Google,ebay,Skype: Wall Street voted

Written by Skype Journal on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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Skype, Google Talk to InterOp?

Google and eBay deal announced earlier today is going to have even bigger ramifications for the VoIP world. Google Talk team is talking about interoperating with Skype.

Just as exciting are our plans to explore interoperability between Google Talk and Skype, making it easier for our users to chat with one another. This is just another step in our commitment to interoperability via open, industry standards.

Sounds promising, though the use of word “explore” throws me off a little. Is it even possible? Aswath, your expertise is sorely needed just about now!

Written by Om Malik on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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Guest Blog - Max Arnold’s Nokia N91 Review

My son Max is rapidly becoming a certified geek, and he's definitely the IT guy in our household. I've been lucky enough to evaluate the Nokia N Series phones, and have been using the N90 for some time, which readers of this blog would well know.

I recently received the N91, which is sleeker and more powerful. Max has basically taken this phone, befriended it, and I have seen very little of it since. So, in return, Max is sharing his view on the N91 in this guest posting.

He may just be a budding teenager, but in terms of a lifestyle demographic, he's an ideal user to evaluate this phone. There are several terrific reviews out there for this phone, but all are from an adult user's perspective. I'll bet this is the only one you're going to find out there written by a teenager. I really try, folks, to bring you content you won't find anywhere else! So here's the story, in Max's own words....

As soon as I opened the Purolator box, I knew it was gonna be one heckuva phone. Seeing that it was part of the Nokia N series, where I had already had a good impression from my Dad's N90 with its 2 megapixel lens, great layout, and features like Bluetooth. Only mine sported a 802.11 wireless network card to access wireless internet networks anywhere in the world, which came in very handy when we were up on vacation, and I needed to check my email, a 4 Gigabyte hard drive (about 170 times the size of the n90's storage space), dedicated MP3 buttons, and a 3.5 mm optical audio port on the top with an mp3 player-style “lock” switch on the top that puts the phone in keypad lock mode.

Another feature that I was particularly impressed with was the sliding keypad cover to make the phone smaller and have the number pad only open when necessary. When the sliding cover is closed, no space is wasted at all – the dedicated MP3 buttons are mounted on that cover, and still remain active and functional when the cover is open, so you could be halfway through dialing a number with your music playing, you could hit the pause button, and then finish dialing, unlike certain other electronic devices like this where you can only use one of those functions at one time.

Only things I disliked about the physical layout were that the mono speaker was placed right beside the volume switch, and when you're adjusting the volume, sometimes your thumb covers the speaker and makes the sound sound warped, I also disliked the placement of the menu button – on the right side, instead of on the keypad – very awkward.

Wired:
Wireless card allows you to access the internet at no cost from your carrier – whopping 4 gb hard drive allows you to store every video, picture and song you could ever imagine. Phone looks great while charging in the included cradle.

Tired:
Still full of glitches. Occasionally, the media gallery empties itself, and you have to re-point your files from the file manager, which can be quite a pain. Also, a mono speaker doesn't do much when it comes to playing multimedia.

Bottom line: once this thing is fully edited for bugs, re-places its menu button, and gets stereo speakers, this phone will have reached its full potential as a smartphone.

Next steps: If Nokia makes a higher-grade model of the N91, judging by its features, I say it could do even better having a larger screen with touch-screen on board, and maybe even a built-in email client.

Finally, a photo taken at our local diner, showing some nice depth of field from the N91:

Technorati tags: Nokia N91, Jon Arnold

Written by Jon Arnold's Blog on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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Next Year, Next Year

Last time I commented about the Red Sox I said I wouldn't get into a lengthy post-mortem. The Boston Massacre II had taken place, and well, it was pretty clear that when it matters, the 2006 Red Sox are not in the same league as the Yankees. It's hard to come out and say that, and for much of the season it wasn't true. But it's true now, and the Fenway sweep pretty much says it all.

