Archive for November, 2006
This article claims that spam will start overrunning VoIP service the way it has with e-mail:
One growing concern is the possibility that unwanted VoIP advertising messages — often referred to as spam over Internet telephony, or SPIT — will overwhelm IP voice systems, much as email spam has overwhelmed email messaging systems. Over the years, spam has reduced much of the functionality of email — dozens, hundreds, and even thousands of unwanted email messages clogging up servers and users’ inboxes to the point of driving many users away from email entirely.
While SPIT hasn’t yet become a major problem, experts anticipate that it could do so in the future, as the increasing popularity of VoIP makes it a more attractive target. Let’s look at the potential misuses of VoIP and discuss how you can fight back.
VoIP service is one competitive industry:
Bees swarmed around Dennis Pappas as he pried open the door to a telephone equipment box belonging to Qwest Communications at an apartment building here recently.
Inside, the insects had built a small but seemingly busy hive.
The bees called the box home because workers from Cox Communications, a local cable provider, did not properly plug a hole in it when they switched customers in the building over to Cox’s phone service, said Pappas, a public policy chief at Qwest, the local phone company. As a result, Qwest had to bring in a contractor to undertake the risky task of removing the hive.
It may sound like a small thing, but Qwest says the infested box is just one of many pieces of equipment that Cox has damaged or misused. It says Cox has left wires exposed and improperly grounded cables, hazards that could disrupt phone service or hurt customers and workers. Qwest even contends that the damage is part of a plan to make it harder to sign up customers it lost to Cox.
Technicians who came to Qwest from Cox said "that their instructions were to make it as tough for Qwest to win back the customer as possible," Pappas said.
Cox says Qwest is exaggerating the scope of the damage, and it says there are many explanations for the problems — including improper maintenance by Qwest’s own workers. Cox also insists it repairs any damage brought to its attention.
There has been an outbreak of this kind of finger-pointing across the country lately, a product of the increasingly bitter turf war between phone and cable companies. After decades of relative peace and separation, friction is growing as cable providers sell more phone lines and phone companies get into the video business.
For the most part, the sparring has been limited to advertising campaigns and promotional offers. But here in Phoenix, where Cox has lured nearly a third of the residential phone business from Qwest, the rancor has escalated. In January, Qwest filed complaints with state regulators over the equipment problems, leading to a protracted legal standoff and public backbiting.
The article goes on to talk allegations of service providers tearing each other’s equipment out or improperly using the competitor’s equipment, and more.
Another article on the SunRocket VoIP deal with GE:
SunRocket
Inc., an Internet phone upstart from Vienna, has struck a joint marketing deal with electronics giant Thomson Inc. to roll out GE-branded cordless phones capable of making calls over the Internet.
The deal announced Friday is an important one for the two-year-old SunRocket, which will provide the Internet service for the new phones.
Providers of Internet phone service, such as Vonage, SunRocket and 8×8, have been steadily attracting customers with unlimited calling plans and lower rates than traditional telephone service. But to break out, they must tap the mainstream market. All three have been trying to do that by partnering with telephone manufacturers to boost their brands’ name recognition and credibility.
"It’s exciting to work with a company that has such a major presence in landline phones," said Lisa Hook, SunRocket’s chief executive. "The GE brand is iconic. It’s like the really nerdy girl being picked to dance by the quarterback."
Other providers are taking the same approach. Vonage, the largest Internet-calling service provider, has partnered with VTech Holdings Ltd. to produce Internet-compatible telephones. Similarly, 8×8 has entered an agreement with Uniden America Corp.
Sold as a solution to the "bit pipe challenge," this new network solution is a great way to stop mobile VoIP service, too:
To help mobile operators better manage their data traffic, Nokia (NYSE: NOK) introducing a network solution that lets operators control the use of network resources by bandwidth hungry applications such as file sharing and Voice over IP telephony — giving operators the tools to maintain better control over their networks.
The Nokia Peer-to-peer Traffic Control is the industry’s first integrated solution to allow mobile operators to profitably manage the bandwidth available for peer-to-peer (P2P) traffic, and thus balance the allocation of network resources. The centralized solution is implemented as a software upgrade to the Nokia Flexi Intelligent Service Node (ISN) and will be commercially available during the first half of 2007.
