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PIKA Technologies has come out with a channel driver to allow connectivity between the Asterisk PBX and Skype. The driver will allow applications based on Asterisk to leverage Skype to make and receive calls, with value added caller ID and DTMF detection capabilities. AllOnHost, host-based voice processing technology from PIKA, is used to connect Skype users with Windows OS to the channel driver.
Leading by example, PIKA has deployed its own product in its office PBX system. Customers of the Canadian company can now use Skype to call in free of charge from any location in the world.
The driver is part of the PIKA Connect product line, and is scheduled for a November release. Asterisk being one of the most sought-after open source VoIP systems in use today, this new product from PIKA should fly off the shelf like hotcakes!
Meanwhile, if you are in anyway involved in the development or usage of Asterisk and also game to run Beta trials, PIKA is looking for you. Get in touch with David Clarke at david.clarke@pikatech.com or skype: davidclarkepika.
Written by pushpa27 on October 6th, 2006 with no comments.
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Check out this ingenius piece of communications design: a computer mouse, from a company called Sysgration,
with a flip-up sectio n that reveals a Skype USB phone. Will it work,
in terms of long-term usability? Let's hope it doesn't have speed-dial.
Sorry, ma, just surfing er... some websites. This, by the way, is not
what is meant by click-to-call VoIP. Sysgration also has several other
similiar mouse phones, including one that doesn't look anything like a mouse.
While reports are that the phone provides a clear voice, personally, I'm not so keen on this mouse phone idea. (USB phones are becoming a crowded market, and there are other mouse phones
already.) I hope there's an auto cutoff, else my nose or lips will be
surfing the net for me. And if you've ever seen the dirt and lint that
collects on a mouse, you won't want one of these near your face. Not
exactly hygenic. Then again, research shows that all cell phones
harbour some pretty nasty critters. Why make it worse?
Also,
from an usability standpoint, why double up functionality? I'm not
James Bondrock (sorry, watching too much Flintstones cartoons), so I
hope they don't decide to do the same thing with the mouse/ pen of
sketch tablets. I have the space for both a mouse and a phone and don't
need them combined.
Written by ewriter on September 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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The VON Conference held in Boston saw Paragon Wireless remove the wraps on a Windows Mobile 5.0 dual-mode phone that doubles as a regular quad-band GSM/GPRS handset and a phone that can handle SIP VoIP calls. The wireless handset and solutions provider has christened the handset hipi-2200, which it claims is the first such model in the world.
Proud owners can use it not only as a mobile phone, but also for calls to other phones on an organization’s WLAN. The device has all the features associated with a high-end mobile phone, besides providing seamless transitions between cellular and 802.11g networks and between the WLAN’s access points.
Written by pushpa27 on September 28th, 2006 with no comments.
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Paragon Wireless is announcing what they claim is the world's first SIP-based dual-mode [MS Mobiles] Wi-Fi and GSM cellular
phone that runs on a Windows Mobile 5.0 handset. Cool. except they're
calling it the "hipi-2200". It appears that they're aiming this handset
at enterpise, and pushing the fact that workers can access email and
web, play MP3/ MP4 audio/ video files, has camcorder/ recorder
features, receive and review pictures, and more. The Li-ion battery
lasts for four hours of talk time or 100 hours standby, and both
network modes operate simultaneously. While the phone claims roaming
features, there is no indication of whether it has UMA
(Unlicensed Mobile Access) features, where the phone can transfer an
initiated call from one network to the other, in both directions.
Written by ewriter on September 25th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Wireless and Hardware.
Click-To-Call Market Growing
The click-to-call VoIP market appears to be growing
and even enjoying acquistions. For example, Art Technology Group's
acquisition of eStara. Click-to-call refers to the ability to initiate
a VoIP phone call from software other than a soft phone. One big click-to-call partnership announced recently is that of Google and eBay (parent company of Skype).
Dual-Mode Voip WiFi Phones To Exceed 300M Units
With
the growing number of municipal Wi-Fi projects and the increase in the
number of public wireless hotspots, it's not surprising that ABI
Research thinks that, by 2011, the number of worldwide shipments
of dual-mode phones will exceed 300M units. In this case, dual-mode
refers to phones that offer both cellular calling and VoIP over Wi-Fi
(VoWiFi) calling. Wireless VoIP is expected to be rapidly growing subniche of IP communications.
VoIP Not Batting 1.000?
Carolyn
Schuk has an interesting look at VoIP service flaws and proves her
point that VoIP's not all there yet, despite all the great features
promised. One great point that she makes, and which hadn't occurred to
me, is that sometimes, all people really want is to be able to make a
phone call. They won't care about all the extras VoIP offers,
especially when there are are still QoS (quality of service) problems for a simple call. [via Voxilla]
Written by ewriter on September 21st, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software and Wireless and Hardware.
