Hybrid deployments and hosted deployments had 14% and 12% of the votes, respectively. 32% of the respondents were open to trying out P2P networks as a business-level solution. Even though, the participants in the survey conceded the vulnerability of public VoIP networks, an overwhelming majority said that they were satisfied with their VoIP security set-up. An important fact highlighted by the survey was that several companies evinced a strong interest in wireless VoIP, which is the sign of a maturing market.

Video on Demand (VoD) has a market

Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) is driving the growth of VoD, which should in five years time become more popular than traditional TV. This is because it will allow people to watch movies according to their schedules.

The development of VoD is going to receive a fillip with telephone carriers like Verizon and SBC taking interest in it. voipplanet.com reports:

Cable companies, according to a report published by the firm Wednesday, are looking at free-on-demand (FoD) as a way to differentiate their service from satellite operators. The research notes that while there has been a 55 percent increase in VoD revenues from 2003 to 2004, revenues continue to lag behind user growth as FoD becomes more popular.

Read More:Video on Demand Taking Its Share

Instant Messaging and VoIP

By the end of the year 2005, IM providers will have around 850 million accounts and a lot of these will also have access to VoIP. Keeping this in mind, companies such as Yahoo and AOL are offering VoIP-over–IM tools to enhance user experience. According to experts, this may have major implications for companies like Skype and Vonage. Even though, voice facility in IMs has been around for some time, the connectivity has been mainly PC to PC and not of a very high quality.

A new version of AIM, known as Triton, and a new Yahoo client have been released. Both have laid an emphasis on voice and have reported an increase in voice usage since the introduction of their beta products. The improved quality of codecs has helped to better the quality of VoIP over IM. Skype, which uses the GIPS codecs, took the lead in popularizing high quality VoIP communication. Triton uses a range of codecs including GIPS. Vonage and Yahoo use the Xten codec for their softphones. According to Matthew Anderson, analyst at the Radicati Group, even though Skype is the most popular VoIP software, it has not had a serious effect on IM usage. voipplanet.com reports:

The new generation of IM clients, offering enhanced voice capabilities, amongst a myriad of other advanced features, means that users don't need to leave their IM client.

Read More: VoIP over Instant Messaging? It's Coming—and It's BIG!

VoIP subscribers for sale

Total Marketing One (TMOne), which is an Iowa-based marketing company, is providing VoIP subscribers to providers. VoIP providers can get subscribers from TMOne in batches of 20,000 at a rate that can even be $200 per user. The rate is negotiable and depends upon the number of users that the provider wants and the brand equity of the provider. TMOne ensures that the subscribers stay with the providers for at least three months or for the money-back period, whichever is more.

According to Anthony Marlowe, CEO, TMOne, with an agreement reached on the 911 issue, VoIP is poised to make an impact on the mass market and by 2009 there could be as many as 40 million VoIP users in the US. This figure is bound to attract big players and MSOs into the VoIP market. The cost of buying users from TMOne is less than half of what companies would pay if they were to hunt for subscribers on their own. Moreover, with VoIP growing, these subscribers can be sold further down the line at a price which could even be 10 times their purchase price.

TMOne attracts customers through different mediums, chiefly via telesales, print, retail agents, etc. However, around half the customers are obtained through telesales. TMOne maintains a comprehensive database of around 30 million broadband users. The database includes 20 million home users, 2 million SOHOs, and around 8 million SMBs. Companies like TMOne have to be careful that they do not try and hardsell a provider to a prospect so much that the prospect develops a prejudice against that provider. Also, given the fact that there are too many providers offering VoIP services, it is imperative that TMOne closes the sale in favor of its client as soon as possible.

VoIP semiconductors record impressive sales

The increase in VoIP adoption has led to a growth in the consumption of VoIP semiconductors, which has encouraged manufacturers like Texas Instruments to concentrate on releasing new products and companies like Broadcom Corp. have recorded impressive growth rates. The new generation of Ethernet IP phone designs will have inexpensive, single-chip solutions with hardware-based security.

According to a survey by IDC, the market for VoIP semiconductors recorded a growth of 40% in the year 2004. Texas Instruments recorded impressive sales of its Digital Signal Processor (DSP) solutions. Mindway made its presence felt on the basis of its growth in media gateway silicon. Six top IP phone manufacturers purchased IP phone solutions from Broadcom.  Broadcom received a fillip in sales with its Gigabit VoIP chip.

Texas Instruments is in the process of creating a voice-over-cable chipset and a DOCSIS reference design. The new chipsets being designed have low-bit-rate codecs that promote efficient use of bandwidth and faster broadband speeds. The Wideband DOCSIS 3.0 reference design will help to improve the performance of VoIP and video streams as it incorporates several up and down streams in a single codec. Marvell will be introducing system-on-a-chip VoIP solutions that will cater to residential VoIP gateways as well as the ultra-low-power VoWAN handsets. The low-power circuit systems by Marvell have features such as WLAN encryption, QoS technology, and WPA/WPA2 security.

VoIP equipment sales continue to grow

An important indicator of the impact of VoIP is the increase in the sales of VoIP-related equipment such as IP PBX. The sale of Carrier VoIP equipment has increased more than 50% in the period Apr 2005 - May 2005 as compared to the year 2004. The sale of $614 million in the second quarter was an 18% increase over the first quarter.

According to Infonetics, VoIP should achieve a 40% penetration of the market by the year 2008 and the sales revenue should be approximately $6 billion. The growth would need an increase in the number of VoIP subscribers from the current numbers to approximately 25 million subscribers in the US. The growth of the IP PBX market coincides with the decline in the sales of TDM equipment. The worldwide sales of PBX/KTS units increased to $1.6 billion for the period Apr 2005 - May 2005 and by the end of the year the global PBX/KTS sales should touch $7 billion.

For the second quarter of 2005, even though TDM units at 49% represent the maximum numbers in terms of sale, they account for only 26% of the revenue. Hybrid units and pure IP accounted for 42% and 9% of the total units sold, respectively. They accounted for 58% and 16% of the sales revenue, respectively. 

The revenues from TDM sales are expected to wane to $759 million by the year 2008. By then, the sales of pure IP PBX and hybrid systems should grow four times and three times, respectively.

VoIP implementation and security concerns

The implementing of VoIP applications and the associated security concerns are leading to an increase in the sale of security applications, according to a research by In-Stat. According to the research, companies become more aware of the security aspect after they have installed VoIP. More than 60% of the respondents who stated their security apprehensions had already installed VoIP. Around 12% of the respondents who had security apprehensions were still in the planning stage.

