February 14th, 2006
You are currently browsing the articles from the VoIP Digest written on February 14th, 2006.
Michael Robertson’s San Diego, Calif.-based voice-over-IP start-up, SIPphone just raised $6 million in funding from New York-based Dawntreader Ventures. The company behind increasingly popular Gizmo Project soft phone and instant messaging client is going to use the cash to expand into wifi and dual mode phones, Robertson told in a late evening chat yesterday. Dawntreader’s Ed Sim is going to join the board of SIPphone. Existing investors in SIPphone participated in this round as well.
SIPphone will use the investment to expand their VOIP platform to portable devices which do not require PCs to make or receive calls and promote adoption of the open standard auto-provisioning system plug-n-dial. The San Diego headquarters is expected to triple in size over the next year with hiring primarily in business development and engineering.
SIPphone currently has about 20 employees. “There is no doubt that the price of voice calls is headed towards near zero, and companies like us need to make money off premium services and features that consumers are willing to pay for,” says Robertson. [ Read: The great VoIP implosion.] SIPphone is going to announce a new “premium offering” later this week. Robertson, who previously had started MP3.com, says he is working on creating a private label business for SIPphone as well, and is already powering a low-cost calling service called iPhox.
SIPphone was rumored to be in talks with News Corp, for adding voice functionality to MySpace.com. There were rumors of a $50 million buyout offer from Rupert Murdoch. While those talks haven’t gone anywhere, this new round of funding will give SIPphone the runway it needs to get market traction.
While it is no Skype, The Gizmo Project has still managed to get 400,000 registered users, of which nearly 29% are Mac users, Robertson says. About 2% of Gizmo Project are Linux desktop users. “In the end our adherence to SIP will pay off because it will allow us to offer many services easily,” says Robertson. One of the benefits is the ability to connect directly to other SIP-based services such as Earthlink’s VoIP service.
Licensing the technology to device makers for a sliver of profits is a model being used by Skype to generate revenues, and I guess SIPphone is going to do the same as well. Google is also rumored to be working on similar strategy and trying to lure hardware partners, but no recent developments. If the Skype experience of feeding-off-the-licensing margins is anything to go by, this will indeed a very tough business.
Written by Om Malik on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on VoIP (the New Phone) and Skype and Gizmo Project.
Top Global has announced the world’s first 3G mobile wireless Skype solution based on company’s MobileBridge platform. The company has developed and patented the flexible MobileBridge platform which serves as a router that links 3G network and and LAN/WLAN networks which enables customers to enjoy the flexibility and convenience of wireless internet in truly mobile and remote environments. The 3G mobile wireless Skype MobileBridge can work anywhere within cellular coverage. It does not limit to a café, office, home or open public Wi-Fi hotspot either. There is no change in the Skype experience.
via [PrWeb]
Written by gautam.chabbra on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Skype.
VoIP has become the hottest technology of the year in 2005. It has been expanded significantly over the couple of years. More and more companies are abandoning their traditional PBX and are adopting IP PBX systems. Global IP PBX market has witnesses a massive growth in the past few months. The IP PBX market is set to top $2 billion by 2010. Research studies predict that both hybrid and pure IP sales continue to gain share against traditional TDM PBX sales.
With robust growth in the core of the communications network, strong growth is also on the sight. The IP telephony market is expected to exceed $4 billion. It is the driving factor being the conversion to IP. Both the consumers and businesses are adopting VoIP to replace their traditional telephone system. It makes VoIP the most sought after technology that boosted the communication industry. The conversion to VoIP will be the dominant factor in the enterprise voice market over the next several years.
Modernizing the installed base of traditional PBX technology to IP telephony requires coordinated investment in data networking and enterprise voice equipment. During the technology transition, hybrid IP/TDM PBXs that provides scope for newer IP and legacy TDM technology will represent a majority of sales. Market is buoyant over the speedy growth of VoIP technology. The year 2005 has seen a breakthrough for its IP carrier data products as service providers increased their migration to IP.
The market for convergence technology apparently set to grow substantially. The industry appears to be grappling over how to effectively sell convergence as a product set. An analysis into the trends of the market over the past five years, reveal that convergence has always been the buzzword and companies have shown a positive approach while deploying VoIP in their networks. The market reacted positively to cost saving. The momentum is now moving towards the effective delivery of a communications strategy.
Written by Sagar on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Standards.