Yesterday, I reflected briefly on Alarm.com's signing of SunRocket as a partner, who follow Vonage, the first to sign. Like other competitors InnovAlarm and NextAlarm,
Alarm.com offers home security alarm services using VoIP for the
communications component. Garrett Smith thinks that this sort of
additional VoIP-based service might give pure play VoIP providers such
as SunRocket and Vonage a bit more competitive edge, by offering their own "triple play" of services, compared to broadband providers.
While
I vaguely said something similar, I still feel that cable providers
have the edge, especially considering that Alarm.com is target this
type of VoIP provider next for partners. PhoneBoy weighs in, basically
agreeing, and says any advantage will be minimal because pure plays won't be offering anything unique.
That
doesn't mean that there isn't any market for pure play VoIP. Anyone who
does not have or want a computer (there are such people) might prefer
to opt for a service such as Vonage, were they forced to change from
traditional telephony. Or simply want to save on long-distance calls.
Written by ewriter on September 21st, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Vonage and Networks and Services and Hardware and Residential.
Alarm.com, a home security service that uses VoIP as a means of
communication, signed their second partner, SunRocket. Earlier this
year, they announced their first partnership with Vonage. [via PC Mag] Vonage recently announced that they would be providing optional VoIP installations
courtesy of a third party. Now if Vonage is smart (or maybe
Alarm.com?), they'll work out a package deal for customers whereby they
can have both their VoIP and Alarm.com's security system installed
simultaneously.
While both current partners are "pure play" VoIP
providers, Alarm.com is also aiming at partnerships with ISPs next.
ISPs, of course, offer "triple play" services: television programming,
Internet access, and VoIP. The PC Mag article talks about quad-tier
services, which would include cellular phone service, and refers to
Alarm.com's service as being like a fifth tier for ISPs.
A similar VoIP-based security alarm service is being offered by InnovAlarm, who will be getting US$10M in venture capital.
Written by ewriter on September 20th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Vonage and Networks and Services and Hardware and Residential.
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.
Written by ewriter on September 19th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Vonage and Business and Hardware.
I'm linking to Russell Shaw again: he points to Tom Keating's recent frustrating experience trying to move his Vonage phone number
to his cable provider. Tom encountered technical problems as well as
what he believes are political issues. I'm not entirely clear what he
did finally with the phone number, but he did get fed up and dropped
his cable provider to go with a more flexible company. Good for you,
Tom! Read his article for a synopsis to determine under which scenarios
you can move your phone number around between VoIP providers.
While
I do 98% of my calling on soft VoIP clients or sometimes my cellphone,
I haven't yet signed up for a VoIP phone number. I did, however, get a
free call-in number when I signed up for the Hullo
VoIP service - which is like a combo of Jajah and Skype. I was actually
able to call my computer from my cell phone with it, and as far as I
was able to tell, the quality was pretty good. I didn't try it yet, but
I'm sure that I could call my Hullo client from Skype this way.
As
for cable providers, I have one and only one option because of where I
live. But I suppose if I wanted to have VoIP over cable using a regular
handset, I could get an adapter and plug my broadband connection
through it. Why unnecessarily pay for an additional service I won't
need? I'm a very nomadic person and have lost track of how many phone
numbers have been registered under my name over 15 years, and in how
many cities. I need some sort of global, portable calling number, which
only soft VoIP seems able to support at present. Any such number will
always work no matter where I am.
What you ultimately
choose for your VoIP service will depend on your options and your
needs. I work all day at two computers, so I don't need/ want to pick
up a phone handset unless necessary. (Haven't owned a landline in about
10 years now.) But for people who want the convenience of a regular
phone and the low price of VoIP calls, and who have a broadband
connection, a plug'n'play adapter is probably your best best.
If you're prone to being nomadic like myself, check to make sure that
you'll be able to transfer your phone number. Ask three different
people at the VoIP provider you've selected, and if you don't get
consistent answers, run away. Or for convenience, consider a triple-play
package from a cable provider. The bigger they are, the more likely
they'll be able to pull strings to port the number to your new location.
Written by ewriter on September 6th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Networks and Services and Hardware and Residential.
Laser Corporation, a leading manufacturer and supplier of optical media products an personal computer accessories, has launched a new VoIP keyboard. The new keyboard features a built in USB sound controller that drives the onboard stereo speakers and microphone without the need for installing drivers. Easy access to headphone/microphone ports located on the keyboard eliminates the need for having to reach around the back of your computer to switch between the speaker and headset. The keyboard features 116 keys and incorporates productivity shortcuts for the most common Microsoft Office applications, hot keys for launching browser/email and multimedia controls.
To know more about VoIP products, read our post titled "VoIP Speaker Phones with Speakables".
Written by Sagar on August 29th, 2006 with no comments.
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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.
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.
Written by ewriter on August 25th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Skype and Networks and Business and Hardware.
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]
Written by ewriter on August 24th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Business and Hardware and Residential.
I've gone over VoIP call quality issues a couple of times, including tips for improving quality.
To reinforce some of those tips, here's my latest experience. I
recently set up a wireless router at home, configured over my cable
Internet service. Because I'm still having access problems on my
laptop, I decided to start working off my desktop.