Another fact that the research threw up was that companies with an employee strength of 500-1000 employees were more concerned about the security and many planned a security overhaul next year. This is because VoIP is susceptible to all the threats that currently plague the data networks, these include worms, viruses, spam, etc. Apart from these threats VoIP communication can be intercepted, the application be used for perpetrating a fraud, and sensitive information accessed via the call logs.

VoIP security is inconvenienced by the fact that there are no fixed standards and therefore the vendors sometimes find it a little difficult to add call-control security protocols.  Traditional security application vendors are updating their existing products to provide VoIP security. SonicWall and Checkpoint have upgraded their firewall applications to support VoIP. TippingPoint, Borderware, and Ingate offer point products aimed at satisfying VoIP security protocols. Companies such as Cisco and Juniper have acquired other companies in order to support their converged networks.

The growth of VoIP will help the security appliance market to cross $7 billion by the year 2009. The availability of voice and data on a single network will result in a change in the manner in which network security is approached, there will be a shift from defense equipment on to the perimeter toward intelligent management of the traffic.

Predeployment testing for better VoIP implementation

Two factors that can affect the time required for deploying VoIP and the extent of its usefulness include preassessment and periodic in-house assessment and monitoring. Preassessments are carried out with the objective of ironing out the faults, such as poor cabling, bandwidth congestion, etc, that may not affect data transfer but can be detrimental to real-time communication.

Usually, corporates employ consultants for carrying out objective preassessments; however, in-house administrators must team up with the third-party integrators to develop their own skill sets.  ClearSight Analyzer is a voice monitoring tool that tests the quality of the actual voice traffic. AppareNet Voice is a tool that provides end-to-end assessment by generating simulated traffic. This allows the system administrators to find out the trouble zones in the network before starting to implement VoIP. The network is assessed for jitter, delay, and packet loss and graded by using a Mean Opinion Score (MOS) or an R-Value score.

AppareNet Voice uses Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) that queries the IP addresses on the network and by routing some sample traffic to the remote hosts, it is able to give an assessment of the network performance. Vivinet Assessor simulates the call load over the distributed endpoints and provides a performance report.

The MOS value ranges from 1 to 5, with 1 being not fit for use and 5 being excellent. It is a subjective score and is based on user perception.  The R-Value is an objective score and is based on the G.107 specification. It has a scale of 1 to 100 that measures loudness, signal clarity, and signal disturbances.

One million customers for Vonage

Vonage has crossed one million customers, it made this announcement on the 6th of September, 2005. The company is based in Edison, N.J and its achievement is an indicator of the rate at which the VoIP industry has grown. Skype Technologies, based in Luxembourg also has over a million subscribers but a majority of them subscribe only to SkypeOut, which is a service that enables calls to be made by using Skype. In order to receive calls, customers have to purchase SkypeIn. pcmag reports:

Both Cox and Comcast said they each have more than 1 million phone subscribers, but the vast majority still use a network of circuit switches rather than VOIP technology. Time Warner Cable, which uses VOIP exclusively, has about 614,000 subscribers. Cablevision has about 250,000 VOIP subscribers.

Read More: Vonage Reaches a Million Subscribers

The growth of residential VoIP

According to researchers Frost and Sullivan, residential VoIP is ready for the mass market. The difference between the early adopters and mass-market customers is that mass-market customers are not usually driven by the lure of a new technology. For them, it is the service that counts. With respect to VoIP, it means that the customer must be assured of the QoS, secure communication, and access to 911. If these requirements are met, VoIP can increase its presence as it offers its service at a low rate and the availability of broadband facilitates communication between different devices.

Also, along with its low cost, VoIP offers features such as virtual numbers, video conferencing, text messaging, click-to-dial, etc. These options are sources of potential revenue for the customer. Features such as Unified Messaging (UM) allow users to manage voice, text, and fax messages in one box and share them with other devices. The number of VoIP lines is expected to grow to 18 million by 2010 and the market is expected to grow from $295 million at present to $4 billion by 2010.

The implications of eBay acquiring Skype

eBay's multi-billion dollar purchase of Skype has puzzled some industry watchers who are wondering aloud about the usefulness of the deal to eBay. However, according to some, it makes perfect business sense for eBay that gets a database of around 54 million subscribers of Skype and also the $60 million revenue that Skype has projected for the year 2005. eBay purchased Skype for a sum of $2.6 billion. eBay can now leverage its newly acquired VoIP capabilities to provide a whole new range of services to the consumer. By acquiring VoIP capabilities, eBay has joined the ranks of Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc.

According to Maribel Lopez, who is an analyst with Forrester Research, voice is no longer an isolated application, it figures prominently in everything that an individual does online and will play an increasingly large role in the services that online businesses will offer in future. According to some industry watchers, by acquiring Skype, eBay has given itself the option of opting for a portal-like business model ans increase the range of services, such as better e-commerce and customer service tools.

By acquiring VoIP capabilities, companies such as eBay can aspire to become the center of their customers' web browsing experience and help in online trading by providing video capabilities. According to Hani Durzy, spokesman for eBay, the company looks at voice capability as being ubiquitous in its scheme for offering better service in the areas of auctioning cars and industrial tools. Also VoIP will help to better the communication that occurs during the buying and selling of antique items and other unique pieces.

However, according to http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1858398,00.asp, What is eBay thinking?, an article by David Coursey, acquiring Skype may not be such a good purchase for eBay, especially at the price that it paid for Skype.

What is Wavigo

Wavigo is a peer to peer protocol that supports instant messaging and VoIP and offers a host of features like SMS messaging, media player, access to RSS feed, etc. Wavigo allows its users to connect to Skype as well as to chat with Yahoo, MSN, and ICQ users at the same time. Wavigo's features can be personalized to access news and stock quotes and the user can send SMS messages to multiple recipients. Wavigo supports Podcasts and users can manage their own audio and video playlists as well as access streamed audio/video on Wavigo. Wavigo connects with Skype only if Skype is also running on the PC. The major advantage of Wavigo is that acts as a single interface for executing IMs to almost all such services. However, the Wavigo interface is not as appealing in its looks and reaching out to the tabs can be a little tedious. Wavigo runs on broadband as well as dialup and in the coming months it will get connected with regular telephone networks as well.

What is a VoIP Peering Fabric

Voice Peering Fabric (VoIP), as launched by Stealth Communications, is a private voice Internet that enables the users to communicate via peer-to-peer connections and also functions as a junction for exchange of VoIP traffic. If VPF gains popularity, its users can hope to route their traffic without having to depend on the PSTN providers. The VPF application service providers allow the customers to execute transactions in a transparent manner. VPF includes features like caller ID, LNP, 800 services, etc.