Avaya Communication Manager to support Nokia Series 80 smart phones
Avaya announced that its software, Avaya Communication Manager would be supporting the popular Nokia Series 80 smart phones such as Nokia 9500 Communicator, Nokia 9300i enterprise smart phones and Nokia 9300. The announcement was made at 3GSM World Congress 2006. This would provide businesses with a greater choice of business communication applications for mobile workers regardless of their location, access technology or communication device which would enable them to collaborate and respond rapidly to customers and colleagues. Now Nokia Series 80 enterprise could be equipped with Avaya communication Manager which would enable phone users to be accessible via one business number and use a single voicemail system whether they are in the office or mobile.
via [MobileWack]
Written by gautam.chabbra on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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VoIP applicaion software provider BroadSoft Inc announced that Telefónica de España deployed VoIP services based on BroadWorks VoIP application platform. Telefónica is using BroadWorks applications based on an IMS-ready platform to deliver primary line services to residential consumers and SMEs over any broadband connection.
Telefónica claims that this deployment is one of the world's first IMS deployments. BroadWorks apps function independent of the underlying IMS network, simplifying operations and enabling third-party apps, such as presence, to be more easily integrated.
Read More: Telefónica De España Deploys Broadworks-based VoIP Services
Written by Sagar on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Business VoIP.
Ning is getting ready to push a major upgrade, which will bring them outta beta. It has a new User Interface (nice) and a more robust platform. More upgrades are coming, but I did get my dirty paws on some screenshots, in case you are interested.
Written by Om Malik on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Web 2.0 and Start-Ups.
…. this just in…. there are rumors flying around that Adaptive Path is going to spin out its blog measurement service Measure Maps. …. hot tip… going to Google? Confirmed… it is with Google. Jeff Veen has posted on the Google blog about the deal.
I had known that something was in the works for a while but only now can say this. Five folks from Adaptive Path are now joining the Borg. Hopefully, Google’s resources will improve the performance of MM because till recently it has sucked wind and shows all sorts of weird data. Discounted that because of alpha status, but now I would expect them to improve. tracking my readers.
Written by Om Malik on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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Update: It is looking pretty certain that Enterprise software + Voice mash-up is going to be the reason why Oracle will most def. buy JBoss. They bought HotSip, which has a product called Hotsip M2CE SCE which runs on JBoss.
M2CE incorporates the JBoss J2EE/JMX application server combining the best of web with the best of SIP services. ….. The provisioning API is used for integration with legacy systems such as billing and provisioning systems. This allows for adding and removing users, configuring services, and assigning authorization rights.
Oracle has just bought Swedish VoIP company, HotSIP, a clear sign that the world of telephony and enterprise applications is merging. I had written about this earlier. It seems everyone could in the near future be dialing their CRM. No details were made available. More thoughts later.
Written by Om Malik on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on VoIP (the New Phone).
VoIP-enabled devices are poised to become significant agents for change in enterprise communications networks. They present significant management and administrative challenges to corporate network planners. The report analyzes the emerging roles that VoIP-enabled devices are playing in enterprise communications. That includes both wired and wireless technologies.
It also evaluates the likely impact on corporate communications of dual-mode handsets and soft phones. Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) will have an impact on the market for corporate voice equipment, including IP-based PBXs and hosted PBXs. The report also examines administrative and economic issues that enterprise network managers face with deployment of VoIP-enabled products. There is a need for greater mobility with respect to VoIP-enabled devices.
Written by Sagar on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Wireless.
Smoothstone IP Communications has announced its new partnership with MicroCorp, a leading telecommunications Master Agency. The partnership will deliver Smoothstone's solutions through MicroCorp's channel to mid-sized enterprise clients. MicroCorp has installed a Smoothstone solution in its own offices. MicroCorp's nationwide agent network and focus on providing flexible solutions meet each client's individual needs.
The new partnership will offer SmoothstoneCOMPLETE that includes enterprise-class VoIP, unified messaging and group collaboration tools. It includes IP trunking services to existing TDM equipment or on-site PBXs. Smoothstone is a leading IP communications provider for medium-sized enterprises. MicroCorp, Inc. is a telecommunications convergence company that provides multi-vendor solutions to businesses. TMC Net reports:
MicroCorp customers receive best of breed solutions from vendors such as Sprint, Qwest, MCI, ACC Business, Global Crossing and now Smoothstone IP Communications. MicroCorp distributes its products nationally, via a network of over 1,500 employees, agents, system integrators and VARs.
Written by Sagar on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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Written by Om Malik on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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MetaSolv Software, Inc has announced the release of Mediation 5. It is the carrier-class mediation application that is designed for multi-service 3G wireless, IP, VoIP and traditional voice networks. The Mediation 5 release delivers key enhancements that enable mobile and fixed line operators to support revenue assurance. They also enable IP Multimedia Subsystem deployments. Chron reports:
The flexibility to support operators as they deploy pre-IMS solutions and migrate to standards-based IMS networks. Operators can minimize the impact of network and service churn on their existing upstream billing and network infrastructure.