The desktop
has dual processors and 1 Gb of RAM memory, and under a gigabyte of
hard drive space left on C: drive. The laptop has a single processor
and 512 Mb of RAM and at least 8 Gb of hard drive space on C: Both
computers are running Windows XP Home edition.
I've only made
two Skype calls from the desktop computer to a landline phone, but from
the comment of the one person that answered, it seems that call quality
is far better than similar calls from my laptop. I should point out
that my current Internet connection is also faster than what I used for
my earlier calls on the laptop. But even with my current wireless
connection fluctuating in speed, call quality is better.
I also
found that you do not need to use headphones, provided that you have a
directional microphone that won't pick up the audio from your speakers.
(I'm still using my $1 microphone. I'm amazed at how well it's
performed so far.)
So to summarize, to maximize your VoIP call
quality, use a fast computer with lots of RAM, and a fast Internet
connection. If you're directly wired to the Internet via cable or DSL,
that's probably better. But a wireless router configured to cable works
fairly well, too. As for having a dual processor, it's not necessarily
going to make a difference because not all software is designed to take
advantage of it. My observation while running processor-intensive
programs is that one processor will be closed to maxed out, and the
other will be relatively idle. Win XP doesn't necessarily balance
processor load.
Written by ewriter on August 23rd, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Skype and Software and Wireless and Hardware.
Peopleline Inc. opened their
first VoIP store in Vancouver, Canada recently, choosing a high
foot-traffc area of Main St. They feel that potential customers would
probably like to ask questions as well as actually handle products
(such as phones, adapters, etc.) before purchasing. They have plans to
open more stores. [via Trans World News]
There are a number of online stores, such as VoIP Supply,
but this is the first I've heard of a bricks and mortar store dedicated
to VoIP products. It differs by country, but people likely feel more
comfortable buying products of new technologies in person. Anyone
running boutique electronics stores should take notice of this. Besides
system integration, hardware (adapters, phones, etc.) is one of the areas in the VoIP market that is expected to turn a profit.
Written by ewriter on August 22nd, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Hardware and Phones.
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.
Written by ewriter on August 22nd, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software and Networks and Business and Hardware.
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.
Written by ewriter on August 21st, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software and Services and Business and Solutions and Hardware.
It’s a mouse! No, it’s a phone! No, it’s both! Trust Sony to come up with an innovative combination; the inventor of the once-famous walkman has rolled a mouse and an Internet phone into one package. Can we call it a talking mouse and name it Mickey or Minnie depending on one’s sexual preference?
The new device resembles a desktop mouse, but opens up like an oyster to reveal the phone for VoIP interactions. Speakerphone options, blue lights that shine when a call comes in, a ringer than can be turned on/off, a wheel that can be used to mute/raise/lower call volume and also dial numbers – these are a few features of the phone.
The mouse is your regular tailless one connected to any computer; it’s compatible with Microsoft Windows, is extremely accurate, has a high resolution of 800 dpi, and comes equipped with a scroll wheel that eliminates the need for an onscreen scroll bar.
For the fashion conscious, Mickey or Minnie comes in an assortment of colors.
Written by pushpa27 on August 18th, 2006 with no comments.
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Three new VoIP phones have been unveiled by Logitech – the Logitech QuickCall USB Speakerphone, the Skype-certified Logitech Cordless Internet Handset and the Logitech Cordless Headset for PC and Mobile Phones. While the speakerphone promises echo-free calls, the cordless and Bluetooth-compatible phones offer conversations without wire-connectivity. The cordless handset supports all calling functions from Skype. All three models are retail priced at $99.99 and will be available in the United States from October. TMC Net reports:
Logitech also announced an alliance with Skype today. The companies joined forces to introduce the Logitech EasyCall Desktop. The two companies have plans to jointly market the European version of the Logitech EasyCall Desktop throughout regional promotions to both Logitech and Skype customers.
Written by pushpa27 on August 18th, 2006 with no comments.
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Ted Wallingford says that others who will make money on VoIP are integrators/ consultants. [Note: Ted Wallingford's VoIP Weblog is moving over to Download Squad. You should also check out his (brief) thoughts about Adam Fisk's dislike of Skype's closed system. (Warning: Adam's article is of a fairly technical nature.)]
Or the money might be in VoIP-based phone booths. [via Andy Abramson's VoIP Watch] Of course, as Andy points out, with so many Municipal Wi-Fi projects going on, could something like payVoIP work?
According to a Synergy Research Group report, IP phones enjoyed a 50+ percent growth over the past year, and nearly 25% growth just from Q1 to Q1 2006. [via eWeek] This supports the idea that the money in VoIP is in the aftermarket. That's my stand and I'm sticking with it.
Written by ewriter on August 17th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software and Services and Hardware and Phones.
Om Malik wrote a great speculative piece at GigaOm on who'll make money in VoIP.
(There's even a poll question, if you want to put in your two cents
worth.) As Om says, with Wi-Fi, any profits made were made mostly by
hardware makers (e.g. Linksys, D-Link, Netgear etc.) and chip makers.