A single VPF ethernet connection is sufficient for managing access to multiple services and allows companies to do away with separate TDM connections. VPF has an ENUM database registry that limits the VoIP calls to within the IP domain on the VPF. The VPF ENUM database conforms to the IETF ENUM standard 3761. This allows VPF interoperability with devices made by companies such as Cisco and Nextone. However, according to Joe Laszlo, Analyst at Jupiter Research, VoIP peering as offered by companies like Stealth Communications and Arbinet will not pose a serious threat to traditional telephony for quite some time.

Bell is all set to make a mark in VoIP market

To counter the competition by the cable operators, Bell has launched digital telephone services. Bell is Canada's largest phone company. It launched Bell Digital Voice in Hamilton and Canada. Bell Digital Voice is a substitute for traditional phone service. It has several new features which will be helpful for the consumers.

This move is seen as very significant keeping in view the growth of VoIP in the telecommunications world. Cable companies such as Vonage has wrested business from Bell over the past few months by offering VoIP services. Now Bell is in a position to retain its customers and at the same time it will attract more business. theglobeandmail.com reports:

The Bell offerings include many bells and whistles such as voice-mail to e-mail as well as competitive pricing. Bell dipped its toes in the VoIP consumer market in March by launching the so-called lite version of the service in three towns in Quebec.

Read More: Bell plays catch-up on VoIP

An analysis of the promise of wireless broadband

The growth of broadband has been driven by factors such as favorable regulations, competition, and the integration of the Internet into our daily activities. Australia, which has been slow to jump onto the broadband bandwagon is set to experience a boost in broadband usage that is going to see its users jump from 25,000 in 2004 to 287,000 by 2008. Wireless broadband can serve as a single carrier for voice, video, and data and can do so without the laying down of fiber or coaxial wires that stretch for thousands of kilometers. The technology has special appeal for people that live in remote areas, such communities can experience the convenience of connectivity without having to spend on a wired broadband infrastructure, all they have to do is to have an access point that covers their area. The growth of wireless broadband requires a collaborative effort between the users and the providers. Users, residential as well as enterprise, have to view an investment in broadband as critical to long-term networking expansion. Wireless broadband promises improved delivery and better standards of service. The growth of wireless can be stimulated by developing softwares, applications, and services that push e-learning, e-governance, etc. The public sector stands to benefit as broadband will help to implement better solutions geared at promoting safer communities. Wireless broadband can help in raising the level of incident preparedness as well as incident response for emergency teams. Wireless broadband networks that facilitate high-speed voice and data transfer can keep incident response teams updated on a situation and assist in real-time decision making. Monitoring traffic situations becomes easy with wireless broadband networks that can help in regulating the flow of traffic, particularly in congested pockets. The applications of wireless broadband are limited only by the user's ingenuity. An insurance company relies upon a ubiquitous wireless network to log the real-time distances that its customers drive. This allows the company to vary the insurance amount such that it is commensurate with the risk. Remote product management implies being able to monitor and manage devices over wireless broadband. This has the potential for tremendous cost savings as well as efficient management, particularly for telecom companies. If security requirements are met satisfactorily, wireless broadband has the potential to truly enable us to live in the digital age, where connectivity is not hampered by the physical location of the infrastructure.

Meru Partners with Juniper to offer VoIP

Meru Network made a partnership with Juniper Network to offer VoIP products and services. Juniper's advance IP and security solutions will combine with Meru's wireless LAN portfolio. Their joint venture will provide a unique and high-class solution for the growing VoIP market. The partnership will usher a new era by bundling Juniper's IP routing and security services with Meru's Air Traffic Control technology for WLANs in order to enable IP service for mobile users.

Meru strongly believes in providing a complete solution to its customers which will satisfy their needs. The partnership with Juniper has given it the opportunity in achieving the goal. Not only its existing customers will benefit from the new venture, it eyes in wooing a large number of new customers to use its network. The long experience of Juniper in IP routing will definitely help Meru to broaden its network. tmcnet.com reports:

The companies' news release noted that "network security policies will have common enforcement, regardless of whether users are accessing the network via wireless or wireline." These features would be key for companies wanting to develop and market WLAN phones, dual-mode handsets and WLAN-enabled PDAs.

Read More: Meru, Juniper Deliver Wireless VoIP

Adomo is all set to adopt VoIP

Communications solutions firm Adomo is all set to embrace VoIP technologies. It is designing a voice messaging system that integrates with Microsoft Exchange and Active Directory. The Adomo Voice Messaging combines a list of telephony components, including VoIP. According to Adomo sources, corporate migration to VoIP is under way. Adomo is building the perfect solution for enterprises, which will enable them to save costs. Most of the enterprises now-a-days are adopting VoIP network and they will find Adomo's solution helpful.

Using Adomo Voice Messaging for Exchange, voice messages can be accessed from a phone as well as from their outlook inboxes. They can also be accessed from wireless devices. internetnews.com reports:

Andrew Feit, vice president of marketing for Adomo, says corporate migration to VoIP is well under way. However, he added, numerous challenges facing organizations must be addressed by firms, such as Adomo, in order to ease the transition.

Read More: Adomo Gives Voice to Exchange

Microsoft-Google tussle over the supremacy in VoIP market

In a significant development to the growing competition in the VoIP market, Microsoft and Google are set to engage in a tussle over the dominance on VoIP market. The battleground is set for both the companies to woo the large consumer market. Google already announced to launch Google Talk, a VoIP service. Google Talk is a Windows application for instant messaging and PC-to-PC voice calls.

Microsoft joined the fray by acquiring Teleo Inc, a VoIP service provider. Using the VoIP services offered by Teleo, it is planning to expand the features on its MSN Messenger service. MSN Messenger already has the features of calling from PC using a speaker or Microphone. Now Teleo's technologies will enhance its capabilities of conducting voice applications. informationweek.com reports:

Also this week, Google released Google Desktop 2, which updates its desktop search software with new personalization features. In July, Microsoft launched a test version of a search engine that lets users search PCs and the Web with a single tool.

Read More: VoIP Marks Latest Microsoft-Google Battleground

Cost benefits of using a GSM VoIP gateway

When a call is routed from a fixed line to a mobile phone, it passes through the Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO). This is an expense for the PSTN operators, which they pass on to the fixed line users. Given the current scenario in which up to 50% of the telephone costs of a company are fixed line to mobile calls (F2M), this is a sizeable amount for many companies.  Two VoIP GSM gateways, namely 2N VoiceBlue Lite and 2N VoiceBlue Enterprise offer the advantages of IP telephony over traditional PBX's; the main advantage being a reduction in the F2M and M2F call costs. The VoiceBlue Lite gateway functions with the SIP and RTP protocols that allow it to communicate smoothly with the IP PBXs. The VoiceBlue Enterprise gateway is compatible with both SIP and H.323 and can work in both environments simultaneously. VoiceBlue Enterprise has an SIP proxy built into it, which allows it to be used as an IP PBX. This makes it ideal for remote locations and temporary setups where landlines may be either difficult or expensive to deploy. VoIP GSMs offer cost savings of up to 50% on F2M calls and an attractive ROI in less than six months. The Least Call Routing (LCR) facility on VoiceBlue gateways allows savings even on national calls.