When the Sox play well, they're solid - not a complete team, but top tier. But looking at where these two teams are at now, and the road ahead, a positional breakdown comes out heavily in NY's favor:

Lowell/Hinske vs. A-Rod - NY
Gonzalez/Cora vs. Jeter - NY
Loretta vs. Cano - NY
Youklis vs. Giambi - NY
Varitek/Mirabelli vs. Posada - BOS (maybe)
Ramirez vs. Sheffield/? - BOS - but not by much
Coco vs. Damon - NY - in spades
Nixon/Pena/Kapler vs. Abreu/Matsui - NY
Ortiz vs. anyone else - BOS - in spades
Top 3 starters - EVEN - slight edge to BOS
Starting rotation - EVEN - both inconsistent
Middle relief - NY
Setup - NY
Papelbon vs. Rivera - NY
Francona vs. Torre - NY
Epstein vs. Cashman - NY - this time around
Heart/soul/desire/will/clutch - NY

Looking at like this, it's really hard to see how the Red Sox can come out ahead, and even though there are 30+ games left, you just know it's over. Ever the optimist, I still held out some hope after the big sweep. After all, the Sox hit the road, regroup and maybe get their mojo back. And yes, the Yankees have faltered, and if things were going right, the Sox could still be in range. But the Yankees have left the Sox on the mat, and they've shown no signs of getting up.

Six games into this road trip, and it's clear, they're not bouncing back, and it just looks to me like they've stopped playing for Tito and conceded the season. Now the injuries are popping up, and all kinds of things will start to go wrong. The Red Sox psyche is fragile by nature, and when it falters, it spirals downward in a hurry. No doubt there will be housecleaning, and Coco is looking a lot like Edgar Renteria. If Vernon Wells chooses not to stay here in Toronto, he would be a huge upgrade for the Sox, and this is one case where they won't lose him to the Yankees.

So, I'll leave it at that, and just wonder a bit if the Babe is still looking over our shoulder...

Source: Boston Public Library

Finally, the inspiration for this posting came from an email one of my long-time Boston friends sent the other day, and wraps things up nicely...

Technorati tags: Boston Red Sox, Jon Arnold, baseball

Written by Jon Arnold's Blog on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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Global Crossing 2.0

For some odd reason, the folks at Global Crossing are a tad touchy, mostly because we compared their strategy to Level 3. Of course they are a little miffed because we dredged up their past. But past is as much a part of the present and of the future. Just a reminder folks, and that is why I said, atoned.

I am also not sure that Om grasps the challenges that the old IXC’s face. It’s not that Global Crossing or Level 3 are trying to transform themselves into a metro services company, it’s just that having robust metro networks are a critical component of improving the economics of your business. If every customer that you connect to your network requires an access loop, those charges that you incur for the loop negatively impact the margin of your sale. It is only natural for a company to seek out ways to improve margin by buying suppliers, is it not?

Of course I do… they just had to read previous coverage. The problem really is that of a little ’sliced fiber’ between us and GC 2.0. Hopefully we shall apply a patch, and get the latest information soon to bring it to the readers. Just wondering: if VZ, AT&T, Qwest, XO, Level 3, and Global Crossing are going to be aggressive competitors in the “metro access” space, do you think this will result in price pressure?

Written by Om Malik on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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XO Goes (Fixed) Wireless

Amidst all the hubbub around Sprint Nextel’s wireless plans, the big AWS auction, and megafunding for Clearwire, many overlooked XO Communications as a company sitting on a lot of spectrum, some of it good enough for offering fixed wireless services. The company announced plans to offer metro services in nine markets over its LMDS spectrum. Like you, I also blanched a little when I read this news.

After all, this is the same spectrum that Nextlink, (a company that merged with Concentric to form XO) was trying to use as a last mile solution in the go-go 1990s, competing with the likes of Teligent and Winstar. While technology has improved quite a bit since the 1990s, the issues with the spectrum in the 28 GHz to 31 GHz frequencies haven’t really gone away. By focusing on the cellular backhaul and carrier-to-carrier market, XO hopes to not repeat the mistakes of the past.

The problem is that XO is not the only with that idea. First Avenue Networks (FRNS), a hodgepodge of failed fixed wireless companies and their spectrum, recently bought Fiber Tower to address the same market. First Avenue had $1.3 million in revenues and over $13 million in losses during fiscal 2005 - not exactly a sizzling business.

At the end of second quarter FRNS was still losing money, though the stock has climbed to $7.50 a share, giving the company a market capitalization of over $500 million. (Hmmmm… maybe it is the new magic mantra - wireless broadband!)

In comparison, XO which trades at around $4.50 and market capitalization of over $870 million had sales of $1.43 billion, and a loss of approximately $146 million. The profits are proving elusive for XO in 2006 as well. Hey maybe adding ‘wireless broadband’ will give a little lift to XO’s stock if not their fortunes… thoughts!