It
makes sense then that something similar may happen with VoIP, espcially
considering how many free services there are. As proof of at least a
similar attempt, look at who is offering VoIP hardware and phones. Linksys, Netgear, D-Link, and others, of course.
While
some of the offerings are a bit pricey - normal for new consumer
gadgets - I would assume their collective market research teams did
enough homework to determine that someone would actually, given the
number of products released.
It all supports my own hypothesis
so far that people don't want to pay for intangibles such as soft VoIP,
but are more than happy to spend $200-300 on a Skype Wi-Fi phone.
Written by ewriter on August 16th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Hardware.
Efonica,
Fusion Telecommunications' global VoIP service now has over 400,000
subscribers since their launch two months ago. Fusion announced this
week that they added 150,000 subscribers in the last two weeks alone.
(Their consumer, business, and government clients are distributed in
over 100 countries.)
The Efonica
service allows users to make free calls using Fusion's SIP adapter.
Calls can be made from any combination of PCs, internet phones and
regular phones. Fusion recently filed for a VoIP patent for their DSP (Directed SIP Peer-to-Peer) technology.
Written by ewriter on August 16th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Services and Hardware.
Until now, we have heard how VoIP is making its way into mobile phones, headsets and PDAs. Now Logitech has provided another dimension to VoIP technology by launching a new VoIP-optimized keyboard. Is it the beginning of a new revolution? The introduction of VoIP on the desktop keyboard will definitely usher a revolutionary change in how people can communicate through their PC. Logitech's EasyCall Desktop, priced at $129.99 has come to the market as a dream product. Logitech claims that the EasyCall Desktop keyboard is the world's first combination of a mouse, keyboard, headset and speakerphone.
According to ABC News -
EasyCall Desktop is optimized for use with Internet calling applications such as Skype, Yahoo! Messenger with Voice, AOL's AIM. The keyboard also provides one-touch access to other PC applications and a media panel to control digital music in applications such as Apple's iTunes and Windows Media Player.
Written by Sagar on August 14th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Hardware.
GN Netcom is a well-known name in the field of hands-free audio solutions. Recently, it has announced its latest family of wireless office headsets that included VoIP capabilities. The headsets include the GN 9350, GN 9330 and GN 9330 USB. The GN 9350 is the first fully converged wireless office headset that offers both traditional and IP telephony. The new GN 9300 series addresses the evolution of communication system. It offers solutions to meet the needs of both standard telephony and IP telephony.
The GN 9350 is the first wireless headset to offer Digital Signal Processing (DSP). It has a wideband audio with a 6.8 kHz audio bandwidth for IP telephony. The DSP filters background noise and adjusts incoming audio levels to maintain a safe and consistent volume throughout the call. The product seems very interesting. However, we can give right feedback only after using it.
Written by Sagar on August 14th, 2006 with no comments.
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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.
Written by ewriter on August 14th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Networks and Business and Solutions and Hardware.
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]
Written by ewriter on August 14th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Services and Business and Hardware.
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.
Written by ewriter on August 10th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Services and Business and Hardware and Residential.
Jeff Pulver (Pulvermedia) and Paul Kaputska have just launched Vonosphere,
a website dedicated to voice- and video-on-net news. Jeff is a very
proactive person who writes letters to politicians regarding issues
such as net neutrality. Congrats to both of you on the new site. [via IP Inferno]
The pricey (US$350) new Mylo from Sony, like the HyunWon Boxon, is a combo consumer electronics gadget. But it actually has VoIP, in the form of Skype. [Sony via Engadget, The VoIP Weblog]
Vonage has come up with a way to offer real e-911 access to their customers. The service ties the caller's phone number with a phsyical address. [via Xchange Mag]
Cindy Waxer of TMC Net says that VoIP job opportunities abound.
So, she says, forget about become a doctor or lawyer. Apparently, the
second-fastest growing occupation is in the area of network systems and
data communication analysis, right through to 2014. Job numbers will
increase by 55%.
VoIP in the enterprise to date relies on WANs (Wide-Area Networks),
but deployment's been a headache for some network managers. That's
because VoIP is a demanding application in terms of network usage and
traffic patterns. [via TMC Net] An alternative is to deploy VoIP over MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) networks.
Written by ewriter on August 9th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Skype and Wireless and Networks and Services and Hardware and Residential.
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]
Written by ewriter on August 7th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Networks and Business and Hardware and Netmeeting.
Here's a summary of some of the VoIP-related PR we've received recently.
Actiontec Electronics and Azlan have signed a distributor agreement for the Actiontec's VoSKY
family of Skype-certified products. Azlan serves resellers in UK and
Ireland. VoSKY products include: Chatterbox (plug'n'play USB
speakerphone for Skype), Internet Phone Wizard (PSTN/ Skype multiplexer for traditional handsets), Call Center
(extends Skype to mobile phones), and VoSKY Exchange (a PBX add-on that
multiplexes PSTN/ Skype calls for all phones in an office).