Hanaro Telecom, first Service Provider in Korea to offer VoIP services

In a major announcement made by Lucent Technologies, Hanaro Telecom will deploy Lucent's VoIP solution to offer advanced services to the customers. Hanaro Telecom is Korea's second largest wireless and broadband service provider. It will be the first Korean company to provide VoIP service. Lucent will enable Hanaro to provide existing services like call forwarding and conferencing, as well as innovative IP-based services. The advanced web-based features will allow the customers to manage their voice services via their computers.

Hanaro has a strong communication network in South Korea for local, national and international voice services. Using this network, Lucent can expand its base not only in South Korea but also in the Asia region. Recently Lucent announced a contract with Dacom to build IP networks for the Militay Mutual Aid association. prnewswire.com reports:

The solution, which includes the Lucent Feature Server 3000, also can allow Hanaro's enterprise customers to consolidate their voice, data and Internet services onto one network that connects to the public network, simplifying the enterprise's network operations. Lucent Worldwide Services will provide professional services including engineering and installation for the deployment.

Read More: Hanaro Telecom Selects Lucent Technologies VoIP Solution to Offer Advanced Services to Enterprises

Microsoft enters VoIP market by acquiring Teleo

In a significant development, software major, Microsoft acquired Teleo, a provider of VoIP. Teleo is a major VoIP provider, which offers this technology through software and web applications. By acquiring Teleo, Microsoft has taken a giant leap forward to establish itself in the growing VoIP market. Microsoft is expected to combine both the existing technology and MSN applications. Though Microsoft already offered VoIP through its MSN messenger, integration of Teleo with Microsoft may usher a new era in VoIP market. Till now Micosoft has not discosed the amount for which it bought Teleo.

Teleo, founded in 2003 has its headquarter in San Francisco. It is a privately held company. It has established itself as one of the major players in the VoIP market. digitalmediaasia.com reports:

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in San Francisco, Teleo is a privately held company whose initial planned service offering, also called Teleo, was designed to allow customers to use their PC to make phone calls to mobile phones, regular phones or other PCs. Through its integration with Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Internet Explorer, the Teleo service was designed to facilitate click-to-call dialling of any telephone number that appears on-screen, for example through a website or via search results or e-mail.

Read More: Microsoft enters VoIP market

BroadSoft joined Vietnamese VoIP market

BroadSoft Inc., a provider of VoIP application software has announced that it will enter Vietnam's VoIP market. It revealed that Quang Trung Software City (QTSC) is deploying BroadSoft's VoIP applications platform in Vietnam. In this process, BroadSoft will align with Datacraft, a subsidiary of Dimension Data. Using BroadSoft's platform, QTSC will provide cheaper calls to the subscribers in Vietnam. It will offer latest features such as unified messaging and conferencing.

Broadsoft's BroadWorks platform is being implemented as part of Datacraft's metropolitan area network infrastructure for QTSC. It provides a range of applications integrated into a single VoIP application platform. These include hosted PBX, IP Centrex, mobile PBX and residential broadband services. tmcnet.com reports:

Tariffs on international calls via VoIP post-paid service will be reduced to $0.5 minimum and $0.6 maximum per minute. Prepaid VoIP and Next Generation Network international call services will have the minimum and maximum tariffs of $0.42 and $0.50 per minute.

Read More: BroadSoft Cracks Vietnamese VoIP Market

Australian ISP iiNet launched VoIP service

The VoIP market is on the rise. West Australian Internet Service Provider iiNet launched a new VoIP service throughout the country. The new service is names as iiNetphone. This product will be available to the users having a fixed-line service which is bundled with iiNet's broadband internet plan. A subscriber who has a DSL connection with iiNet will have to take a fixed-line service from the provider. It is necessary for them to use the VoIP service.

According to the Michael Malone, company's Managing Director, iiNetphone will have no monthly line rental fee. Local calls and calls to the capital cities countrywide will be charged at 10 cents, while National calls outside capital cities will cost five cents per minute over fixed lines. smh.com reports:

Bader said users would be provided a free second phone line and number using VoIP technology. While the VoIP product is available from today, hardware sourced from Belkin, which is ADSL2-compatible, would be available only from mid-September, Bader said.

Read More: iiNet launches VoIP service

VoIP gaining momentum in the Business Market

More service providers are now entering the VoIP business market. To reduce capital expenditures and increase communication features, companies have started embracing the VoIP to bolster the communication services. VoIP has enhanced the productivity and proved as a cost-saving service. Going by the current trend, inustry research firm IDC has predicted that VoIP market will reach $7.6 billion by 2008. It has been acknowledged that VoIP is feasible for all type of businesses.

In the initial phase, the biggest challenge for VoIP were voice quality and reliability. Over the years, business establishments have successfully implemented VoIP operation and eliminated quality as a hurdle in the operations. Now VoIP has achieved both the quality and reliability. ecommercetimes.com reports:

This has been partly achieved by the arrival of "managed" VoIP services via proprietary networks that are rigorously engineered to ensure quality. Certain applications that relate to perceived reliability, such as emergency 911 functionality, are also being integrated as a standard network service.

Read More: Business VoIP Gains Momentum

VoIP Consumers are increasing with millions of users joining it

VoIP has started a revolution in the wireless services. Consumers have now started skipping the traditional phone network for opting the VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). An analysis by the TeleGeography research group found that the number of VoIP subscribers has touched 2.7 million. It is important to be noted that it was just 440,000 a year ago.

VoIP is a unique technology, which requires a broadband internet line. Also, it offers cheaper calling plans and interesting features such as managing the voice mail on a web page. Though the revenue generated from consumer VoIP service is not so high, it is expected to rise in the near future. TeleGeography has projected the annual VoIP revenue to reach $3 billion in two years. networkingpipeline.com reports:

The number of consumers bypassing the traditional phone network and opting for Internet voice service is soaring beyond expectations. The biggest factor in the numbers are cable TV companies, which are using VoIP to bundle phone service with their TV offerings in hopes of staving off competition from incumbent phone companies that are just beginning to get into the TV business.