Written by Om Malik on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Mobile and Broadband.

Google, eBay and Skype in bed; no sex yet?

Written by Skype Journal on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Skype and VoIP and Google and Business and ebay and skypeout and Skype杂志 and skypejournal and Skype News and Skype Partner Watch and Strategy and Marketing.

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.

Written by ewriter on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Business and Hardware and Phones.

Show Me The Money In VoIP - Yet More Thoughts

Are triple-play services another potential area for VoIP revenue potential? Russell Shaw points to Tom Keating's article about pure VoIP providers (Vonage, etc.) vs cable and DSL VoIP providers. The premise is simple: aren't customers going to be more comfortable giving a company they already know a bit more money, fixed sum, for VoIP services - if it saves them on a large long-distance bill - than giving less money to a company they don't know - or looks bad in the marketplace? I.e., Vonage.

I agree with this assessment, and believe I've already brought it up in the past. Most human beings follow the path of least resistance, and would prefer a minimum of bills arriving in the mail each month. Why wouldn't they want they convenience of a single bill instead of two or three bills from separate companies? It means writing more cheques each month, which of course costs more in bank service fees, etc.

That doesn't mean pure play VoIP providers cannot make a living, but I don't think all the companies in this niche alive today will be around in 2010. Who are you more likely to go with? A company that's been around for at least ten years or a company barely a couple of years old?

Written by ewriter on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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More Hazards To Consider!

First Dell, then Apple and now Black & Decker!

(The woes of manufacturers continue!)

Just received an email from Amazon (where I bought the thing) that my Black & Decker Cordless Electric Lawn Mower "has an electrical component in it that can overheat, posing a fire hazard" (!!!!!!).

Now maybe you don't consider it a gadget (or even a toy), but it sure is neat to tool around the yard cutting the lawn without the roar and pollution of a gas-powered motor (but that threat of fire does dampen my enthusiasm).

(And no, that isn't me in the photo.)

When is it going to stop?

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Written by VoIP & Gadgets Blog on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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Ubiquitous Streaming Video On Your Cell Phone

So, you're walking by a billboard for a new TV show that looks interesting. You want to write down the details, but don't have pen and paper handy. Your head is too full of other things to remember unaided. So what do you do? Pull out your Bluetooth-enabled cell phone or PDA, point it at the billboard, and download a 30-second video clip that has all the information you need. No fumbling for a pen. [via Telecommunications Industry News]

This is a real scenario that the United States' CBS television network has created in some New York City train stations. You can stand up to 36 feet away from these special billboards and download clips, provided you have a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone or PDA. Telly junkies like me will no doubt be happy with such uses of streaming video. I can't count the number of shows I've missed over the years because I dislike watching a new series from the middle, due to missing the first few episodes. I'd rather wait 3-5 years, when it goes into re-run syndication, to watch the series in sequence. [I admit to being a TV junkie, but I do write about media, so it's kind of a necessity.]

This is different, of course, than IPTV (Internet Protocol TV), mobile TV, video VoIP, or VoIP interaction with TV characters. What I'd really like to see, though, is if I could download TV show information from these billboards, then transfer it from my mobile phone to my IPTV setup to let me pre-program my software to record the show to my hard drive. Now that would be a video junkie's dream come true. How long do you think it'll be before someone comes up with this sort of thing, if it's not already available?

Written by ewriter on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Networks and Services and Phones.

Google, eBay Play Nice Over Skype

Just when you thought that eBay and Google were girding for an all out rumble, the two companies decide to bury the hatchet, and play nice. Thanks mostly to Skype, the multi-billion dollar purchase that has yielded little in terms of revenue for auction giant, eBay.

Skype’s current strategy of earning miniscule royalties by licensing its name to hardware makers or earnings pennies of termination minutes might have been great when it was an independent start-up, but as part of a giant like eBay it doesn’t move the needle. After floundering for a game plan, eBay has decided that Skype’s future is going to be “click to call,” that is true to company’s ecommerce DNA.

Skype’s Click-to-call allows you to click a hyperlink, and initiate a call to either a Skype user or use the Skype network to connect to a PSTN phone number. It has become quite popular with bloggers in particular, who embed the Skype Me button on their website.

