September 2004 Archives

Carlos Arcila, a Vonage rep posted a comment on my blog saying as of midnight tonight the price will be $24.99 from $29.99. No doubt this may have something to do with AT&T's price drop in their CallVantage plan or it could be mere coincidence. Nevertheless, yet another drop in broadband voice service.

Here's the link to his comment within the blog entr: (some browsers have issues displaying this in MovableType unless you scroll down and then back up - very weird)
AT&T CallVantage Lowers Price" href="http://blog.tmcnet.com/cgi-bin/comments2.cgi?entry_id=339">VoIP Blog: Comment on AT&T CallVantage Lowers Price

So you can just use this link to see the comment: http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/voip/archives/att-callvantage-lowers-price.asp

Or just read the copy/paste job here:
Carlos Arcila:
Starting at midnight tonight, Vonage will upgrade all of our Local Unlimited customers to our market-leading Premium Unlimited Plan. All customers on the Premium Plan will recieve the new price of $24.99 automatically, and those on the Local Plan can now call unlimited across the 50 states and all of Canada for the same low price!
This is a reduction of nearly 30% on our Unlimited Plan since the beginning of this year!

As part of its continuing efforts to spur growth in emerging technologies, AT&T today announced it is lowering the price of AT&T CallVantage(SM) Service, its popular residential broadband phone service, from $34.99 to $29.99 per month beginning October 1.

That's still pricier than many of AT&T CallVantage competitors, but you're getting better AT&T! Keep trying though, you'll get there...

Full release:
AT&T Lowers Price of Its Residential VoIP Service

Just the other day I was speaking with someone at SIPPhone and their market positioning. I didn't get a chance to speak with Michael Robertson (founder of MP3.com), and now the president of SIPPhone, but I plan to follow-up with Michael.

What I did hear from SIPPhone was very intriguing. I was told that Michael's aim is "to drive VoIP price-points down to ZERO, NADA, ZILCH, FREE!"

Wow! That's quite a goal. I don't know if he can do it, but if this man can build mp3.com and sell it for several million, who am I to question his vision?

Andy Abramson pointed out a Cnet article that says Michael (SIPPhone) is in the process of suing Vonage because they have an exclusive deal with LinkSys that "locks down" the LinkSys device to only work with Vonage.

Further, SIPPhone charges that product packaging and advertisements do not make it clear the Linksys products work only with Vonage.

Interestingly, like Andy mentioned in his blog, there is no mention of LinkSys in this lawsuit.

Users have been complaining in the VoIP Forums for a long time about Cisco ATA (analog telephony adaptor)devices being password protected and locked down to one service provider (Vonage, Lingo, Packet8, etc).

Some service providers don't lock the device, so you are free to "switch" providers and use the existing ATA-186 device without having to buy another one.

Some users often ebay their worthless brick ATAs since they can no longer use it.

I must say, it's very sad that VoIP service providers have become like the carriers trying to protect their turf via proprietary means.

It's not that hard for LinkSys to make their routers work with any VoIP service provider, so Michael - I'm there with ya. Go get em'! Hope you win the lawsuit.

Add another retaler to the VoIP mix...
Tomorrow, Circuit City will start selling AT&T CallVantage broadband phone services in many of its outlets and through its Web site, the two companies said yesterday. I should point out that CallVantage is also available at Best Buy.

Was reading this debate on Skype:
Skype and five good reasons why you shouldn't cancel your other phone services just yet - The Unofficial Apple Weblog - apple.weblogsinc.com" href="http://apple.weblogsinc.com/entry/7391864753130518/">My gripe with the hype around Skype and five good reasons why you shouldn't cancel your other phone services just yet - The Unofficial Apple Weblog - apple.weblogsinc.com

I posted some comments there as well as Om's blog.

Basically, I think what Skype needs to do next is two-fold
1) change to open standards - i.e. SIP so they can terminate with more service providers and offer better interoperability. Although their architecture may not lend itself to this.
2) Work with hardware vendors, such as Linksys, Netgear, etc. to embed their technology directly in the device. The device can then figure out when dialing if it's a Skype user vs. a PSTN number and route accordingly. This way you can get free call calling when dialing a Skype user and low-cost "VoIP-to-termination provider" (Vonage, Packet8, etc.) when dialing a phone number on the PSTN.

Linksys, announced today that Verizon will use Linksys home networking adapters with Verizon's VoiceWing broadband VoIP phone service.