Read More: VoIP Consumers To Soar, Report Says

What's that Graham Bell has forgotten

When the faint twang transmitted by Watson reached the ears of Alexander Graham Bell sitting in the next room,the world hailed it as an epoch making invention and a galore of celebrations followed. But amidst these celebrations, a vital aspect has been forgotten by the great Inventor, who threw open the flood gates of human communication with an extra dimension. The costs associated with telephony, especially the enormous burden of footing fat telephone bills in the later years. Rich Nations too started feeling the pinch. This has led increasing numbers of users to make the switch to Voice Over Internet Telephony. With the ability to make free calls throughout most of the world, it is little surprise that the traditional phone invented by Graham Bell now seems out of date compared to the excellence of VoIP. --This post was written by guest author Rambabu Arle.

Yahoo Messenger Adds VoIP Feature

Earlier this week, Yahoo acquired voice over IP provider Dialpad Communications. Dialpad Communications officials are saying that its software offerings will be used by Yahoo in their voice communications products as well as instant messaging application. Dialpad is also going to be adding their PSTN feature to Yahoo Messenger (which uses the SIP standard), allowing users to make direct calls to landline or mobile phones from their PCs. According to internetnews.com:

Vincent Paquet, Dialpad vice president of business development and marketing, would not comment on the price tag for the acquisition or when the company expects its product to be integrated into the Yahoo Messenger voice service. He did say the company's 40 employees would be relocating to Yahoo's facility in Sunnyvale, Calif.

"We're very excited that we'll be scaling our IP-based technology for the benefit of millions of Yahoo users," he said. "It will bring the ability to bring IP-to-PSTN connectivity for current and future Yahoo services."

Read more: Yahoo Buys Into VoIP

Full Speed Ahead By 2008

Nostradamus has spoken and VoIP will explode by 2008.

And by Nostradamus I mean Peter Hall, director or research at Ovum.  He and his team have observed businesses and their usual 10 year cycle with telephone technology.  Therefore, businesses will be ripe to switch to the cheaper more robust features of VoIP by 2008.  Additionally, by that time many of the vendors will be in their forth or fifth generations of products which means less bugs for companies to deal with.  How much is VoIP expected to dominate the market by this time?  Try 50 to 60 percent.  According to Silicon.com:

"IP telephony has reached the mainstream. The technology is robust. The number of vendors is considerable. The business case is becoming more sophisticated."

Read more at: Ovum 'VoIP mainstream in buisnesses by 2008'

Rally To The Gates

Microsoft recently showed interest in the potential of VoIP for corporate communications but shied away from telecoms.  Although VoIP holds a large promise for many corporations, Microsoft is showing that they are not entirely willing to jump head first into a relatively new technology just yet.  While Bill Gates definitely has his eyes on VoIP connectivity, he will probably wait till all of the kinks are worked out of the system.  More importantly, who is to say that the FCC is finished with the broadband phone companies?  According to Tom's Hardware:

"VoIP is the next generation messaging infrastructure", but still just another form of messaging that Microsoft is going to take advantage of. "Microsoft is all about market dominance. And they certainly will pursue dominance in this market, too."

Read more at: Microsoft may enter VoIP telecom market - analyst

AT&T Joins The Ranks

The corporate giant has disclosed that it will be rolling out a VoIP service to business customers in the coming months, but is expected to expand on the project later in the future.  With voice, conferencing, and messaging, they are offering similar services that any other VoIP provider out on the market today.  Dubbed the Voice Dynamic Network Applications, it is the company's first thrust into the VoIP sector.  Because it is AT&T, I doubt that they will have promotions or even advertising for this service.  I think that they will be able to rely simply by name in regards to quality assurance and affordability.  According to Information Week:

"AT&T Voice DNA is a VoIP solution for enterprise branch offices and remote locations, as well as for smaller businesses," AT&T said in an announcement. "This service offers enhanced telephony features and 'any distance' calling plans, and provides a full suite of management capabilities and end-user tools."

Read more at: AT&T Top Offer VoIP Service to Business Customers

LiveVoIP To The Join The Mix

LiveVoIP is a new VoIP provider entering the global market.  With plans on penetrating the US, Canadian, and UK markets, it will be considered one of the few key players in the business.  They intend on offering home plans as well as business ventures later in the year.  Although they are claiming to have a major impact on the Global market, they will soon find themselves amongst 1,100 other companies.  To the best of luck, and may the best man win.  According to LightReading:

”LiveVoip is thrilled to be playing a key role in the 200 Billon Dollar Global Voice Over IP market," ”said Pamela Patterson, acting President, LiveVoip LLC. “Livevoip LLC is proud to deliver VoIP over a network operating at Gigabit speeds that are unmatched anywhere in world today,”

Read more at: LiveVoip Enters Home VOIP Market

Linksys To Purchase Sipura Technology

Cisco Systems networking division, Linksys, has recently declared that they will be acquiring Sipura Technology for $68 millions dollars by the end of July.  Linksys, who already offers a wide range of VoIP enabled routers and wireless technologies, is planning to expand its product selection.  In fact, the company they are currently buying supplied the majority of the technology built into the VoIP routers. Therefore, the transition of personal and application will probably go smother than most buy outs.  With the forecasts being nothing but positive across the board, they see it as an investment well spent.  According to Information Week:

"VoIP is a strategic segment for innovation and growth for Cisco and Linksys, Charles Giancarlo, Cisco CTO and Cisco-Linksys president, said in a statement. "The acquisition of Sipura will augment Linksys' leading position in the rapidly growing VoIP market and is an example of Linksys' strategy to increase internal R&D capabilities in specific product categories."

Read more at: Linksys Acquires VoIP Vendor

Billion With A "B"

A recent report by Research and Markets indicate that the worldwide VoIP market will grow from $165.3 million to $985.7 million in just four years.  The reason behind such a large increase is the amount of money corporations and individuals can save on their phone bills by switching to VoIP.  Additionally, to the wide availability of the technology, it opens a vast array of potential. While these numbers are extraordinary for such an upcoming technology, it is just a "forecast".  There are hard numbers behind the estimate, but nothing is 100% certain.  Just remember that many analysts believed that the Titanic would never sink.  According to Information Week:

P to TDM will quickly dominate the market, the report says, because TDM to IP call origination is outdated and far more expensive that IP to TDM. In addition, the growth of broadband in the home will fuel IP to TDM growth. IP to TDM will be the engine that drives market growth.

