Tom Keating : VoIP & Gadgets Blog
Tom Keating
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Google Talk Adopts Jingle As Default VoIP Protocol

June 24, 2011


Google has adopted Jingle as the default protocol for Google Talk. Jingle is an extension of the XMPP which allows for peer-to-peer and session control (signalling) for multimedia interactions such as VoIP and videoconferencing.

The protocol was developed by Google, Collabora, Yate, Tandberg and Jabber Inc. Others that support it include Asterisk, FreeSWITCH, Nimbuzz, and Pidgin. Imagine a P2P protocol that lets the thousands of Asterisk-based PBXs to communicate with each other using XMPP. Taking the Asterisk ecosystem along with other large user bases from Nimbuzz, Google Talk, and potentially others could potentially build the largest P2P VoIP / video conferencing network in the world. Bigger than Skype.


Nimbuzz Still Growing - Even Without Skype

June 20, 2011


According to Nimbuzz, since July of 2010, more than 28 million new users joined Nimbuzz. That amounts to an impressive 100,000 new users every day and they've doubled in size in year to 50 million users. That's even with Skype telling Nimbuzz to buzz off and remove Skype integration.

Of course, even with Skype integration removed, Nimbuzz still supports Facebook, Yahoo, Windows Live, Google Talk, AIM, and others. So it's still a popular mobile VoIP and instant messaging app.

Still, without Skype support, I'd expect Nimbuzz's growth to slow a bit.




Top 20 VoIP Innovators of All Time

June 13, 2011


VoIP has come a long way since it was first popularized by VocalTec in the mid 1990s. Here is a slideshow of the Top 20 VoIP Innovators of all time with photo captions explaining why they merit this top 20 ranking. Most innovators are companies, but not all. Two important VoIP standards make the list, which cannot be attributed to a single individual or company.

CounterPath Hosted Service Delivers Over-the-Top Fixed Mobile Services

June 1, 2011


Today, Counterpath launched a hosted service that enables wireline operators to deliver voice and SMS to any mobile phone on any mobile network. Their NCG Exchange product gives telcos, cable operators, hosted VoIP providers, Internet Telephony service providers, CLECs and other Wireline Operators with a cost-effective solution for enabling Over-the-Top, Fixed-Mobile Services. One of the features includes Voice Call Continuity (VCC), which Counterpath's Todd Carothers demonstrated to me at ITEXPO

With NCG Exchange, wireline operators can immediately provide their enterprise, SMB and SOHO customers with mobile VoIP and messaging services that are delivered over-the-top (OTT) of mobile networks, regardless of which carrier the customer uses.


Skype for Asterisk Killed - The Lowdown

May 25, 2011


In case you hadn't heard, Skype has decided to not renew the agreement for Digium's Skype for Asterisk, effectively killing Skype for Asterisk.

Skype for Asterisk will not be available for sale or activation after July 26, 2011.

Skype for Asterisk was developed by Digium in cooperation with Skype. It includes proprietary software from Skype that allows Asterisk to join the Skype network as a native client. Skype has decided not to renew the agreement that permits us to package this proprietary software. Therefore Skype for Asterisk sales and activations will cease on July 26, 2011.

This change should not affect any existing users of Skype for Asterisk.






CounterPath Partner Program for ITSPs Aims to Simplify Mobile VoIP Deployments

May 23, 2011

Tomorrow, CounterPath Corporation will announce their ITSP Partner Program for mobile softphones. Internet Telephony Service Providers (ITSPs) will now be able to certify their service with CounterPath's Bria iPhone Edition Softphone and an added benefit is simplified provisioning for customers. (i.e.

Blue Jeans Network Bridges Skype, SIP, H.323 for Multipoint Telepresence Solution

May 9, 2011

Blue Jeans Network has been quietly developing a new cloud-based video conferencing and collaboration service that bridges H.323 and SIP end-points, PSTN — and even Skype, with the goal of allowing users to connect everything from high-end video telepresence systems like Tandberg/Cisco and Lifesize to web cams running Skype to desktop IP videophones from Polycom, Grandstream, Cisco, and others. This solves a major problem with video conferencing and telepresence since interoperability, while it has improved, still doesn't take into account legacy H.323 end-points or users that only have inexpensive webcams. Blue Jeans Network plans to support Google and Microsoft Lync as well. Their cloud-based service handles the transcoding of audio and video codecs as well as manages the meeting IDs, PINs, etc.

Kaspersky Kills Microsoft Lync - No Audio or Video

May 3, 2011

If you use Kaspersky with Microsoft Lync (or OCS 2007), you may be interested to know that Kaspersky can kill Lync's connectivity. Specifically, Kapersky Internet Security's network traffic monitor, called Web Protection in some versions blocks the network traffic. It can kill remote desktop sharing sessions (Microsoft Live Meeting sessions) within OCS/Lync, as well as audio/VoIP, and video. Curse you anti-virus!

Jabra SPEAK 410 Review

April 21, 2011


A couple months ago, Jabra sent me a Jabra SPEAK 410 to review. It got lost in the shuffle of other things I was reviewing. The Jabra SPEAK 410 is a pretty cool USB-based speakerphone device that directly integrates with Skype, Microsoft Lync/OCS, Avaya, Cisco, and IBM Sametime, enabling you to simply press the green handset icon on the device to answer a call or press the red handset icon to hang up the call. This is especially useful if you want to deploy this in a conference room setting.

LG-Ericsson ipLDK-60 Review

April 13, 2011

The LG-Ericsson ipLDK-60 is a flexible, feature-rich IP-PBX platform designed for SMBs, supporting up to 48 digital and analog extensions through a variety of terminals including digital, IP and analog phones, and fax machines. Calling it an IP-PBX is a bit of a misnomer since it’s more of a hybrid IP-PBX “key system”, supporting many traditional key system features that SMBs love. For instance, it supports Line Appearances, Call Park, Page and Call Pick-Up, as well as cost control capabilities such as prepaid call, barge-in, forced trunk disconnect, and LCR. The ipLDK-60 supports analog and VoIP trunks as well as IP phones and LG-Ericsson’s proprietary digital phones.
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