The Linksys phone adapter connects a customer's phone to the broadband network, similar to the Cisco ATA-186 or the Sipura SPA-3000. It converts analog signals into digital packets that travel over the Internet. It also offers various calling and call management features, but it's unclear from the news I read whether or not this is a standalone device or if it's included along with LinkSys's existing home broadband router product line.

If it is embedded into an existing LinkSys router, well that's one less device using up electricity, one less device to manage, and one less device taking up space in your house.

As previously mentioned, I'll be writing about Popular Telephony's Peerio for Internet Telephony Magazine. But in the meantime, I came across another win for Popular Telephony.

Here's the release:
POPULAR TELEPHONY AND QUESCOM to Deliver Complete Serverless Enterprise Telephony Solution

At the Popular Telephony laboratories in Sophia Antipolis, France, the QuesCom 400 GSM Gateway has successfully completed final testing with the Peerio Biz softphone and the Peerio-enabled IP phone from Vontel. The C’est Peerio QuesCom 400 GSM gateway will be launched worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2004. Several large and mid-sized corporate clients in France and Eastern Europe have already expressed their interest to pilot the complete serverless IP telephony system upon its release.

The George Bush vs. John Kerry debate tomorrow has me excited like a kid the night before Christmas. I just can't wait for tomorrow to be here. I'm so giddy these past two days in anticipation of the debates, it's like I'm waiting for the SuperBowl kickoff, or waiting for the tipoff of an NCAA Final Four game (especially when UCONN is in it).

I've never been much into politics, but this year is different and I think it's different for almost everyone. Whether you love Bush or hate em' or hate or love Kerry, the one good thing about this election is perhaps voter apathy will be a thing of the past (at least this year).

I bet a record percentage of people will vote in November. Whether or not the voter turnout will have any "staying power" for future elections remains to be seen. As divisive as this election has become - pro-Iraq war, anti-Iraq war, CBS forged documents, SwiftBoat Veterans, etc., I'm glad to see a renewed interest in politics.

It will be interesting to see how much of an attack dog John Kerry will be during the debates, while still appearing "presidential" and how George Bush handles the attacks while also appearing "presidential" - and of course vice-versa for GW's attacks on John Kerry's record - though I expect more John Kerry attacks.

Only something like 28 more hours to go. I'll be breaking out the popcorn and chips for this one, Atkins-diet be damned!

So what are Microsoft's P2P plans? And how does their P2P/peer-to-peer plans relate to VoIP?

The latest Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack (SP2) has advanced networking features installed, including a P2P feature, but it must be turned on by doing the following:

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then click Add or Remove Programs.

2. Click Add/Remove Windows Components.

3. In Components, click Networking Services (but do not select its check box), and then click Details.

4. Select the Peer-to-Peer check box, and then click OK.

5. Click Next, and then follow the instructions in the wizard.

In Microsoft's February 2004 press release, they state, "Microsoft Corp. today announced the beta availability of the Microsoft® Windows® XP Peer-to-Peer Software Development Kit (SDK) and enhancements to the Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) networking stack. With the SDK, developers can take advantage of new peer-to-peer infrastructure to create decentralized applications and services for business and consumer scenarios."

They also have a P2P deployment guide here: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/deploy/p2pintro.mspx

Now, Microsoft has a P2P SDK that uses IPv6 technology. One of the first applications using the SDK is called "3 Degrees". Its 3 Degrees application requires you to pre-install many other software, such as Microsoft Messenger, service packs, Passport, TCP/IP packages, etc. which I learned here: Kleymeyer Weblog: P2P SDKs

Looking at http://www.threedegrees.com/ it appears this solution does chat, music sharing, photo sharing, but no VoIP.

In all my research I couldn't find one company using Microsoft's P2P SDK to build a VoIP application. What gives?

So when will Microsoft or a third-party using their SDK offer a P2P client to compete with the likes of Skype? Stay tuned...

http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/880080

Thought I would share an excerpt from an interesting research report released by IDC

Sept. 27, 2004--After years of hype, VOIP has made the shift from an emerging technology to a viable business solution. Although the consumer market has attracted the most attention from the press, VOIP is gaining accelerated business adoption. The market for hosted IP voice services among US businesses is expected to reach nearly $60 million by the end of 2004. IDC projects a compound annual growth rate of 282% to reach $7.6 billion in 2008.