These
Actiontec products have already been out on the market for some time. I
haven't seen any of them in action, but I'm salivating. Could call
center really work on my frustrating Treo 650 (on a CDMA carrier,
1xEV-DO)? VoSKY Exchange could be just the thing to make SOHO/ SMB
owners salivate. This information was sent to us by a PR agency, but if
anyone associated with VoSKY is reading this, feel free to to send some
of this stuff over for, uh, testing. Yeah, that's it. And review, of
course.
VoiceOneT is now offering the VoIP-related Click4Me.Net web service. Registration is free, and registered members can talk free from any combo of phone, mobile, or IP phone. Visit Click4Me or Labs.VoiceOne. There is also Click2Me for cell phone users, which requires registration at Click4Me first, and provides a web interface.
Click4Me works similar to a service like Jajah.
Unlike Jajah (as far as I'm aware), you can show your availability
status. Users can also keep their phone numbers private, block specific
callers, or reqire special PINs (Personal Identification Number).
Apparently you can also embed the service into web pages, web ads, and
emails through the use a hyperlink. The email thing sounds like a great
killer app.
Written by ewriter on August 4th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Skype and Software and Services and Hardware.
IP communications equipment manufacturer Zultys has shut down operations at its Silicon Valley plant from July 26. But founder Iain Milnes asserts that this is just a temporary setback. The company will continue to sell and support its products all over the world, he maintains. A shortage in capital has forced Zultys to cut back on staff, but there were a few hopeful offers, he added.
The company was in the news a few weeks ago for the release of its four new VoIP phones.
Written by pushpa27 on August 4th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Hardware.
Softphones – that’s the term being used for the multimedia applications that allow you to connect to other computers using VoIP telephony services. They come complete with number buttons, displays and address books, just like higher-end telephones or mobile phones.
They’re handy, no doubt, especially when you are on the move, when you want to keep track of call times and rates, when you want to integrate to customer relationship databases and others, when you maintain call lists that you share with colleagues, search phone records, import call information and track activities without synchronizing personal digital assistants (PDAs) and computers. Softphones are also easy to install and use.
But there’s also a downside to using these soft phones, especially when you’re used to the familiarity of traditional phones. Additionally, they are hardware-dependent, that is, if your computer is down, you have no chance to put that call across. Another headache is the voice quality over the headsets.
All said and done, organizations should base the switch from traditional phones to softphones depending on company need, employee preference and the IT budget.
Written by pushpa27 on August 4th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Hardware.
If you are interested in the VoIP hardware market, here’s news for you. There are two new VoIP switches available from Foundry Networks that allow PoE and system power distribution to function independently. The switches, FastIron SX800 and SX1600, are designed using dual power distribution features. A policy-based network access control, an IP source guard, dynamic ARP inspection, and a DHCP snooping shield provide adequate security for the switches. IP Telephony reports:
The switches feature redundant power, 10/10/1000 Mbps PoE and hardware based low latency switching and routing, 1:1 redundant management, dual load-sharing switch modules, redundant fans and N+1 redundant modules for system and PoE power.
Written by pushpa27 on July 30th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Hardware.
Michael Kanellos sums up the value of using RebTel's VoIP service
very nicely: instead of losing your unused monthly cell phone minutes,
use them in international or other long-distance calls using RebTel.
They create a bridge service by creating a dedicated local number that
saves the caller long distance charges. For $1/week, that's not bad if
you tend to put off long-distance calls because of cost.
BT (British Telecom) has been laying out plans to get into the internet telephony business (i.e., VoIP). They're looking to have one million internet phone customers in the next year. The company was formerly a monopoly and originally concerned about VoIP, but has changed its stance.
A Taiwanese government web page says that Taiwan is preparing for a VoIP explosion. The output value of VoIP-related products
rose to US$460+ million in 2005, up from about US$370 mln and US$262
mln in the previous two years. A government-funded research institute
has set up the ViTA (VoIP Taiwan) Forum to set up VoIP product certification standards in that country.
Arcosoft is offering VONaLink SoloRecord recording software
for SIP-based VoIP phone systems, including Vonage. Either soft or hard
VoIP services are supported. Calls are recorded in .WAV or .MP3 format,
and an audio watermark can be audio to prove non-tampering.
Robert Poe of VoIP News shows why IP PBXs are going to replace their TDM counterparts in the enterprise.
Written by ewriter on July 28th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software and Standards and Services and Hardware.
This is a roundup of recent VoIP-related news from various sources.
Skype
has just released V1.5 for the Mac OS X platform. New features include
a new interface and ability to import addresses. Video support requires
a plugin, and call recording is still non-native. [via Pocket Lint, Tech Crunch] Unfortunately, great VoIP recording tools like HotRecorder only run on Windows, at present.
Not
sure if they'll be as hot as other cute monster novelties, but Verballs
double as a USB-enabled hands-free Skype phones. [via Engadget] Apparently they wave their arms and move their lips. Scary.