Written by Sagar on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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Written by Om Malik and Niall Kennedy on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on session.
New rules concerning data transfer could lead to an end in VoIP scratch-card services and force service providers to look for new market segments. The new rules in Russia are due to come into force on July 1. They will separate voice transfer and data transfer as different systems of communication. It makes possible to carry out the transfer of data without the aim of transferring voice information.
The cheaper calls of one ruble per minute to call Western Europe are likely to disappear. The VoIP service providers will have to leave the market or increase prices. Working with such prices will be illegal once the new rules come into force. Some IP operators have received a license to supply an interurban and international telephone service. The license will let the company unite the existing fragments of the network and expand its presence elsewhere.
Another tendency is an abandonment of Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN) for making VoIP calls. A leading VoIP player, Tario Communications, has launched a new project called Sipnet. It is an analog to the widely available Skype program. Network Sipnet uses an alternative numeration of subscribers, who would possess a personal telephone number independent of city telephone networks.
Connections between fellow subscribers of the Sipnet network are free of charge. Sipnet also supports extended voice services such as voice mail, telephone answering machines, multilateral audio conferences, audio email and voice chats. There is a concern in the industry that dishonest users will be able to resell free traffic making a profit out of an operator's market initiative.
VoIP is very much popular in the West. More and more people are using VoIP in conjunction with Wi-Fi. With a mobile phone supported by Wi-Fi or a special Wi-Fi phone at the point of access, one can make a call to almost any place in the world or make a call to any subscriber.
Written by Sagar on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Standards.
MovieBeam plans on offering high-definition (HDTV) downloads. The video-on-demand movie service spun out of Walt Disney said it plans to offer first-run films from six of the seven film studios in standard digital-video format and high-definition films from Disney and Warner Bros. studios.
According to MovieBeam, some movies will even be made available at the same time as they come out on DVD. But here's my problem with this HDTV service - it requires yet another piece of home entertainment equipment to sit on top of your TV or entertainment system. My entertainment system is already crowded with a Denon 7.1 surround sound receiver, Denon amplifier for the rear surround channels, XBox, Toshiba DVD player, Linksys Media Extender, and VCR - not to mention a Sony Media Center 2005 PC sitting on top of one of my speakers. Many other bleeding-edge videophiles have even more components than I do, including TiVo, DirectTV receiver, etc. Who the hell is going to want to stack yet another ~$200 video component on the shelf? Sure, you could put it on top of the cable set-top box assuming your wife doesn't chew you out for making your home entertainment system look even more disorganized!
Anyway, the MovieBeam box, with capacity for 100 movies, is priced at around $200, after a rebate, and a $29 activation fee. It comes with an antenna to receive movie updates using what they call "datacasting" technology. Their "datacasting" technology doesn't even use the Internet to download movies.
Yeah, that's right, they're using old-school over the "air waves" technology to transmit the HDTV movie to the box. That explains why it is initially offered in just 29 U.S. cities, including New York, Chicago and Los Angeles - they require special localized transmitters to send the signal over the air waves. Heck, I have a 65" HDTV and I haven't even hooked up an HDTV antenna to receive local HDTV broadcasts and I'm supposed to buy MovieBeam just to get HDTV downloads? I can't believe they are putting out a release calling this HDTV downloading. That's a misnomer if I ever heard of one or at least extremely misleading. Most people would expect it to download over the Internet.
The MovieBeam film storage boxes will carry Cisco's Linksys consumer electronics label and be sold through U.S. electronics retailers Best Buy Co. Inc., CompUSA, and Sears.
Ironically, according to the Yahoo article, "MovieBeam, which was founded by Walt Disney four years ago, appeared to have run out of steam when Disney took a $24 million write-down on the company last summer. It was revived last month with a $48.5 million cash infusion from Disney, Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq:CSCO - news), Intel Corp. (Nasdaq:INTC - news) and three venture capital firms." My advice to Disney, Cisco/Linksys, and Intel? - I don't care how many billions you have earned - this is just stupid - you should have kept your money and let MovieBeam go under. This is a losing venture if I ever saw one. Now, if the cable companies partner with TiVo or start creating their own set-top boxes with hard drives, then they could very easily download pay-per-view HDTV over the coax connection to the device's hard drive. That makes a whole lot more sense than the MovieBeam business model. I'm a huge home entertainment gadgety kind-of-guy, but I'd rather spend the $200 on somethink else.
By the way, MovieLink and CinemaNow offer "near" HDTV quality movies for "true" download over the Internet, though their near HDTV offerings are pretty weak last I checked. (Actually CinemaNow does offer full HDTV quality videos, just remembered.) My guess is that NetFlix will eventually start offering HDTV downloads in the near future. Or at least, many people are "hoping" someone like NetFlix will come along and offer a decent HDTV download service.
p.s. MovieLink doesn't support Firefox? Look at this error: "Sorry, but in order to enjoy the Movielink service you must use Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher, which supports certain technologies we utilize for downloading movies. Click here to get the latest version of Internet Explorer. We do not support Mozilla or Netscape. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause."