The fastest growing VOIP market is hosted IP voice services for business customers. Hosted IP voice services are fundamentally different from PBXes because capital expenditure is avoided, maintenance contracts are unnecessary, and management is fully outsourced to a secure, central location. In addition, the customer is assured of instant access to the latest upgrades in both hardware and software.

Full release: Enterprise Adoption of Hosted IP Voice Leads VOIP Revolution, IDC Says

Enterprise Adoption of Hosted IP Voice

Greg Galitzine recently blogged the fact that Niklas Zennstrom, CEO and co-founder of Skype, will address the audience at Internet Telephony Conference & EXPO in Los Angeles on October 6.

Skype has certainly helped make VoIP mainstream and they have built a loyal following. But can Skype match the hype? Can Skype become a truly killer app that brings traditional telephony service providers to their knees? Well, go hear it from the horse's mouth. If you're in L.A. October 6th, go listen to Niklas speak.

Because of its peer-to-peer design (though it does have centralized supernodes), Skype doesn't require any infrastructure and only minimal capital investment compared with phone companies that must maintain their own lines and switches.

Skype's 750,000 daily users create the vast network on the fly, sharing computer resources to manage traffic flow and ensure call quality.

The question still remains whether Skype will pose a serious challenge to traditional phone companies. I use Skype myself and well, let's just say that if I were a phone company, I'd be saying to myself, "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!"

Also, check out Greg's Q&A with Skype: Greg Galitzine: Skype At Internet Telephony Conference & EXPO

I'm actually in the process of writing an article on Popular Telephony's Peerio product, which you can think of as an enterprise-oriented peer-to-peer (P2P) version of the popular consumer-oriented Skype.

Is Peerio a Skype-killer? Well, read my article in Internet Telephony Magazine to find out. It will be out in a little while.

In the meantime, I came across this news release that Logicom, the #2 largest phone manufacturer in France has inked a deal with Popular Telephony to develop a feature-rich prototype Peerio-intelligent IP DECT (DECT = cordless for us non-Europeans) telephone.

Popular Telephony and Logicom Collaborate to Deliver Peer-to-Peer VoIP Solution to the Consumer Market

Interesting news I thought I would share...

LongBoard Partners with GIPS Licensing VoiceEngine to Deliver Unbeatable Voice Quality for the LongBoard OnePhone Application

Combined Product Sets Quality Bar for Wi-Fi Voice Over IP and Provides Unique Solution to Carrier Customers

San Francisco & Santa Clara, CA - September 27, 2004 - Global IP Sound (GIPS), leading provider of embedded voice-processing technologies and LongBoard, a leading developer of compelling voice applications for carriers, today announced a partnership agreement under which LongBoard will license the GIPS VoiceEngine which is being integrated into the LongBoard OnePhone Application, currently in trials with some of the largest operators in the world.

"We strive to deliver highly-differentiated products to our carrier customer, and we know that superior sound and voice quality are critical components to our success," said Gary Tauss, President & CEO of LongBoard, Inc. "GIPS voice processing technology has enabled us to enter the market with an industry leading product and position, and to deliver voice quality that exceeds traditional PSTN phones, even under adverse network conditions."

The LongBoard OnePhone Application allows a user to seamlessly roam between Wi-Fi and Cellular networks. This roaming is transparent to the end user, without dropping or interrupting their voice call. Additionally, the LongBoard OnePhone application extends the same set of business telephony features, with the same phone number and same handset, to the end-user whether they are in their enterprise in WiFi mode, using Voice over WiFi technology, or outdoors in cellular mode, via a standard cellular network.

"We are dedicated to moving the mobile WiFi marketplace forward by overcoming the inherent quality problems normally associated with these technologies. This alliance offers a solid, real-world example of how VoiceEngine solves the complex voice processing challenges inherent in any WiFi or wireless network," said Gary P. Hermansen, President and CEO of Global IP Sound. "We are proud to work with LongBoard to create what promises to be a revolutionary solution for carrier customers."

GIPS VoiceEngine handles all voice-related tasks for voice over IP, dramatically simplifying integration of sophisticated and complex voice processing technology for portable wireless applications. GIPS VoiceEngine supports existing standards, and offers improved voice quality by its unique configuration of components and by improved handling of hardware. It combines award-winning and patented technologies with a high-level API to offer a flexible framework for developers to enable simplified integration of complex sound processing software.