The previously announced WiFi Skype phone from SMC is now available for US$199. It'll work over any WiFi connection that does not require browser authentication. [via Market News] SMC is one of four companies that recently announced WiFi Skype phones. Others companies include Belkin, Netgear, and Edge-Core.
A report by Telephia says that pure-play VoIP subscriptions are up but network call quality still needs improvement.
Newsday reports that there are over 1100 providers in the US that offer Internet-based phone services, but other than that, Internet phone service could be the future. Which is what I said the other day - all the more reason for softVoIP network compatibility.
Written by ewriter on July 26th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Networks and Services and Hardware and Phones.
Brix Networks, a company who
makes monitoring tools to test VoIP networks, says that data collected
on their TestYourVoIP website indicates that users are rating 20
percent of nearly a million calls tested as being of poor quality. This
data spans 18 months.
My own experience is not substantial, but
I say quality is getting better, at least in newer softVoIP clients.
Over a year ago, I VoIPed a friend using MSN Messenger, which he was
also using. The call quality was terrible. Since then, I've either used
or briefly tested Jajah, Skype, and Talqer, all on the same laptop,
headphones, and cheapo $1 microphone. Talqer had the best call quality. And I'm using a wireless connection. Direct broadband connections would probably offer the best quality.
It
is of course to Brix' advantage to publish such disappointing findings.
And if I've understood the BusinessWire press release correctly, the
TestYourVoIP service is really measuring broadband quality, not actual
calls. So the data might in fact be misleading, considering that there
are a lot of other factors to consider in VoIP call quality testing.
What's your experience? Are you finding better quality? If you want to test your VoIP, try Brix Network's Google Gadget, which requires you to have Google Desktop Version 4 or higher.
Sources: ComputerWorld, BusinessWire [via FierceVoIP]
Written by ewriter on July 25th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software and Networks and Services and Hardware.
If you’re shopping around for VoIP kits, Zultys Technologies, manufacturer of communications equipment for businesses and enterprises, has a strong market presence and offers three models.
The line starts with the basic WIP2 mobile device that combines the features of a wireless phone and a mobile phone and is extremely useful for employees who do not remain at their desks but still communicate through the corporate PBX system.
Next up the level is the ZIP 2x2. This stylish phone comes equipped with Ethernet circuits, a backlit display and a jitter buffer to improve voice quality. It can handle simultaneous calls and is compatible with any IP telephony system that works on session initiation protocol (SIP) standards.
The 4x5 finds a place among the top level phones offered by Zultys. It incorporates all the features in the 2x2, and adds features such as a switch, router, links to an Ethernet LAN or broadband connection, a circuit that can connect an analog connection to the PSTN, and Bluetooth technology.
Written by pushpa27 on July 23rd, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Hardware.
Language translation on-the-fly is one of those killer apps
that there is a demand for, given that free or inexpensive VoIP
services have made the world into a virtual global village. Also, VoIP
providers are encouraging international communication with their very
low calling rates.
Bilingual skills are rare - at least amongst
North Americans and others in officially English-speaking countries -
so those doing business with customers/ vendors/ partners from other
countries often find they need a conversation to be translated. A universal translator may be unachievable, but it's likely to be unnecessary.
What's much more likely is that two people need someone to translate for them. Nuno at 21Talks wrote about a new dual-handset phone from Language Line that facilitates not a machine translation but an on-the-fly human translation of a conversation.
Language Line
is a company that has been offering language translation services for
20 years. They were founded originally as a volunteer organization in
San Jose, California, by a policeman and a language instructor. They
were later incorporated and ownership has changed hands a few times,
including AT & T.
Their dual handset phone can be used in a
number of ways, although Language Line's intent is that the two people
requiring translation are in the same room Each person uses one of the
handsets, and the translator is at the other end of the call.
Alternately, a non-Language Line translator could be with one person
physically and they would use the dual-handset phone to call a person
elsewhere.
Customers of Language Line's translation services get
the dual-handset phones free of charge, except for a $3.00/mth fee per
phone (unlimited phones). Even if you do not need/ want the
dual-handset phone, you can use Language Line's services via conference
calling - whether VoIP-based or otherwise - at a per minute rate, and
for 150 languages - probably the most of any global translation service
I've heard of.
Use a relatively inexpensive, potentially free
VoIP conferencing service such as Skype's, and the savings probably
pay for the translation services.
Written by ewriter on July 20th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Skype and Services and Hardware.
By now you've likely heard that a clone of the ultra-popular Skype VoIP
client was supposedly created by reverse engineering. Charlie Paglee, a
blogger and head of VoIP provider Vozin Communications stirred up the
Internet recently when he claimed a friend called him from China with
the supposed clone, a screenshot of which is posted at his VoIPWikiBlog.
Skype has denied the claim. Because Skype's system is proprietary, there is nothing officially
compatible with their soft client. Skype must have been sure that no
one would crack their code, though, because apparently, they never
patented their protocol.
Art Reisman thinks the Skype clone is unlikely
and gives a great explanation of why (via a discussion of encryption),
and why it doesn't matter. Even if a clone did exist, for Skype, a large-scale migration to clones would crash their network, but would not otherwise be a security risk.
