Packet8 Slams Vonage

May 12, 2005

OK perhaps the slam is indirect but the message is loud and clear… Ours works and yours doesn’t. Today Packet8 announced that their VoIP ser vice has 911 that works in 2,024 rate centers covering 43 states. The company put out a release today and in it they say:

Unlike "911" services marketed by some other VoIP providers, whereby a call to 911 is intercepted by the VoIP provider and forwarded to a regular, non-emergency telephone number, Packet8's E911 call is routed as 911 emergency traffic and is accompanied by caller information. Packet8's E911 services enable emergency personnel to ensure that callers receive the exact same response that they receive from 911 services provided by landline incumbent telephone carriers. The Packet8 E911 implementation routes a subscriber's call directly to a 911 operator and eliminates unnecessary dialog about callers' whereabouts, which is vital in cases where a caller may not be able to verbally communicate due to an emergency condition.

Boy, I wonder who they are talking about. As I wrote about today, Having the best product doesn’t mean anything, it is the best marketer than wins every battle. If Packet8 had access to the capital that Vonage has, they might be the market leader but until then they will be a niche player in VoIP services. The only exception to this is if the mainstream media were to pick up on this story and hammer it home for months, perhaps consumers would check out Packet8 before they pick up a Vonage box at Best Buy.

Packet8 Slams Vonage

Communications and Technology Blog - Tehrani.com

Packet8 Slams Vonage