Un-friggin believable!
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Written by tkeating@tmcnet.com on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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Vodafone will look to offer large mobile data bundles in the future to counter the potential threat from VoIP telephony. Vodafone has signed deals for mobile emails and instant messaging.
Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, is a phone network that utilizes the Internet to make free phone calls. Sarin said consumers using services like VoIP and instant messaging still have to pay for broadband access.
Read More: Vodafone To Confront VoIP Threat With Data Bundles - CEO
Written by Sagar on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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Seems like gadgets aren't such a strange Valentine's Day gift after all. According to an 
article in yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle, chocolates and roses are moving out of the way this year to make room for a more gadget-centric V Day.
In fact, pink and red seem to be the hot colors this year -- and I'm talking cell phones, digital cameras and the like. Apparently, a pink Motorola Razr mobile phone, for example, has been flying off of the shelves at Cingular Wireless.
Of course, these aren't the only popular colors --Â black and silver do quite nicely too. Don't forget a Hallmark card to make the day complete.
Looking for some real-life stories here ...
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Written by tkeating@tmcnet.com on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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According to Dublin-based tech support writers Research & Markets, high growth for VoIP does not necessarily mean high visibility for the industry. It seems that VoIP is doing exceptionally well in big cities and industrial areas, but it has not been expanded to small cities. Total VoIP subscribers worldwide have been estimated at 16 million today. The market will grow to over 55 million in 2009.
Despite an impressive 62 percent year-over-year subscriber growth rate in 2005, few consumers have ever heard of the term 'VoIP'. This indicates that providers have to continue to educate the public as there is considerable room for market growth. Competition in broadband access services is the key driving force behind VoIP market development. In addition, multiple waves of new entrants will play a significant role in boosting the VoIP growth.
Written by Sagar on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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Updated: Oracle decides to buy SleepCat Software, and has plans to buy more. Sleepy Cat are the folks behind Berkeley DB. Larry is so greedy! SAP does tit-for-tat, and invests $18.5 million in MySQL. And then there is word that some sort of a deal is cooking between Microsoft and SugarCRM are getting cozy. Looks like open source apps are the nu cool!
Written by Om Malik on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Moore's Claw.
Chris Holland looks at the successful French competitive landscape to underscore his personal belief in the importance of proper government involvement in regulating the deployment and operation of broadband infrastructure. He compares the state of today’s U.S. broadband competitive landscape to “a narrow sidewalk with a 2-story Verizon shopping center on it, and perhaps an SBC shop 2 miles down the road.” Growing up in socialist India, I shudder at the thought of Government involvement, but Chris is making a good case for it.
Written by Om Malik on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Wired.
deltathree, Inc. has announced that it is expanding its VoIP services to the Central, South American and Caribbean markets. deltathree is a leading provider of SIP-based VoIP solutions for service providers and end users worldwide. The company has launched strategic partnerships within Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Honduras and the Dominican Republic. That has led to a significant expansion of deltathree's global VoIP network. The further expansion of deltathree into Latin America and the Caribbean is a very important step in leveraging the growing demand for VoIP services in the region.
deltathree is aggressively targeting new business opportunities and successfully leveraging the overwhelming interest in its VoIP offerings. Partner programs should not be complicated. Its main focus is on making the services work perfectly so that it can maximize the revenue derived from selling the products and services. TMC Net reports:
Since 2003, deltathree has dedicated significant resources to aggressively hone in on market demand in the Latin American and Caribbean regions. Defining new modes of marketing that align specifically to target exact needs in a designated country has been one of the underlining factors to deltathree's continuing success.
Written by Sagar on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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If you love to play soccer, then G10L.com is for you! The free web site invites soccer players and fans from all corners of the globe, including the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Russia, the U.S., Brazil, Argentina, Japan, China, India, South Korea, Australia, Kenya and South Africa, to lead their teams to the finals of the world cup championship.
The G10L.COM website is a free sports web portal with an innovative and uniquely new concept in the field of online gaming. This next-generation multi-player web game enables players from around the world to unite under one team and play as one community against other communities.
It’s free to play. Every player entering the site creates a new team or joins an existing team. Weekly and monthly prizes are awarded, with the first prize being the popular Sony PlayStation game consoles. In my first few games (0-3-1 record) it took a while to get the hang of defense (especially) and thought my goalie could have done a better job (win as a team, lose as a team ...)