Skype, wants to leverage its 113 million registered users to become the defacto standard for “click to calls,” Don Albert, North America General Manager for Skype told us in an early morning chat. Skype/eBay had crafted a similar deal with Yahoo previously but that was focused on the US market alone. Skype’s push in this direction can have ramifications for many start-ups who are betting that SIP will be the defacto standard for click to call.

The use of click-to-call is particularly of interest to Google, which has been mucking around with this technology for a while. This deal reflects the slow progress that project. Google and others know that click to call will open up a new source of advertisers, those who don’t have a website but work mostly on the phone.

Still it is too early to say how the click to call business is going to play out. Albert admitted that it is a new behavior and people’s habits will have to change. “Folks are used to clicking on Google and eBay, while Skypers are used to making calls, so I think we have a good shot at making it happen.”

Other Reactions/Analysis to this announcement:

Andy Abramson: Google picks up real estate inside the Skype browser. Since the Skype DevCon in June, I’ve felt that Skype is looking to be more and more an alternative browser, with communications as a focus

Russell Shaw: What this deal tells me not so much between the lines, is that by working up this deal with Skype, Google is signalling relatively modest plans for Google Talk.

Written by Om Malik on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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Google and eBay Announce Major Connectivity Agreement

Written by Skype Journal on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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What’s New Today: Kaboodle, et cetera

Social bookmarking site Kaboodle is finally adding shopping comparison prices, among a bunch of upgrades for Tuesday. Price comparison will start with products in the Shopping.com API, but could be expanded to travel and healthcare, Kaboodle CEO Manish Chandra said in an interview Monday.

The company will also start offering multiple ways for users to display their collections (especially on other sites like their blogs and MySpace profiles), including a slideshow Flash widget, a drag-and-drop-type collage layout Flash widget, as well as a calendar view for travel planning. Kaboodle is making a big effort to appeal to non-geeks, but mom and pop are far from arriving en masse. The company has seen 50,000 users — that’s registered users — since launching nearly a year ago.

Elsewhere:

• Blinkx has tied up a deal to power video search on Lycos. The startup seems to be regularly making partnerships, but nothing headline-worthy: TotalVid, Trouble Homegrown, the History Channel UK… Interestingly, Blinkx recently partnered with AOL — despite the fact the portal just bought its own video search company, Truveo — for a kid-oriented site called StudyBuddy.com.
• SimpleSeating.com: Web 2.0 for…uh…seating charts. The current site (scheduled to launch by the end of the month) says you’ll have to pay at least $25 for events with more than 50 people.

Written by Liz Gannes on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software 2.0 and Startups.

New Jersey Economic Development Authority Invests in Ranch Networks

Note: Having talking with the Ranch Network people, I am very happy to hear this.  They have some nice high end hardware devices.

Ranch Networks, provider of networking appliances designed to facilitate carrier and enterprise grade VoIP deployments, today announced it has received $1 million in funding from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority's (NJEDA's) Techniuum Initiative. The funding further establishes Ranch Networks' credibility and continued growth in the IP telephony industry.

"It is always exciting to watch an emerging business develop and succeed in New Jersey and we are pleased that Ranch Networks will use our Techniuum investment to meet its growth needs and move its technology forward," said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Caren S. Franzini. "The broad resources the NJEDA makes available under Techniuum support Governor Corzine's initiatives to encourage the location and growth of technology and life sciences companies and related jobs in New Jersey. Early-stage and advanced companies can learn more about Techniuum by visiting www.njedatechniuum.com."

Ranch Networks' technology is designed to work with leading IP PBXs and supports all sizes of enterprise and carrier deployments. In January, Ranch Networks launched its RN series of appliances and the first security code for Asterisk, the open source PBX. Ranch Networks' IP PBX controlled appliances provide dynamic, protocol independent, per-call authenticated network access. This unique approach both simplifies and increases network security, scalability, and reliability.

The NJEDA is an independent, self-sustaining state financing and development agency that works to promote economic growth, job creation and the revitalization of New Jersey's communities with financing assistance, technical support and entrepreneurial training, and real estate development activities. Techniuum provides a continuum of customized, streamlined, long-term support to technology and life sciences companies as they advance through their life cycle of growth and expand their products and services. Through this innovative initiative, the NJEDA can assist with financing, angel and lease guarantees, access to venture capital and incentive tools as well as affordable office, laboratory and production facilities.