Security
issues are more likely to occur in other components of VoIP systems,
such as the hardware or software switching mechanisms, particularly in PBXes (Private Branch eXchanges).
In fact, two flaws have just been patched in Asterisk, an open source VoIP PBX package. The flaws, were they not patched, could lead to DOS (denial-of-service) attacks, thus bringing down a business's VoIP phone system.
DOS
attacks have been used in the recent past to bring down websites for a
variety of reasons, including attempts to take the site over, or just
have mischievous fun. In the case of enterprise VoIP phone systems, the
purpose would be to inhibit a business' telephony functions. For some
businesses, that obviously means a temporary shutdown of operations.
A
DOS attack is usually accomplished by overloading a web server or, in
this case, a VoIP PBX. Version 1.2.10 of Asterisk PBX has fixed the
flaws in the IAX protocol that would have allowed DOS attacks.
Additional sources: [ZD Net UK, CIO Tech Informer]
Written by ewriter on July 19th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Skype and Software and Security and Hardware.
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?
Written by ewriter on July 19th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Software and Business and Hardware.
The consumer market for VoIP grew by over 250 percent in 2005. This
refers to people who actually subscribed to a VoIP service, which
amounts to over 3 million people. That number is expected to nearly
triple in 2006, and be nearly ten times in 2009. [C|Net News] Call audio quality is going to be an issue sooner or later, if it has not become one already.
Besides hardware-based VoIP, many more people are using soft clients such as Skype, including some PDA users,
without any subscription plan. Some may even be using the voice
capabilities of IM (Instant Messaging) clients such as Google Talk or
MSN Messenger. For Skype alone, there are an estimated 100 million
users worldwide.
Up till now, people may be putting up with poor
call quality, simple because for soft client users, VoIP calls are very
cheap or even free. My own experience suggests poor audio quality is
fairly common. If you're a VoIP soft client user, here are a few things
to consider, to improve your audio quality:
(1) Don't use a $1 microphone if you intend to record VoIP calls,
particularly for podcasts. You mic doesn't have to be expensive either.
You're not recording vocal tracks for a music CD. For standard calls
that will not be rebroadcast, you can probably use a sub-$30 mic or
headphone + mic headset combo. (My $1 mic works just fine, if my laptop
RAM is free.)
(2) Make sure the RAM on your computer isn't maxed
out. For my daily work, my RAM is constantly topped out and it affects
my audio (and especially my video when I use a WoIP soft client such as
Sightspeed).
If you notice poor audio quality, you could try closing some other
programs on your computer. Sometimes it's the program itself. I noticed
that the free Babble.net client is unfortunately a memory hog.
(3)
Expect poor audio quality if you have a slow Internet connection. If
you're using a Wi-Fi setup, it might be a matter of positioning. Try
moving around.
If any of the above problems arise, you'll
probably get audio artefacts including warbling, echo, or buzz.
Electrical interference can cause your microphone to generate hum as
well.
As for the audio quality of calls over VoIP hardware or
networks, that's something manufacturers and providers have to work on.
As the C|Net article says, PSTN phones use dedicated networks, thus
providing high quality calls. Early VoIP adopters are putting up with
issues of poor audio quality and reliability. However, as VoIP usage
spreads, newer customers are less likely to put up with poor service.
Someone also has to come up with a reliable e911 emergency calling solution.
Written by ewriter on July 18th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Skype and Software and Networks and Hardware.
If you've been following our sister publication, RFID Gazette, you'll know about a new type of RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) tag called RuBee with IP addressing capabilities.
This means that if an SED (Service-Enabled Device) is equipped with a
RuBee tag, it could be accessed via the Internet. This could be a
potential solution for the VoIP e911 problem.
SEDs could be any
networked device, including a digital camera, digital toaster, digital
lighting system, etc., which can communicate with each other, based on
predefined roles. What this also means is that if a transponder with a
RuBee tag were devised, it could potentially be used as a means of
directing and responding to VoIP-based e911 emergency calls.
Now
this is pure speculation, and there are still a lot of technical issues
that have to be solved. For example, RuBee-based transponders would
have to be stationary and thus not attached to VoIP phones or to any
mobile device such as a laptop or PDA (Personal Digital Assistant).
However, any device used to make a VoIP call would have a RuBee tag to
transmit emergency status to the nearest transponder. The transponder
would be designed to route the call appropriately.
This means
that each transponder would have to be geocoded, possibly in sync to a
postal/ zip code grid. Alternately, in cities with Municipal Wi-Fi,
e911 transponders could be integrated wherever signal boosters are
installed. That at least helps narrow down where a call is coming from,
even from a VoWiFi phone. Finally, household or neighborhood
transponders could also be made available, for those interested. Of
course, in the latter case, you wouldn't want the transponder
accessible to just anyone over the Internet. Just speculating.
Written by ewriter on July 14th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Wireless and Networks and Services and Hardware and Residential and Regulation.