Now if there was some aerobic exercise too Â…
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Written by tkeating@tmcnet.com on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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Interesting bit of news I thought I'd share from iSkoot that lets you call your buddy list from your mobile phone without needing your PC. They claims it is the "first Mobile-Voice To Skype Network" but I think eqo may have something to say about that "first" claim.
In any event, the iSkoot software is simply a software download to your mobile phone to enable you to make Skype calls. Currently, the following phones are supported - Nokia Series 60 handsets: 6600,
6620, 6630, 6670, 6680, 6682, 7610, N70. They also plan to soon support Motorola
RAZR, Treo, Nokia Series 40 handsets.
Here's the news...
iSkoot's Complimentary Offering is a Peer-to-Peer Network Connecting Cell Phones to PC Calls Without Custom Phones, PCs or Wi-Fi
February 14, 2006 - iSkoot, a mobile Internet phone company, today introduced the iSkoot Mobile Network, a gateway that connects cellular voice and PC-to-PC networks. iSkoot Mobile Network allows consumers to place and receive Internet calls with their mobile phones without the need for PCs, special hardware, custom phones or Wi-Fi hot spots.
While the initial offering is for Cingular customers, and supports Skype Software only, iSkoot plans to expand the reach of Skype service to a wider selection of carriers and Internet phone services, such as Google Talk and other PC calling platforms. To take advantage of the iSkoot Mobile Network, Cingular users need only to download a small piece of software to their mobile phones. The Beta version of the iSkootMobile phone application for Skype Software is now available for free at www.iskoot.com and go.iskoot.com. Beta users who download the small client software will receive free unlimited use for the term of the beta.
"We are extremely excited about offering Skype users true mobility. The iSkoot Mobile Network completely frees Skype users from their PCs. It provides an on-ramp to the PC-PC network for cell phone users. With the iSkoot software solution on your mobile phone, consumers can use the Internet to call their online buddies without ever having to use their PC or a broadband connection. Once cell phone users download the iSkoot software to their regular handsets, they will be able to do everything they do with PC Calling, but with true mobility, even away from Wi-Fi hot spots," said Jacob Guedalia, Chief Executive Officer, iSkoot. "Skype has blazed a path with their cutting edge technology for peer-to-peer voice communications and continue this leadership with the first fully featured peer-to-peer clients on mobile devices. iSkoot offers a complimentary solution that utilizes a light client usable on any mobile phone and enables the full features though its network servers and gateways. In this way our solution extends the reach of mobile Skype, beyond WiFi and 3G.Furthermore it does not require that you have your PC turned on. You do not need a PC, all you need is your cell phone and an iSkoot connection and you can use Skype wherever you are."
About iSkoot
Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., iSkoot is dedicated to becoming a leader in enabling mobile Internet telephony. iSkoot extends the reach of Interent telephony by allowing users to make and receive calls over the Web using any mobile phone. With iSkoot, VoIP users are no longer bound to their PCs to make and receive calls. iSkoot enables users to take advantage of Internet phone services and buddy systems to make unlimited, superior quality voice calls via next-generation peer-to-peer software from their cell phone. The iSkoot product uses the Skype API but is not endorsed or certified by Skype. For more information, visit www.iskoot.com.
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Written by tkeating@tmcnet.com on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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Ironic, that Rich Tehrani (my boss) wrote in his Get Paid to VoIP entry today about how he is predicting that eventually people will be paid to talk using VoIP. Tskm tsk, Rich. You don't talk to me any more, because if you had, you would have known such a company already exists. Indeed, I am aware of one such company offering "cash back" to use their VoIP system. I've known about them for about a month, but have been too damn busy to give them a decent blog entry. I blame Rich - ya damn slave driver!
Well, Rich, you have forced my hand with your blog entry talking about getting paid to VoIP. There is a company called CashBackVoices that offers you cash for talking to friends using their VoIP service. My contact there told me, "I am the only one who give cashback on the minutes (and that is patented)"
I then did a follow-up email last month asking him the following:
Is this truly "Cashback" or simply a discount coupon or rebate on the minutes used?
I interpret cashback as the user getting POSITIVE cash for using the VoIP system with NO "out of pocket" expenses. Otherwise it's simply a "discount" on the minutes used applied after the fact.
Of course, this business model would require advertising of some sort to recoup costs and make it a profitable VoIP business model.
For example, a true "cashback" VoIP system in my mind would be something like this:
User A talks for 5000 minutes per month. User A earns $0.10 cashback per minute and receives a check for $50.
I'll even allow "some" monthly fee in the equation, say $30/month paid by the user for the cashback VoIP service. Thus the user pays -$30/month. So $50/month - $30/month means the user earns +$20/month.
If this is not the case, perhaps you can explain further. An example scenario might be good.