Read more at: Service Provider VoIP Gateway Market To Hit Nearly $1 Billion By 2009

If VoIP Was A NASDAQ Symbol, I'd Buy

In 2002 a conversation regarding VoIP would go like this: VoIP?  What’s that?  Enter 2005 and now the world can't seem to get enough.  Large cable companies such as Time Warner and Cox Communications are reporting an incredible increase in VoIP services to their customers. It was only a matter of time before companies that sell the broadband signal VoIP runs on would implement a packaged plan.  For a flat monthly fee with one company, you can get high speed internet, TV, and voice communication for cheaper than SBC, Verizon, or any other major company.  Cox and Time Warner got smart with their PR department and have almost steered clear of the VoIP and IP telephony lingo and opted for a more consumer savvy approach. Many of the internet voice services are referred to as "digital phones" which appeal to the people’s familiarities with PBX networks. Overall, the overwhelming success of these ventures point towards the next step in VoIP connectivity, wireless.  According to Manager's Journal:

Some analysts claim that the MSOs' success with VoIP also proves that they could be very successful with MVNO wireless services. Cable companies could be formidable competitors in the wireless market, leveraging the power of their service bundles and their consumer marketing machines to compete head on with carriers.

Read more at: Cable companies post impressive VoIP growth

Google and VoIP?

While there hasn't been anything specific coming from the Google camp in regards to VoIP, many market analysts see the benefit of Google joining the market.  With more than 110 million PBX users in the country, the base for VoIP business is quite large and in order to draw new customers, ingenuity will be an essential part of corporate goals.  As we all know, if you want to find ingenuity in a company, you need to look no farther than Google.  Because of their name, they only have to make a footprint in the market to slowly grab customers away from other VoIP providers.  While this is all left to speculation, it seems like a good idea on this side of the fence. According to The Motley Fool:

Features such as voice mail sent as email attachments would give Google another option when promoting its Gmail service. Plus the Web-based accounts where users can track calls, change service options, or add calling features would be another advertising billboard.

Read more at:Should Google Enter the VoIP Race

VoIP Explosion

The Colorado based VoIP telecom company New Global, boasted an increase in their customer base by two fold.  The quality of their product and customer satisfaction seems to be at the forefront of this growth. Proof of these can be found on their website labeling their "Product of the Year" award in 2004 and their customer case studies. In regards to how financial sound the company is however is another matter. It is hard to put numbers behind their growth because I could not find a financial statement on their website.  Until I get a hold of the numbers I'm just going to say they their market is improving and they appear sound. Whether or not they are investing a great deal into the VoIP market and not getting a sound return on their investment is something to decide once I get an email back from them.  After I hear back from New Global about the financial statement I will keep you the reader informed.

(2:00 PM : NewGlobal is privately held - there is no fiancial statement.  If they're growing, they're doing just fine.  Contact Julie Buchanan for more information)

“Our accelerating growth coincides with the explosion in VoIP market adoption”,   said Rich Grange, President and CEO of New Global Telecom. “But, our growth   in revenue-producing seats, together with our extremely robust sales pipeline   is also a reflection of NGT’s market leadership position. We are excited   to be regarded by a wide spectrum of service providers as the premier brand   in managed wholesale VoIP services.

Read more at: NewGlobal Telecom

AOL Grabs Hold Of VoIP Market

Corporate Conglomerate AOL Time Warner announced early today that they too would be jumping onto the VoIP bandwagon.  Although they already offer VoIP connectivity through Instant Messages, this will be a fully functioning phone service.  AOL's VoIP works in a slightly different fashion than Vonage mainly because the PC plays an integral part in the process.  When a call comes through, the user has the option to route it too an actual phone, answer it through the computer, or have it forwarded to a mobile phone.  The system even lets you keep call logs and a complete contact list. More importantly, if you have an AOL address book, it will transfer directly over.  The biggest difference between AOL and Vonage is the automatic 911 coverage that AOL provides. This was a smart addition to the AOL service, because they side step a large portion of regulation compliance regarding the 911 issues.  Like most VoIP providers, there is a vast amount of costing plans to each different individuals needs.  In the future, AOL is planning to partner with Linksys and Netgear to offer an expanded home routing system.  According to EWeek:

"It really does act as a universal controller for all my communications, and you have the choice of dealing across the realm of traditional telephony or other Internet communications," Tobin said.

Read more at: AOL Rolls Out VOIP Service

VoIP Shows Market Potential

According to the technology analysis firm IDC, the amount of VoIP customers could increase dramatically from its current 3 million to close to 27 million. The belief behind increase is the reduced cost to the consumer for long distance telecommunications that VoIP offers. Although the the technology offered by each VoIP is fairly standard across the board, IDC believes that ingenuity and flexibility will bring VoIP to the forefront of the communication market. If they are in fact correct about their estimate figures, then there may be a big enough market to invest in extensive wireless technologies considering that it will be the next hurtle for VoIP to overcome. Although wireless may have the largest investment, the possible return is endless. According to IDC:

VOIP must prove that it is more than just a cheap replacement for POTs service," said William Stofega, senior analyst in IDC's VOIP Services Research program. "To do this, carriers will need to offer services that are compelling and affordable.”

Read more at: IDC Press Release

VoIP Getting Business Dollars

IT executives at businesses are spending more on VoIP than RFID. One-third of businesses have invested in security and VoIP technology, compared with only 16% who have invested in radio frequency identification. The study was conducted by Siemens Technology. According to our good friends over at the RFID Gazette:

In the cut-throat IT market where cheap technology sells, VOIP has proven to have a greater cost/results ratio than RFID. While it is unlikely RFID will disappear from the IT mainstage, the success of VOIP is turning heads in the industry.

Read more: RFID Loses Out To VOIP In Lastest Survey

Russell Shaw Disputes Google VoIP Rumors

Since Google posted a job opportunity for a "Strategic Negotiator, Global Infrastructure" on its website several weeks ago, many have speculated that the search engine giant is planning a VoIP service. More rumors swirled last week when word got out that Google executives met with Internet telephone service providers at the Spring 2005 VON Conference. But Russell Shaw at ZDNet is not about to jump on the GoIP bandwagon. He disagrees with his colleague Ben Charny's opinion that Google is getting into VoIP. Shaw believes that the reason for the meetings last week was not to begin developing a voice over IP network, but rather to improve their internal data networks. According to ZDNet:

Given Google’s Gmail initiatives, I could see Google offering Internet access in the SBC-Yahoo! mode. But VoIP? That’s just too much of a stretch for me. Too far from the core mission, at least the way the mission currently appears.