"With the explosion of affordable high-speed mobile data access, operators are now being challenged to make the best possible use of their networks, especially when peer-to-peer applications increase their traffic load and compete with their own services," says Roberto Loiola, Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Networks, Nokia. "The Nokia Peer-to-peer Traffic Control solution now gives operators the means to analyse and manage such traffic. It allows them to apply their business models by prioritizing the traffic of preferred services and partners, maximize their return on network investment, and avoid becoming only bit pipes for other content providers."
Interesting statistics here … seems like it’s not a good time to be a small player the VoIP business:
Many wannabe internet and technology entrepreneurs think this new phenomenom called VoIP is a guarantee to make money – well think again – at least 85 VoIP services have shutdown in the past 15 months.
SunRocket one of the nation’s fastest-growing Internet phone service providers, today announced that Thomson, Inc., licensee of the GE brand for telephony products and the world’s largest manufacturer and distributor of landline phones, will enter into an agreement to explore various promotional activities to expand the presence of SunRocket’s VoIP services. The agreement also includes the development of future GE branded product(s) that will leverage various feature capabilities available through SunRocket Internet phone service.
"Thomson’s reputation for reliable, easy-to-use consumer telephony products has no equal in the minds of millions of consumers, which is why SunRocket is thrilled they have selected us to launch some of these next generation network products into the residential Internet phone service market," said Lisa Hook, president and chief executive officer at SunRocket. "From the beginning, we have prided ourselves on delivering consumer-friendly Internet phone service at an unprecedented value, so our relationship with Thomson to market SunRocket’s service is a natural fit."
Monday, November 13th, 2006 | Posted in VoIP News | 2 Comments »
A good cordless (not wifi) VoIP phone offering from Yahoo and Linksys:
Yahoo! ® Messenger, a leading instant messaging service globally, and Linksys®, a Division of Cisco Systems, Inc., the recognized leading provider of voice, wireless and networking hardware for the consumer and small business user, today announced the availability of a new dual-mode cordless phone. The Linksys Dual-Mode Cordless Phone for Yahoo! Messenger with Voice (CIT310) gives consumers the flexibility to make and take low-cost Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls using Yahoo! Messenger with Voice* as well as place and receive phone calls using their traditional landline/PSTN connection.
The dual-mode cordless phone provides Yahoo! Messenger users with a convenient and fun alternative to make free Internet-based calls to friends and family on their Yahoo! Messenger Contact List. People subscribing to Yahoo! Phone Out can use the cordless phone to make an Internet-based call to any traditional or mobile phone at very low rates. With the use of the USB base station, the phone gives people the freedom to take their Yahoo! Messenger with Voice calls away from the PC and into other rooms, just as they do with mobile or cordless phones. People have the flexibility to instantly switch over from VoIP to a traditional landline phone service with the touch of a button.
Additionally, people can search for local business information directly from their phone using Yahoo! Local Search. For example, by programming the phone with a local zip code, people are able to search for a local restaurant (or any other local business) and effortlessly call the restaurant with one click. People also have access to weather forecasts through a weather search setting.
"The CIT310 is our first product to couple the Yahoo! Messenger with Voice experience and access to Internet services like Yahoo! Local Search," said Tarun Loomba, senior director of product marketing for the Linksys Consumer Business Organization. "We share the same vision with Yahoo! of not just improving the experience of internet phone calling, but also offering a valuable combination of internet-enabled features and services that customers will use and really want."
Wednesday, November 8th, 2006 | Posted in VoIP News | No Comments »
The voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) semiconductor market is witnessing very high growth in all the end-user segments such as carrier infrastructure, enterprise, and consumer or residential markets. There is also a trend toward integration and this results in the need for a high-performance, low-power and cost-effective solution. In order to understand the changing market dynamics, it is imperative for vendors to have strategic relationship with customers.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.semiconductors.frost.com/ ), World VoIP Semiconductor Markets, reveals that the market earned revenues of $256.2 million in 2005 and estimates to reach $857.8 million in 2009.