He responded, "Yes this is a true cashback giving moneyback from minutes. They are going to pay my prices and they are receiving cashback on the usage (not a rebate or discount) They can create a network of friends who are calling outside (PSTN cell lines). The user is going to pay international rates but when
he has a big network he earns it back
"
So I guess in theory if your network is large enough you do truly earn "cash back". Cool!
Anyone want to be part of my CashBackVoices network so I can earn some dough? Anyone? Hello? Anyone out there? Damn, I forgot I have no friends. Ah well.
Joking aside, at least you know about a VoIP service provider giving you money to talk using VoIP. You heard it here first.
p.s. This is similar to affiliate programs that Vonage, Packet8, and the other VoIP providers offer, but these VoIP providers only give their affiliates a one-time referral fee and not "recurring" revenue on customers you bring to them. That's the beauty of the CashBackVoices program which does give you recurring revenue. The site is run by a young 21-yr old entrepreneur, but that shouldn't give you too much pause since most great tech companies were started by young entrepreneurs.
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Written by tkeating@tmcnet.com on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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NewMarket Technology Inc. has announced that it is launching its first VoIP business service solution delivered vial a broadband wireless network. The company has implemented the wireless VoIP solution in its Dallas and Texas headquarters. Chron reports:
NewMarket anticipates its wireless VoIP solution will accelerate telephone service sales growth to the small and medium business market. This will provide an ideal solution for the initial implementations of telephone service in developing economic regions globally that have not had telephone service previously available.
Written by Sagar on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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Skype announced Skype 2.0 for Pocket PC phones this morning. Andy has the details. Also heard through the grapevine at 3GSM that a “S60″ (Symbian) version of the client is rumored to be “coming soon.” Who knows - I have heard this story before! Meanwhile more Symbian News: British Sky Broadcasting has selected Symbian OS for its Sky by Mobile interactive application; Yahoo! Go (re) launched for Symbian OS; Sony Ericsson’s W950 UMTS Walkman phone with Symbian entertainment suite with touch screen launched; and Symbian shipped 10.9 million devices with total shipments hitting 33.9 million in 2005.
Written by Om Malik on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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The chatter around Technorati’s Authority feature is so much this morning, that my mind hurts. Guys, did you try it out? Please do, and then you will realize that its not that good. I did that with Scoble recommended “Technology” link, and guess what, I couldn’t find myself on search results - for seven pages. I guess I have no authority in “technology.” Tick, done and forgotten. What else you got Dave?
Written by Om Malik on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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Both Microsoft and Skype made announcments at 3GSM demonstrating their commitment to Windows mobile phone devices. First, Microsoft Office Communicator now has a mobile version that extends the reach of Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2005's real-time collaboration features to Windows Mobile-based devices. This is a smart move by Microsoft and could help them achieve more market penetration of the Live Communicator client, which has been very slow in my opinion, especially when compared to Skype.
The reason? Well, Live Communications Server is certainly more business-focused than Skype, which has a consumer-focus, giving Skype a distinct advantage. Skype achieved market penetration starting from the consumer and virally working its way into businesses, where as Live Communications Server is strictly targetting businesses, so it hasn't had the same "viral" effect that Skype has. However, if Microsoft can leverage good VoIP/IM/video software on mobile phones, which have a large consumer market (and businesses), this could give their Live Communications Server a big boost.
Also, if Microsoft can offer presence BOTH for your personal IM/voice/video username account and your business IM/voice/video username account, they can do some interesting things, including the ability to offer a unified communications client that displays both your personal buddy list and your business associates buddy list . Think of it like the popular GAIM client only this ties business and personal buddy lists. Also, since Live Communications Server is SIP-based it can integrate with a SIP/PSTN gateway for external calls similar to SkypeOut. Skype has been trying to foray into the business arena with their Skype for Business offering, but I'm not sure how successful that program has been. It has limited features such as account codes, ring multiple Skype accounts, and a web admin for managing your business's Skype users. Live Communications Server certainly has a stronger business penetration and stronger business features such as collaboration capabilities..
In any event, the second piece of news I wanted to share is that Skype released Skype for Pocket PC 2.0, a new software version for Pocket PC devices, as well as Windows Mobile-based devices such as the new HP iPAQ hw6900 that I blogged yesterday and which I already pointed out supports the Skype client. In fact, Skype for Pocket PC 2.0 (prior release was v1.1) enhances voice quality
and the number of devices supported by including Windows Mobile 5.0 for Pocket PC, more languages and adds support for 240x240 screens, such as the HP iPAQ hw6900.
Check out the news from both Microsoft and Skype...