"The NJEDA recognized the potential in VoIP," said Ram Ayyakad founder and CEO of Ranch Networks. "As a result, NJEDA identified Ranch Networks as an integral part of the IP telephony industry. The funding will help us continue to advance our product offerings and expand our team."

Written by Dal on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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Google and eBay kiss and make up. More soon.

Written by Skype Journal on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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Internet Ghana Announces Nationwide Rollout of Pre Mobile WiMAX

"With high consumer demand, poor DSL access and long customer connection times Ghana is absolutely ready for mass market, rapid install, broadband wireless services," said Leslie Tamakloe, CEO, Internet Ghana. "We will be first to market across the whole of Ghana, beginning in the capital Accra followed by the regional capitals and commercial towns."

Internet Ghana's plans are to cover the capital Accra and the ten largest commercial cities such as Tamale, Kumasi and Tema in the first phase. The CPE's will be offered at retail outlets and Internet Ghana will also have direct sales.

"The ability to easily access broadband services plus the freedom that personal broadband offers will be a winning combination to customers in Ghana," said Roger Dorf, president and chief executive officer of Navini Networks. "Our leadership in 802.16e with Smart WiMAX(TM) will also ensure that Internet Ghana maintains a competitive advantage in the market."

Navini is the only vendor to offer Smart WiMAX: Mobile WiMAX with smart beamforming enabled. Navini's Ripwave(TM) MX platform has a seamless upgrade to mobile WiMAX 802.16e, the next-generation global wireless standard, enabling consumers to be able to enjoy all the benefits of true personal broadband.

About Internet Ghana:

INTERNET GHANA is a registered and licensed Internet Service Provider (ISP), incorporated in 1995 for the provision of Internet services in Ghana and the West African Sub-Region. This was achieved in partnership with InternetMCI, NY and UUNET, which made the company a leading Internet Service Provider in the country in 1996.

Written by Dal on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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Chumby - Your WiFi Touchscreen Friend

 

Chumby's team of hardware hackers wanted this device to be fun and open, the anti-iPod. While iPod has a clean look and expensive molded plastic, it's not very accessible. The Chumby is meant to be personalized. If you're crafty, you can redesign it with a seam ripper; if you're a hacker, it's all open source inside.

Click Here for more Information 

Written by Dal on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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Flickr, Maps, Local… it’s a Yahoo Mashup

Yahoo today will tie together a bunch of its properties — Flickr, Yahoo Maps, Upcoming, and Yahoo Local. These are natural and powerful combinations of existing projects and acquisitions, and of course the question is what took Yahoo so long.

First up, Flickr photos can now be geo-tagged via a drag-and-drop interface with Yahoo Maps. Users can make map mashups out of photosets to share with small groups or everyone on Flickr. This is competition for Platial, 43places, Flagr, et cetera.

The Flickr-location combo also brings stalking to a whole new level, with the ability to search by tag, text, time, group, and location — Yahoo’s example is “photos taken at the In-and-Out in Mountain View in the last 20 minutes.”

In addition, Yahoo’s Upcoming.org, previously driven by user submissions, will now incorporate events from Yahoo Local. Flickr will also add links to Upcoming alongside photos tagged for a particular event.

What’s next, Yahoo? How about some presence integration via Yahoo Instant Messenger?

Written by Liz Gannes on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software 2.0.

Mad4Milk: Should Have Bet the Farm

A couple days ago we pointed to Mooglets widgets, the creation of Rome-based Mad4Milk.net. It was a neat product made on the cheap, so we joked, “somebody give these guys some millions!” Today we are shocked to learn that Mad4Milk has been acquired by Freewebs. The web host says it will repackage Mad4Milk’s JavaScript effects library, offering developer community site “Freewebs Farms,” and soon a widget library. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. To be fair, based on the URL of Mooglets (mooglets.freewebsfarms.com) we had, it looks like the deal may have happened before we took note of the company.

Written by Liz Gannes on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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CordGo Wraps It Up! No More Tangles!

Here's another gadget that I wished I had inverted -- it's simply called Cordgo, and in a way that is what is does (or enables you to do).

A one hand-operated cord adjustment and storage accessory, Cordgo's durable, lightweight design fits in the palm of your hand to deliver cord control.

No more dangling iPod cords, cell phone cords, MP3 player cords; in fact, any cord up to 3mm in diameter.

Cordgo was designed to perform as an integral component between cord and digital device so it adjusts the cord automatically to "the perfect length."

