Just received an interesting release about a softphone client that is so full of BS, I just had to laugh. See if you can guess whose release it is.

Let's play Jeopardy!
<excerpts from the release>
- "breakthrough 'soft phone'"
- first device of its kind to market, <company's> soft phone will allow road warriors to make and receive phone calls using the Internet at any wireless hot sphttp://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2005/Mar/1122285.htmot location, for example, in airports, aboard planes, at coffee shops etc.
- The <company> "soft phone" is more than just a phone: it is a networking device with a phone-like user interface featuring a microphone, numeric keypad and displays. However, the <company> soft phone also offers more PDA-like features such as direct dialing with address books and the capacity to store contact lists.

(technically Jeopardy is not multiple choice, but just go with me here)

Is the answer:
A) Skype
B) Xten
C) SJLabs
D) FWD
E) some new company I never heard of.

If you answered E), congratulations!

A,B,C,and D all have "PDA-like features such as direct dialing with address books and the capacity to store contact lists." So I don't undertand why E) claims that this is a major breakthrough.

Actually, the release doesn't claim they were first to have these features, but when it followed the statements "breakthrough 'soft phone'" and "first device of its kind to market <company's> soft phone will allow road warriors to make and receive phone calls using the Internet at any wireless hot spot location" I couldn't help but think they were also claiming to be first to have a built-in address book, and the first to work in hotspots.

I also have to wonder if this company, namely Nicer Canada Corporation saw the news release from yesterday where Broadreach and Skype teamed up to offer free VoIP at Wi-Fi hot spots.

I just received the following pitch... (followed by my comments below)

Human resources departments spend an inordinate amount of money each year trying to streamline labor management processes.  Due to human error from manual processes, many employees are getting away with working very few hours. Companies are looking for a variety of technology solutions to decrease labor management, thereby, increasing productivity.

Thanks to the advances in technology and phones, specifically IP phones, they can now be used to help with labor management processes and help companies save money and time overall.

Switchvox Admin

I just got this email an hour ago from Joshua Stephens, the CEO of Switchvox where he mentions that he has a pre-installed, easy-to-use "plug and play" IP-PBX based on Asterisk.

Salesforce.com sent me a package today containing a letter that states, "It took
four and a half years to reach 100,000 subscribers. Just 16 months later,
we are proud to tell you that we have surpassed 200,000 subscribers."

Congrats Salesforce.com!

They informed me in the letter that their subscriber numbers and financial results are scheduled for February 17th. If I remember, I'll try and post the numbers here in my blog.