VoIP Pioneer Slams Sprint

One of the unsung pioneers in the VoIP industry is Rich Tehrani. Rich started Internet Telephony Magazine in 1997, the first magazine to exclusively cover VoIP. Before Internet Telephony, Rich also launched CTI Magazine in 1994, a magazine focused on Computer Telephony Integration - the precursor to voice over IP. TMC Labs, which Rich co-founded with myself, did the very first VoIP review of the VocalTec software in 1996 - the first VoIP client.

Due to Rich's years of experience in telecom/telephony pre-VoIP and now in VoIP, he has met tons of CEOs and entrepreneurs in the VoIP industry. As such, Rich has a pretty good grasp of the industry and calls it the way he sees it, but it's rare for him to slam any company, so I was surprised to read Rich's rant against Sprint this morning. Rich strongly slams Sprint for the lawsuit that Sprint launched against Nuvox Communications, BroadVOX Holdings, Big River Telephone and Paetec Communications. Rich used to tell me "Always be friendly with companies even if they refuse to do business with you and they always spend money with the competition. Also be friendly with your competition. You should never burn your bridges with anyone. Things could change, I've seen it happen many times."

Guess that advice doesn't apply to Sprint. Here's an excerpt where Rich has a "call to arms" for the VoIP industry to fight against Sprint and other telcos that claim they invented VoIP:

Although I am not an attorney, it seems like it is time for the industry as a whole to come together and take on telcos who somehow believe they invented VoIP and a host of related technologies.

Anyone ever heard of VocalTec?

In a torrent of irony, these telcos are the same companies who tried to destroy VoIP for years before they started embracing it. What is the innovation -- bashing it until you start using it?

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