It eliminates the tangling and physical interference of a cord and can be clipped to your belt, arm band, key chain, car visor, bag or slipped it in your pocket.

MSRP: $9.95 (and now with a "buy one, get one free" offer, plus free decals that can be affixed to the face of the cover)

www.cordgo.com

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Written by VoIP & Gadgets Blog on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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Web Apps Developer Wanted

Got another hiring IÂ’m trying to help someone out on. This is for a fast-growing IP operator in Western Canada. TheyÂ’re building out their developer team to help create cool apps for the enterprise and SMB market. Sounds like a great opportunity and a pretty nice quality of life environment. Drop me a line if you want to know more.

Written by Jon Arnold's Blog on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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Next Up: Google Browser?

Written by Mark Evans on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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Google Finally Unveils Office 2.0

After much braying from the sidelines, Google watchers are finally getting what they wanted with the launch of an Web-based productivity suite. According to InformationWeek, Google will unveil Google Apps, which will feature e-mail, calendar, instant messaging and Web site creation services. Later this year, it will also include word processing (Writely), spreadsheet and collaboration features, and start selling the package for a fee to corporate users. Apparently, Google doesn't want to go head to head with Microsoft. Instead - and I find this difficult to believe - little, old Google wants to grab foothold with corporate users by offering tools so that people can open Office documents shared on the Web. That does not seem to make much sense given most corporate computers have Office installed. You have to believe Google wants a chunk of the lucrative Office market that Microsoft has dominated for far too long. With broadband becoming more ubiquitous and Web-based services increasingly accepted, Google must see the multi-billion dollar productivity market as a natural vehicle to drive revenue beyond its Golden Goose, AdSense. Over time, I can easily see lots of people adopt Google Office as their primarily productivity suite given documents can be accessed from any computer connected to the Web. It will also help that it appears Google Apps will be free for individuals, and I suspect reasonably price for business users.
   Reaction across the blogosphere as been refreshingly pragmatic.ZDNet's Dan Farber said business users aren't going to "defect" from Office or other products overnight, and that Microsoft is developing its own suite of hosted Windows Live applications. "But, there is disruption in the air, and the Microsoft Office monopoly is definitely going to face a major competitive threat in the near future," he said. Read/Write Web offers up a nice list of Office alternatives. Scott Karp doesn't buy into the idea Google is not aiming to butt heads with Microsoft. "It’s so plainly obvious that Google wants to take over the enterprise software market from Microsoft and the rest of the old guard — the question is not IF but HOW, i.e. what’s the business model? Will Google use enterprise software as a Trojan horse for advertising inside the corporate firewall, or will they fall back on the old model of licensing fees?". Paul Kedrosky, who has tried and been impressed with Google Apps, said Google new suite is "mostly directed at people sending "Enterprise 2.0" business plans my way: If you're thinking of doing something squarely in Google's enterprise-lusting aim you need to ask yourself one question only: Why? What makes you think that you can do it so much better than Google can that the inevitable free Google Apps product doesn't kick your ass out of the office market?" It's an interesting comment given his VC firm, Ventures West, recently made a first-round investment in DabbleDB, online spreadsheet service.

Written by Mark Evans on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Google and Microsoft and Web 2.0 and Main Page.

How good do people feel using Skype?

Written by Skype Journal on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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Internet Backbone Consolidation Continues…

Having atoned for its past sins, Global Double Crossing is back in the growth mode, and says it will buy FiberNet, a metro area network provider for about $96.1 million. It is no different from a recent buying spree by Level 3 Communications. Level 3 is trying to transform itself from a pure vanilla backbone provider to a more metro services company. That’s where the money is for now. Just a quick rundown of what has transpired since the telecom bubble burst in 2001.

New Level 3 = Level 3 + Looking Glass + WilTel Communications + Progress Telecom

New Qwest = Qwest + OnFiber

Verizon = Verizon + MCI

New AT&T = SBC + BellSouth (pending) + AT&T

Tata Telecom =  VSNL + Teleglobe + Tyco

Reliance Communications = Reliance + FLAG Telecom

I am sure I am missing some, so let me know.