BARCELONA, Spain - Feb. 14, 2006 - Today, during a keynote address at 3GSM World Conference 2006, Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft Corp., announced the upcoming availability of Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile for Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2005. Based on the user interface of the Microsoft Office Communicator 2005 desktop client, Communicator Mobile is a unified communications client that provides information workers with a premier mobile collaboration experience through native integration of mobile applications with enterprise-grade, real-time communications tools. The client goes beyond simple voice services, incorporating connected communication modes such as security-enhanced instant messaging (IM), presence awareness and integrated Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony.
"Communicator Mobile is one of Microsoft's steps in extending Live Communications Server's capabilities to mobile devices, enabling companies to deploy IM and presence-enabled solutions that provide a consistent real-time communications experience across PCs and smart mobile devices," said Gurdeep Pall, corporate vice president for the Unified Communications Group at Microsoft. "The new client is a key component of Microsoft's vision for unified communications, putting people at the center and enabling information workers to have access to real-time communications capabilities virtually anytime, anywhere, on any device."
Communicator Mobile's integration with Live Communications Server provides information workers with the advantages of rich presence information and security-enhanced, enterprise-grade IM for their mobile solutions. Deploying the Communicator Mobile client with Live Communications Server uncovers new mobile scenarios for information workers such as on-premise IM and presence on Windows Mobile-based devices using Wi-Fi networks, remote access to Live Communications Server systems over mobile phone networks, and remote access to enterprise collaboration resources from Wi-Fi hot spots or home networks.
"We have deployed Microsoft Office Live Communications Server to a key customer. Six months later we are extending the environment to allow even richer unified communications across multiple platforms," said Andy Kerr, head of strategy and innovation for IT and Media Operations at Siemens Business Services. "Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile will allow us to extend the value of Microsoft Office Communicator and Live Communications Server to our customers with Windows Mobile-based devices."
Communicator Mobile extends the power of real-time collaboration to Windows Mobile-based devices offered today by 102 mobile operators and 47 device manufacturers, including HP and Symbol Technologies, in 55 countries. The new client increases potential data revenue for mobile operators by driving demand for business-class devices with an enterprise-grade client, adding rich, real-time collaboration capabilities to mobile data networks. By providing rich information about peoples' availability, Communicator Mobile enables better call completion rates and, through support for Session Initial Protocol (SIP) and SIP for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions (SIMPLE), gives mobile operators more flexibility when building their infrastructures.
"Linklaters, a global law firm, has been using Live Communications Server since 2005 because it provides us with an enterprise-grade IM and presence platform that helps increase lawyers' productivity while keeping conversations over IM archived, logged and more secure," said Tim Warburton, information systems strategy consultant at Linklaters. "We are excited that the collaboration and security features we have become accustomed to in Live Communications Server will now be extended to mobile devices."
"Stand-alone systems for messaging, communications and collaboration are quickly converging, while at the same time information workers are spending more time away from their offices," said Irwin Lazar, senior analyst at Burton Group. "Now more than ever, presence is becoming an essential part of the communications infrastructure, giving customers choices and preferences for interacting with their co-workers. With Communicator Mobile, mobile users can set their presence information via their cell phone or engage in IM group chats from their handheld device, all the while controlling how their calls are routed."
Availability
Communicator Mobile is expected to be available for download for Live Communication Server customers within 60 days. More information is available from an account representative or at http://www.microsoft.com/rtc.
And the Skype News...Luxembourg, Feb. 14, 2006- Skype, the global Internet communications company, today released Skype for Pocket PC 2.0, a new software version for Pocket PC devices that offers Skype callers the ability to enjoy Skype's free, high quality voice calls anywhere their device can connect to a high speed Internet connection, via Wi-Fi and 3G networks.Skype for Pocket PC 2.0 is a critical component of Skype's mobility strategy, supporting the goal of extending Skype use beyond the PC, and expanding the simplicity and convenience of Internet calling for the lives of millions of Skype users around the world.
"Skype for Pocket PC 2.0 delivers greater flexibility for callers who want to make free calls or chat without the need for a desktop PC," said Niklas Zennström, Skype CEO and co-founder. "Together with our efforts to incorporate Skype into mobile phones, this next generation version of Skype for Pocket PC devices extends the reach of our popular software to an even broader market segment."
Skype for Pocket PC 2.0 works on any Windows Mobile Pocket PC running Windows Mobile Pocket PC 2003 or Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC software with a 312+ MHz processor and equipped with an internal Wi-Fi or 3G (EDGE, EV-DO or UMTS) radio. For detailed requirements see skype.com/go/mobile.