Remember the Atart-2600? How bout the TRS-80, the ColecoVision, the Odyssey, the Commodore 64? What about the Newton - the first “unofficial” PDA (though some would argue there were earlier PDAs). Sure, mentioning these dated, practically ancient technology probably dates me. I’m sure if I have kids one day, they’ll probably laugh at such obsolete technology. But will I feel dated? Nah… Reading about pioneering computer technology just brings back great childhood and teenage memories. Memories like playing Olympic Sports or Bruce Lee on a Commodore 64 over a friend’s house until 4am while watching Saturday Night’s Main Event . Yes, I admit it, I watched WWF (now WWE) wrestling. I don’t turn my back on my past favorite technologies… I embrace them. Just like a classic car lover, I am a classic technology lover. There are some good websites out there for classic gaming or classic computer collecting.

If like me you enjoy reading about older technology or even starting a classic computer/technology collection, then you should go check out http://news.computercollector.com. The website has a free newsletter that you can join called the "Computer Collector E-mail Newsletter". Sign up, I think you’ll enjoy it. And if you have any great classic computer stories or if miss some long lost loved computer, that either broke or your mom threw out, don’t feel so bad. Just let it all out. Crying is good.. I for one miss my TRS-80 Color Computer. I miss doing “peek” and “poke” commands, I miss playing PacMan. If someone ever invents a time-machine, I’m going back to the 1980’s where MTV actually played music and not reality TV shows 24X7, hair-bands and Rock was king, and unlike today where everyone uses a modem to get online, in the 80’s only geeks (myself included) used modems on BBS (bulletin board systems).

I received a press release from Yapper International this weekend stating, "the Company has shortened their corporate domain address to www.yapint.com for ease of use."

Well, whoop-dee-do... Well tickle me pink, this is the greatest press release I have ever read!
The press release did mention the company merged with FoneFriend, which at least gave me some inclination as to where this VoIP company came from.

They seemed to come out of nowhere, started posting in the VoIP Forums, and then sending me releases.

I checked out their Our Technology link and it lists some interesting features.

It states - and I bolded the really interesting part:
___________________________________________________________

"The Yapper" is a stand alone Internet communications device that connects to any household telephone and gives customers access to the Internet for VoIP calling.

"The Yapper" is lightweight, portable and can be used with any household phone worldwide. The Yapper provides a cost effective pre-paid monthly international and domestic long distance service from any location in the world.

Unlike most Internet communications devices, our technology does not need a computer, a software download, an Internet Service Provider, or a high level of user sophistication to take advantage of VoIP. "The Yapper" is virtually ready to use out of the package with only a simple plug-in needed to start calling.

No computer or software download.
Does not require high-speed internet connection.
Callers can keep their same number.
Call internationally and locally at the lowest rates available.
Connects to any household phone.
911 service is still available.
Encryption available for complete privacy.
Can be configured and upgraded automatically.

The Yap International Network in conjunction with Tier 1 Telecommunication's Companies, is positioned to connect the world to the world.

The network is built on a distributed architecture that inherently decreases points of failure, improves redundancy and recovery within the network, and can be expanded to handle sudden capacity and traffic increases.
___________________________________________________________

Ok, so no computer, no broadband, no ISP PERIOD, so software? Hmmm. interesting... If it doesn't do any of these things, then how is it VoIP? My guess is that this is a SOHO "dialer". That is, you plug your home analog phone into it and when you dial out, it dials a special phone access number (local POP, 800 number, etc.) and then routes the call over IP from the POP/access number. It probably sends DTMF digits with your account information to the PSTN access number for verifying billing authentication, as well as the number you are dialing.

This is the only conceivable way I can think of that it can do VoIP over the PSTN. Actually, one other method is that it performs a direct modem 56kbps dial-up session to an access number and then it performs Voice over IP using that method. Perhaps they even partnered with an ISP to provide local access numbers?

if this is the case, then this is the first true "dial-up" VoIP solution that doesn't require an ISP (dial-up or broadband), doesn't require a PC, and doesn't require any software. Without being overly-dramatic, this plug-and-play solution (if it works) could set a pivotal point in the history of VoIP.

Now even Grandma or Grandpa, or anyone else that could care less about the Internet and paying monthly internet/ISP charges can get the benefits of low-cost VoIP calling.

I sent Yap International my contact info and asked them to contact me. I'll keep you posted.