Tom Keating : VoIP & Gadgets Blog
Tom Keating
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SIP

O-FONE Supports SIP on Symbian S60 mobile phone

May 7, 2008

Rich received an email from O-FONE claiming they are the "First s60 SIP Symbian client". I'm not so sure about being the "first" since Truphone has a SIP client for Symbian phones, so do Jajah & Fring -- and there are others I've come across as well. Buzz2talk, from Indtelesoft had a SIP client for Symbian phones with PTT (push-to-talk) functionality way back in 2004. Alas, when I try and go to Indtelesoft's website, it appears to be defunct.

TringMe Now Works with AOL/AIM

April 30, 2008

Well, it certainly didn't take long for someone to leverage AOL's Open Voice APIs featuring full SIP support. TringMe is apparently the 'first' out of the gate announcing support  to millions of AIM call-out users to make calls directly from TringMe. AIM users can use TringPhone - TringMe's fully web-based SIP phone to make calls directly from the browser.

According to TringMe, "with TringMe’s MobileVoIP solution, AOL/AIM users can use a mobile device (e.g. Symbian devices) to make VoIP calls from a mobile device. If they desire to use Gtalk to make VoIP calls over this service, that’s supported too.

Call Screening Patent

April 30, 2008

While researching for my VoIP call screening post earlier today, I came across a patent for "call screening". Curious, I decided to check it out the filed patent and found it was filed by Nortel Networks in July 2004. Interestingly, the patent application agrees with me that hosted voicemail needs call screening and goes as far as to say service providers with hosted voicemail systems are at a competitive disadvantage when they don't have call screening. The patent app reads as follows:

The present invention relates to telephony communications, and in particular to allowing a user to screen calls by listening to a voicemail message being left in a hosted voicemail system from a telephone device.

Background of the Invention [0002] Telephone users with personal telephone answering devices can listen to callers leaving messages thereon, and during the call, decide to take the call.



AOL Launches Open Voice APIs

April 29, 2008

Today, AOL will launch Open Voice APIs to enable developers to integrate the AIM Call Out Service into softphones and SIP-enabled devices. According to AOL, the APIs will "provide third-party developers and VoIP device manufacturers with open standards protocols that will enable them to easily integrate the AIM Call Out service into softphones, as well as SIP-enabled hardware and cell phones with wi-fi connectivity."

The APIs directly integrate with AIM Call Out, which is AOL's "SkypeOut" PSTN low-cost dialing service. AIM Call Out is built right into AIM, a popular instant messaging client that used to be and perhaps still is the #1 IM client. Skype may or may not have surpassed AOL in total users, but regardless, AOL dropped the ball when they let Skype's voice functionality help erode into AOL's formerly dominant IM market share.

Many users are loathe to run multiple IM clients, so many switched from AIM to Skype because they could get IM, plus voice & video -- all in a single client.



Zultys & Aastra Telecom Partner

April 24, 2008



Zultys and Aastra Telecom have reached an OEM pact to delivery the next line of ZIP Phones. As part of the announcement, Zultys and Aastra announced full interoperability between the Aastra 5i Series and the Zultys MX (Media eXchange) line. I'm a huge fan of Aastra SIP-based VoIP phones and they are perhaps my favorite of any brand due to their XML capabilities and extensive customization capabilities. I have one sitting on my desk right now.

BroadSoft and JoeDeveloper.NET Debut Facebook VoIP App

April 22, 2008

JoeDeveloper.NET has quickly developed a Facebook VoIP app called Click2Message that uses BroadSoft’s carrier-grade Broadworks Platform. BroadSoft aims to have developers use their platform to develop VoIP applications. Comparisons of course will be made with Ribbit, which launched late last year and which also is targeting developers. And then of course there are plenty of companies out there offering VoIP widgets & call me buttons that you can place on a website - including but not limited to Skype, Jangl, Jaxtr, and TringMe. Lypp, run by former TMCnet SIPThat blogger Erik Lagerway also offers a development platform for VoIP applications.

So while what BroadSoft has done is nothing new, BroadSoft has certainly been on the leading edge of offering VoIP integration into business applications.

SightSpeed Light Flash Video on MySpace

April 22, 2008

SightSpeed just launched a new “SightSpeed Light” widget for MySpace, which adds two-way voice and video to the popular social networking site. If you recall, I wrote the following about SightSpeed Light:

The obvious question that came to my mind when I was thinking about embedded Flash VoIP applets is "what about Flash video conferencing applets that do both voice & video?" Imagine simply visiting a website, and initiating an ad-hoc videoconference with other visitors to that same site. I should mention that there already exists tons of Flash video applications used by popular sites such as YouTube and LiveLeak. The video codecs at least exist within the Flash player. Though, YouTube uses buffering that isn't real-time, so Flash-based videoconferencing would most likely use a different codec that performs better during real-time communication.

In any event, I knew it wouldn't be long before someone took Flash VoIP to the next level and offered Flash videoconferencing.



Voxeo Adds VoIP Party Line App to Facebook

April 22, 2008

Thought I'd share some interesting Facebook VoIP application news from Voxeo. Their Voxeo Prophecy Platform is being deployed by Equals in conjunction with the popular social networking site, Facebook. Equals Party Line adds voice to social networking by enabling group phone chats that can be instantly launched with a mouse click right from Facebook. Facebook members can alternatively dial 877 4 BUZZ ME (1-877-428-9963) from their mobile phone and Equals will dial out and add the other users to the Party Line. Full news after the jump...

Microsoft Response Point Announces SIP Trunking Service Providers

April 18, 2008


In March Microsoft announced Microsoft Response Point Service Pack 1 (SP1), which adds SIP trunking support. Today, Microsoft is announcing that they have selected NGT and Cbeyond as recommended service providers for Response Point to offer SIP trunks. NGT became the first certified, Microsoft recommended service provider offering SIP phone services that works seamlessly with Response Point.

Today, Microsoft announced that Cbeyond and New Global Telecom (NGT) will offer their VoIP (SIP trunking) services for the Response Point phone system. Small business customers will be able to take advantage of simple, fully integrated VoIP service from these providers on Microsoft Response Point Service Pack 1 (SP1) when it is released this summer.

I spoke with Microsoft and NGT and one of the questions I asked was if CallerID support would be supported on the Response Point phones transmitted via the SIP trunks.




XO Anywhere Enhanced Mobile Features

April 14, 2008

XO Communications has enhanced it's mobile worker feature-set on their XO Anywhere platform. It bundles mobility and Unified Communications for customers with XOptions Flex, IP Flex, and IP Flex with VPN service. XO Anywhere allows your remote workers to work from anywhere as if they were in the office. It simplifies communications for mobile workers with a single Flex number that makes it easier for contacts to find them.
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