Written by Om Malik on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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What’s New Today: Dash, et cetera

Dash Navigation, an auto navigation device maker, comes out of stealth Monday. The company had previously been called Circumnav Networks and had admitted it was building “a social network of traffic data” at one time, though a lot has happened since the project began three years ago. Dash is to unveil its device and service at the September DEMO conference. The company is keeping details hush-hush till then, but it is letting us say that the product will involve real-time two-way communication to deliver traffic flow updates, routing advice, and local destination information.

Dash is well funded and well pedigreed, with $17 million from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Sequoia Capital, and Skymoon Ventures, and a team from the automotive, navigation, wireless, networking, and consumer electronics industries. The company is supposed to launch in California at the beginning of next year. Less than 7 percent of U.S. cars have GPS navigation, according to CJ Driscoll & Associates, but the market is growing by leaps and bounds.

“I don’t think we will have any trouble selling the first 10,000 to the engineers at Google and Yahoo,” joked Dash CEO Paul Lego last week. We will tell you more about the product after we go for a test drive next month. More product launches and company announcements (written by Om):

• Zumaa.com: Photo sharing, classifieds, social features wrapped in an AJAX interface. Yup, another one of those.

• Pinppl.com, a social network for Blackberry users. Dave Winer, listen up!

• Interaction Chat, from Auriance, is a free AJAX-based chat application for blog owners.

• Blipstar, a quick way to add store locater to an commerce website using Google Maps. It’s a utility, not a company.

Written by Liz Gannes on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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In Zend (And PHP) We Invest

Only the very brave can pick winners amongst the current crop of Web 2.0 start-ups, social networks and other sundry services. And whatever the outcome might be, it is safe to say that the popularity of open source database MySQL and programming language PHP will only increase.

That should explain why Zend Technologies, a Cupertino-based start-up closely tied to the PHP language and community, managed to raise $20 million in Series D funding. Greylock Partners, one of the more aggressive investors in Web 2.0, led the round. Existing investors Azure Capital Partners, Index Ventures, Intel Capital, Platinum Venture Capital, SAP Ventures and Walden Israel Venture Capital also participated in this round. The company has so far raised $36.7 million. [Many of Zend’s investors have also invested in MySQL AB, the company behind the open source MySQL database.]

Zend offers a PHP-related development environment and sells products such as the Zend Platform, and the Zend Studio, used by developers to write web applications.The new money will be spent to build a sales force and beef up the support and services arm of the company. Zend is following the trajectory adopted by other open source companies, which started out life as projects, and were embraced by the enthusiasts, but then transitioned to support-and-services model in order to tackle the more lucrative enterprise market.

In 1997, Zeev Suraski and Andi Gutmans, two Israeli developers and students at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology iwrote the parser behind Rasmus Lerdorf’s PHP-FI, which was later released as PHP3.

A year later they rewrote the parser completely and called it the Zend Engine. In 1999 they started Zend, and since then the company’s growth has closely tracked the growing popularity of PHP.

PHP is now the bedrock for household names such as Yahoo and Facebook, and has seriously challenged Java as a development environment. Nearly 20 million domains use PHP, according to data collected by Netcraft. The TIOBE Programming Community Index shows that it is the fifth most popular development environment.

“The real challenge is to grow the business fast enough, and the new funding is going to help us with that,” says Andi Gutmans, cofounder and vice president of technology. He pointed out that PHP was becoming extremely popular in the enterprise. “As our enterprise business grows, we need to build a high level services and support organization.” Zend wants to expand aggressively in overseas markets in Europe and Asia. France, for instance is actively promoting open source solutions for its government projects, and so are other European nations.

Zend’s offerings include Zend Platform, Zend Studio and several other PHP related products. The focus on services and support is a sensible move for the company, since its core offerings are being challenged by some other open source PHP tools such as Eclipse (free) and cheaper offerings such as Text Mate. “From the very beginning, PHP has been a language of web development, and we have never tried to be anything different,” he says. “That is the sole reason why PHP is growing in popularity.” Gutmans says that PHP was initially a two-tier architecture, but now a third tier is emerging in the shape of AJAX and web services on the client side. The company will enhance its architecture to work more closely with these new technologies, for instance, building closer links with Dojo and the Zend Framework. “We have to in order to help build modern web applications.”

[If you are looking for a good overview of the state of PHP, Niall has links to a talk Rasmus Lerdorf gave at OSCON earlier this year. (Slide show is here.) Lerdorf talks about PHP5 and how it is the key ingredient of modern web apps.]

Written by Om Malik on August 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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