Read more: Google VoIP? Why Ben’s wrong, and I’m right (I think)

Report Advocates Building New Network for VoIP

A new report by consulting firm BearingPoint titled "Making the Leap to the Next Generation" points out that many financial service companies have networks that are haphazardly patched together, often times by multiple vendors, with "Band-Aid solution" as a result of mergers. The result of this is a poor network, prone to security risks, low bandwidth, and poor quality of service. For these reasons, the new report advocates the construction of a next generation network from scratch for VoIP. According to CNet News:

There are many benefits to such a strategy, including reduced costs from a streamlined and efficient network, added value through the ability to support applications such as VoIP and grid computing, improved disaster recovery, greater scalability and the ability to compartmentalize and thus outsource network layers, according to the report. [...]

In particular, the firm says, organizations are realizing that VoIP applications are no longer a commodity and "can strengthen their relationships with customers to give them competitive advantage."

Read more: VoIP in finance: Networks too 'rickety'

MCI To Offer VoIP Through Cisco Partners

MCI is ramping up its services offered to its SMB customers by offering its IP services through Cisco Systems channel partners. According to CRN:

The two companies are working together to identify Cisco partners with IP communications and security expertise to sell MCI's IP-based services, including its MCI Advantage hosted VoIP and managed firewall offerings, in exchange for a monthly commission. The services are targeted at SMB customers.

Read more: MCI to Sell Managed Services Through Cisco Channel

Outsourcing VoIP

While on-site VoIP deployment is a popular choice among enterprises, some may wish to test the technology on a hosted VoIP solution. Outsourcing VoIP services would most likely lead to better uptime and freeing up the IT staff, thereby saving firms up to 25% according to one figure. Outsourcing the service  also allows for more flexibility in the number of SIP-compliant phones to choose from. According to Search CIO:

Offered on a per port/per month basis, Pierce said hosted VoIP services are typically best known for providing intra-site connectivity, and "desktop" services like voice calling, video streaming and interactive conferencing.

Scott Wharton, vice president of marketing for hosted VoIP enabler Broadsoft Inc., in Gaithersburg, Md., said outsourcing offers an intriguing option for enterprises looking to test the technology, since it's relatively uncomplicated to start with small-office trials and then work up to enterprise-wide hosting.

Read more: Making the case for VoIP outsourcing

VoIP Training

Perhaps just as important as deciding to implement VoIP is deciding who to send for VoIP training. Should an enterprise send a telephony engineer or a data engineer to become VoIP certified? After all, VoIP is the convergence of voice and data networks. According to ITworld.com:

Those seeking training from the telephony side of the tracks may have an advantage because of their existing knowledge of call routing, PBX interfaces and signaling, voice features, and trunk capacity planning. VoIP training will help telephony engineers integrate these concepts using radically different transmission methodologies. The training will allow the telephone specialist to learn the packet delivery side of networking, including IP addressing and framing and Quality of Service (QoS) features in the networking equipment.

Read more: VoIP is real - So who do you send for certification and training?

Businesses Discover Skype

Skype is mostly used for personal VoIP calls. But now business customers are beginning to turn on to Skype to help increase communication at lower costs when employees go on the road. While currently there are over 23 million Skype users, the company expects the number of users to be over 140 million by 2008. According to ZDNet:

Employees at Ruhrpumpen, an industrial pump manufacturer in Tulsa, Okla., started using Skype last summer to communicate with co-workers and business partners in Asia, Central America and Europe. The company has even put a directory with Skype contacts on its intranet. About 70 people out of the 1,000 that work for the company are registered Skype users.

Read more: No-cost Skype strikes chord with businesses

IM Firms Should Invest in VoIP

Major instant messaging firms such as America Online, MSN, and Yahoo should integrate VoIP technology into their existing services, according to ABI Research.

From vnunet.com:

The ABI Research report predicts that these benefits would flow both ways: the larger IM company would gain instant entry to a new market with tremendous growth potential, and the smaller VoIP provider would enjoy vastly increased resources, credibility and a huge existing customer base.

Consumers would benefit from the ability to integrate computer-based voice messaging with their landline phones.

With such a merger, the analyst said, emerging VoIP providers would be able to compete more effectively against the cable and traditional telcos looking at VoIP revenue.

Read more: IM firms urged to buy into VoIP services

VoIP Provider i2Telecom Distribution Agreement with WLG

World Leadership Group (WLG) will resell i2Telecom's new VoiceStick VoIP device. The initial order is for 1,200 units.

According to the press release at Business Wire:

Under the agreement, WLG will begin offering i2Telecom's VoiceStick(TM) and a customized VoIP plan to WLG's realty division, Global Realty Marketing, and immediately private label the product as "WLG Connect".

"Our new distribution agreement with WLG demonstrates the immediate interest and appeal of our breakthrough, patent-pending VoiceStick(TM) technology. We look forward to expanding into WLG's other divisions and gaining sell-through traction with WLG's independent sales representatives, following this initial roll-out," stated Paul Arena, chief executive officer of i2Telecom International, Inc.

Read more: i2Telecom Announces Distribution Agreement with World Leadership Group; Initial Order for 1,200 VoiceStick Devices

Enterprises Save Big with Nortel, ShoreTel VoIP

A new study conducted by Nemertex Research concludes that large business enterprises can save between $9,600 and $28,000 annually per site by implementing VoIP service.

According to Networking Pipeline:

The study, "Convergence: Reality at Last," by Nemertex Research, asserts that startup costs are dependent on a number of variables, include enterprise size and which vendor companies chose to supply the VoIP solution. It found that size does matter, and that the average initial cost of a VoIP deployment, including hardware such as IP PBXs and handsets as well as planning an implementation services, was $525 per user in deployments of 1000 users or more, and $763 in deployments of 100 users and less.

ShoreTel and Nortel offered the least-expensive start-up costs, while Avaya and Cisco prices were the highest.

Read more: Survey: VoIP Can Save Enterprises From $9,600 To $28,000 Per Site

Deloitte Touche: Multinationals Opt for VoIP

A survey of 131 large multinational corporations by Deloitte Touche indicates that two-thirds of them will be deploying voice over IP technology to employees' desktops within two years. Cost reduction is the biggest motivator behind the deployments.

According to MSNBC News:

Some estimates have suggested that companies can save more than 60 percent of their voice communications costs by switching from traditional circuit-switched services to VoIP technology that uses a company's existing data network to route internal calls.

But the report notes that while 26 percent of those taking part in the survey said their companies had already deployed desktop VoIP, only one-third of these companies offered it to all employees, leaving room for additional cost reduction.

Beyond cost savings, the Deloitte report suggests that VoIP has the potential to transform enterprises' operations, including call centers, offshoring functions and support for telecommuting by improving network ubiquity, utilization and efficiency.

Read more: Most top companies plan to adopt VoIP

Bandwidth.com Launches BandwidthVoice VoIP

Bandwidth.com has launched a nationwide Voice over IP (VoIP) service for businesses.