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]
Written by ewriter on July 12th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Networks and Business and Hardware.
You may find it hard to believe, but I actually know quite a few
people, mostly over 50 or 60, who neither have a computer nor want one.
In fact, some of these people have never had an answering machine and
have no intention of ever getting one. Think they have a cell phone?
Some don't. What are the chances, then, that these people are going to
rush out and buy VoIP handsets? Nil, of course. For them, VoIP has to
be transparent.
Converged Wi-Fi/ cellular handsets might be the next big thing, VoIP hardware-wise, but good old PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) phones might not be dead just yet. Making VoIP simple for consumers
will go a long way towards wider acceptance of VoIP, especially from
customers reluctant to make unnecessary hardware purchases.
While VoWiFi (VoIP over Wi-Fi) may be relatively simple to set up for those comfortable with technology, and VoIP over Municipal Wi-Fi very easy to use, esecially if you have something like DLink's new VoWiFi phone, there'll be some resistance.
What could be easier, then, than VoIP that incorporates PSTN-to-PSTN connections via VoIP gateway
in the network. From the customer point of view, it's transparent and
requires no new hardware or handsets. Here's a diagram showing how such connections work, and also support PSTN-to-VoIP, VoIP-to-PSTN, and VoIP-to-VoIP.
Written by ewriter on July 11th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Networks and Hardware and Phones.
Zultys Technologies has incremented its array of both wired and wireless phones. The latest additions to its phone family are four VoIP phones that sport new designs. The ZIP 4x4L and the ZIP 4x5L come with graphical monochrome LCDs while the ZIP 4x4B and the ZIP 4x5B models are jazzed up with color LCDs, USB ports, and support for Bluetooth wireless headsets. But hold your horses before you rush to buy them; except for ZIP 4x4L, the rest are not available on the market as of now. They are due in another four to ten weeks though. The phones are supposed to have good acoustic capabilities. TMC Net reports:
The ZIP 4x4L is a good choice for business owners seeking a fully functional phone for the office. The ZIP 4x5L is a good choice for remote workers because it is comprised of a complete router with VPN, NAT, firewall, and DHCP server. The ZIP 4x4B and the ZIP 4x5B provide similar functionality for office and remote workers but offer additional capabilities.
Written by pushpa27 on July 11th, 2006 with no comments.
Read more articles on Hardware.
VoIP ubiquity in software and hardware [1, 2, 3]
is just around the corner, and it's likely to come in (now) familiar
packages. Some of these VoIP voice applications are already here, some
just arrived, and countless others are on their way. Imagine being able
to initiate a VoIP call via Microsoft Outlook,
just by clicking on a contact's name in your address book. Your
familiar email client becomes a VoIP client. Or maybe you want to send a Paypal payment via Skype, or track and buy something from an eBay auction via Skype.
Of
course, you can already do all of those activities, and many people
have. I don't have sales figures for Skype-based Paypal payments, but
it's pretty obvious that electronic payments in general are increasing.
That's true whether via the Internet, through RFID-enabled smartcards
or smartphones, or with biometric devices that incorporate RFID.
In fact, it's said that India will have the largest market for
contactless electronic payments via cell phones, with possibly up to
100 million users.
While I have a bit more faith in the security
of hybrid biometric-RFID contactless payment systems, I'm not so sure
I'd want my cell phone, or Skype or Outlook software, to be able to
make a payment without my explicit authorization. So it made me wonder
if there could be some way to authorize e-payments via VoIP, in terms
of a digital audio voice signature.
The theory's long been put forth that each human voice is unique (notwithstanding comedian and impersonator Rich Little).
While that theory has had a bit of difficulty in courts of law in the
past, newer research suggests that it's true. It wouldn't be all that
difficult, then, to take a voice scan for authorizations as an
alternative to fingerprints.
It's my feeling that such an
alternate will be more welcome than biometric scans. The reason for
this may be purely psychological. Human beings have been familiar with
voice recordings for decades. So recording their own voice does not
make them uncomfortable. Biometrics, on the other hand, is a new
science and the general populace does not have first-hand familiarity
with it, unless they work in secure-access offices, military bases, or
laboratories.
Of course, biometrics could be combined with VoIP
technology for secure authorizations. However, my feeling is that such
a combination would be unnecessary and more costly when digital audio
voice signatures could be used reliably instead, and would probably
have wider acceptance.
Sources: Owl Investigations - Aural Spectrographic, TC-Helicon - Voice Modelling Parameters.
Written by ewriter on July 10th, 2006 with no comments.
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Assuming that VoIP communication becomes ubiquitous,
with or without SEDs (Service-Enabled Devices), recordings of VoIP
communications are likely to become compulsory for businesses, for a
variety of reasons. Email communications are currently archived, and
it's likely VoIP conversations will be, too. The result is a need for
ever larger storage devices.
Consider for a second that a one-minute recording in .WAV
format at CD stereo quality (44.1 Kilohertz = 44,100 cycles per second) takes
about 10.1 Megabytes. One employe