Skype for Pocket PC 2.0 (prior release was v1.1) enhances voice quality and the number of devices supported by including Windows Mobile 5.0 for Pocket PC, more languages and 240x240 screens.Other key features and benefits include:
- Skype to Skype and SkypeOut calls
- Instant messaging
- Presence, including: Online, offline, away, call forwarding, device not connected
- Automatic synchronization of your Skype contact list between device and desktop
- Voicemail
- Making SkypeOut calls directly from the device phone book
- Simplified contact search
- Authorizing buddy requests and adding new contacts
Skype for Pocket PC will be available preloaded on a number of devices including Asus MyPal A636, BenQ P50, E-TEN M600, Dopod 700, i-mate PDA2, PDA2K, JASJAR and Qtek 9000 and 9090.
Skype for Pocket PC 2.0 is also supported bythe new HP iPAQ hw6900 series Mobile Messenger, a smart device providing customers with the ability to receive email wirelessly(1,2) using push-email functionality, introduced yesterday at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona.
"Bringing the Skype experience to our iPAQ customers is an exciting proposition," said John Brandewie, acting director of product marketing, Handheld Division, HP."Skype is a pioneer in the Internet calling space, and their innovative style is a great complement for HP's ongoing efforts to deliver rich mobile experiences and easy connectivity.
The following are some of the many Pocket PC devices that support Skype for Pocket PC 2.0:
Several HP iPAQ models including HP iPAQ hw6900 series Mobile Messenger, hx2400, hx2700, rx3700 and hx4700 series models
Dell X3i, X30, X50, X50v, x51 and x51v models
Fujitsu Siemens Computers Pocket LOOX N520, 718 and 720 models
Pricing and Availability
Skype for Pocket PC 2.0 is available now as a free download from skype.com/go/mobile. Skype for Pocket PC will also be available on Handango (www.handango.com), the leading provider of mobile content.
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Written by tkeating@tmcnet.com on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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Small Internet phone-calling companies in Colorado are booming, which is a nationwide trend. The year 2005 was a significant year for the VoIP technology as it gained momentum across the globe. The United States has been a witness to the major part of VoIP growth. Research studies suggest that 2006 will be no different and it will see more growth for VoIP technology. Just before a couple of years, a handful of business Internet call customers existed in Colorado. However, today the situation is completely different. Thousands of customers joined the VoIP revolution.
A group of about 10 small Colorado providers is working hard to push the VoIP growth across the state. VoIP leader Vonage and other national companies have also eyed the huge market in Colorado and made efforts to expand their base to the state. It was estimated that about 4 million customers have switched their network to Internet phone service nationwide since 2002. That was the year when the next generation technology started attracting customers.
It is also expected that VoIP subscription will jump to 28 million in the next couple of years. There is no particular information about the number of customers in Colorado State. This is due to the fact that VoIP is not regulated like other phone services.
Most local companies offer flat-rate monthly fees, usually about $25. These services offer unlimited local and long-distance calls made over the Internet. Customers who switch to VoIP save up to 50 percent off traditional phone bills. For Internet phone service to work unabatedly, customers must have either a high-speed Internet DSL connection or a high-speed cable connection.
Most companies have managed to fix the technology problems surfaced on VoIP. To counter the problems arisen during a power outage, they also have installed emergency power systems so that Internet phone services don't get affected in case of power failure.
Written by Sagar on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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One of the more ominous TalkBacks I've received to my Vonage IPO filing describes E911 chamber of horrors post was from a reader named Kenathena.This reader identified her(?) self as a PSAP (Public Safety Answering Point) manager. PSAPs are often the front line of E911 calls from VoIP and mobile phones. How quickly they [...]
Written by Russell Shaw on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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Qualcomm and Atheros Communications announced that they are teaming up to create a reference design for dual mode cell phones with integrated Wi-Fi VoIP capability. The new devices will combine Qualcomm chipsets with the Atheros single-chip Wi-Fi client and will be compatible with WLAN, GSM and CDMA wireless technologies.
An increasing demand for these multi-purpose cell phones is inevitable over the coming years, as more people desire greater hardware integration for their communication needs. Customers will welcome the opportunity to have a single phone, which can access standard cellular networks when necessary, but also save money by switching to wireless VoIP when at home or in a Wi-Fi hotspot.
Read More: Qualcomm and Atheros Partner on Hybrid VoIP/Cellular Handsets
Written by Sagar on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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New VoIP services for small and medium business enterprises are doing round in the market. A new service called CrystalBlue was with Whaleback Systems technology. It is built around the SMB 1500, an IP PBX that uses its own code to supplement software. Customers who buy the service get an analysis of their current phone bill compared with that they would pay for the new service.
Generally, an office with 20 employees spends around $2000 - $2500 per month for phones. It takes into account access charges, direct inward dialing numbers, long distance and inter-local access. With the new service, customers can save up to 30% of their monthly expenses. The new service costs $50 per phone, per month and operates via gateways in partner carrier networks.
Written by Sagar on February 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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