According to the press release at Yahoo! Finance:

Bandwidth.com is also pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement to join the Level 3 Communications, Inc. Partner Program. As a Level(3)Enabled Partner, Bandwidth.com will offer business VoIP services to small and medium size businesses (SMBs) using Level 3's (3)Tone(SM) Business services and other Level 3 VoIP services. [...]

Bandwidth.com now offers a comprehensive suite of hosted business VoIP local and long distance solutions including a hosted PBX which eliminates the need to install expensive PBX hardware at the customer site.

Read more: Bandwidth.com Launches Nationwide Business Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

VoIP Providers Start Price War

With Vonage and AT&T cutting prices last week, it is appearing to look like providing VoIP services will be much less profitable than earlier anticipated. The price cutting could also affect local service providers negatively.

According to Forbes:

According to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, local phone service is the only major telecom service whose price has risen in this century. Vonage's and AT&T's main VoIP offerings already include far more features than traditional phone service does, including unlimited free long-distance calling. The recent price cuts will make old-fashioned phone service look even more expensive.

Read more: Cheap Talk

Tier1 Research Urges Policymakers to Allow VoIP Competition

Daniel Berninger, senior analyst at Tier1 Research, says that competition in the emerging voice over IP technology industry could be in jeopardy if policymakers take an approach similar to the one they took with the traditional local telephone services. If the FCC does not take appropriate action, the industry could fall into the hands of only a few major providers and lack healthy economic competition.

Read more at Telecomweb.

OnInstant Releases "Follow Me!" VoIP Call Forwarding

OnInstant's new innovation, "Follow Me!" will allow individuals to have voice over internet protocol (VoIP) calls automatically re-routed to any voice-enabled device.

According to webitpr:

Called ‘FollowMe!’, the new feature is part of the latest innovation from OnInstant, and is a major enhancement of the Internet business-to-business communications network. The ‘FollowMe!’ service increases business efficiency and availability by using a unique and patent-pending technology that puts through calls automatically to a sequence of pre-set numbers until connection is established.

‘FollowMe!’ is enabled through an agreement between OnInstant and Level 3 Communications for Level 3’s IP-based voice termination service.

Read more: OnInstant introduces ‘FollowMe!’

Cisco Signs VoIP Deal with Bank of America

Cisco Systems, which is already delivering VoIP to Boeing and Ford Motor, now has signed a deal to bring VoIP technology to Bank of America.

According to CNET News.com:

The Bank of America deployment will occur in three phases during the next three years. The company is currently conducting a pilot program, which will conclude at the end of this year. The first phase of the production deployment will begin in early 2005, said Craig Hinkley, senior vice president of network architecture and strategic direction for Bank of America.

Read more: Cisco notches new Net phone deal

VoIP to Lead Business Voice Traffic

A new report by AT&T and the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) titled "Voice over IP Comes of Age" states that VoIP will become the standard for voice traffic.

According to CRN:

The EIU surveyed more than 250 senior executives and found that 43% were either using or planning to implement VoIP within the next two years, while a further 18% expected to deploy the technology in the long term.

Executives' interest in the technology is driven both by the perceived cost savings in network consolidation and by the wide range of possible IP telephony services and applications. While an overwhelming 87% of respondents cited telecommunications cost savings as an important factor in the decision to implement VoIP, an equally impressive 71% were motivated by the ability to deploy advanced IP telephony features.

Read more: Survey: VoIP To Become The New Standard For Voice Traffic

Ford Hires SBC to Install VoIP Network

SBC Communications will install a Cisco Systems VoIP network to connect Ford Motor Company's 50,000 employees in 110 locations across Michigan.

According to InformationWeek:

The new network, which will be deployed over three years, will combine a number of Ford networks into a single IP-based network.

SBC says the Ford network will be its largest IP telephony deployment and one of the largest in the country. It will provide substantial savings to Ford by reducing network costs and making it easier to make adds, moves, and changes on the network, the company says.

Read more: Ford Gears Up For VoIP

Rapid Business Migration to VoIP

According to a new report by IDATE, 40% of all business telephone lines will be voice over internet protocol (VoIP) or telephony over internet protocol (ToIP) in 2009, a huge increase from a 2.5% share in 2003.

From eMarketer:

Many telecoms have already announced plans to migrate classic TDM networks to IP networks. NTT has committed to full IP migration (Global V2oIP), and BT is rolling out its 21CN project. For its part, Telecom Italia deployed a packet-based voice transport infrastructure for international traffic in late 2003. The reasons behind these migrations are: a single network to manage, lower price of IP routers, lower administration and maintenance costs, demand from customers for convergent services and the ability to launch new services.

Read more: VoIP Goes Big Business

3Com Prepares Launch of New Linux VCX VoIP Softswitch

3Com is coming close to launching a new Linux version of its high-end VoIP softswitch.

According to CRN:

The new products are part of 3Com's continuing push to expand its enterprise networking, VoIP and security business.

President and CEO Bruce Claflin said 3Com will soon release a Linux-based version of its VCX softswitch that channel partners can sell to mid- to large-sized customers.

"With the release of this, we expect to open the aperture of sales, leveraging the channel base," Claflin said during a conference call to discuss the Marlborough, Mass.-based company's quarterly financial results.

Read more: 3Com Preps New Enterprise Products, Eyes Possible Acquisitions

VoIP's Importance to Telecom Industry

Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) is beginning to transform the telecom industry. Service providers should not ignore this emerging technology, according to some at Light Reading's Next Generation Services (NGS) forum.

According to Light Reading:

"Voice is a uniquely powerful communication medium," said keynote speaker Odlyzko, director of the Minnesota’s Digital Technology Center, Digital Technology Center. [...]

In fact, if anything, Odlyzko says that in examining new opportunities, service providers should be careful not to ignore voice. [...]

"ATM, RSVP, multicasting, streaming real-time media, 3G: these are all technical successes, but failure in the marketplace."

Read more: VOIP: King of New Services

Cisco to Purchase VoIP Software Maker Dynamicsoft

Cisco Systems Inc. announced today plans to purchase Dynamicsoft Inc. Dynamicsoft makes VoIP software based on Session Initiation Protocol.

According to InfoWorld:

Cisco will pay $55 million in cash for the Parsippany, N.J.-based Dynamicsoft, assuming the vendor's $3.8 million in debt, according to a statement from Cisco. The acquisition fills out Cisco's software portfolio for carriers interested in providing converged applications to subscribers, such as presence management and unified messaging.

With its acquisition, Cisco is targeting broadband service providers looking to deploy converged voice/data services to consumers and businesses.

Read more: Cisco to buy VoIP software vendor