VoIP Now

Google Talk Hearts Skype?

Google's Talkabout weblog, the official blog for the Google Talk IM client, has a posting about the announcement between Google and eBay (Skype's parent company). There's also a little blurb about exploring "interoperability between Google Talk and Skype". Yeah! Google Talk is based on an open standard, whereas Skype is not. This should get very interesting, with all these IM client pairings.

Russell Shaw at ZDNet, however, thinks Google's not interested in the full potential of Internet telephony for Google Talk. His reasoning, from reading between the lines of the deal, is that Google is saying that they have "relatively modest plans for Google Talk." I have to agree that Google has yet to make Talk a full-blown VoIP IM client. It can't even call out to regular phones without the help of software like Vozin Communication's Talqer. As for whether Russell's right, we'll have to see. Though I think that the higher ups at Google often use the "mystical warrior" philosophy to mislead us on their real intentions :)

VoIPcasting: Recording VoIP and Podcasting

If you're running Skype and want to record your conversations, VoIP-Sol lists 15 voip recording applications (10 for Windows, 5 for Mac) specifically for Skype. If you are using something other than Skype, there's our posts: Recording Your VoIP Calls and How To Record VoIP Calls - Reader Q+A.

What you do with your recordings is your business, but if you plan to podcast them online and have or plan to use Asterisk IP PBX, here's Nerd Vittles' lowdown for a podcast studio using your phone and a free podcast hosting service called Gabcast. Gabcast lets you record podcasts from a phone or using VoIP.

You can actually use Gabcast from any soft VoIP client that has pc2phone capabilities, so you don't really need a sophisticated setup to make a podcast. I used a cheap microphone and Skype. As long as you follow the rules for good VoIP quality, your VoIPcasts will be of reasonably good quality as well. If you're opting for a very professional production, there are all kinds of audio equipment you could look at, and which I might discuss in the future, if readers are interested.

Gabcast: Free Podcast Creation And Hosting

Gabcast is a new podcast hosting service which lets you create podcast episodes simply by calling one of their phone numbers, from either a telephone or via VoIP. There are three different monthly service plans, with the basic one being free. Setup is easy, and once you've created your podcast channels and epsiodes, you can embed their MP3 player into your website/ weblog with relative ease. (They also have VoIP conferencing, but I didn't look into that.)

They have a list of phone numbers you can use, with a toll-free number applicable to all of the United States, so calling in might be free as well, depending on where you are. You could also use Skype's free SkypeOut for anyone in Canada and the US (until Dec 31st), or Hullo, which seems to be free to anywhere right now.

The basic (free) plan gives you 200 Mb of disk space. Each episode that you record can only be up to 60 minutes in duration, regardless of plan. If you embed an MP3 player on your website, you can allow listeners to leave audio comments, or you can disable that. (See the Gabcast site for more details.)

I tried some of the features of the service, first creating a channel, then using Skype to call in. I recorded a couple of minutes, reading off of a blog post I'd written, reviewed it, then saved it. The same issues of VoIP call quality apply for podcasts made using VoIP, so keep that in my mind when you try this or similar services. Verdict: easy to use, for the most part, and fun - especially when you don't have to pay.

Can't Get Skype? HeyU Will Help

As previously reported, a number of countries, including China, Oman, UAE, ban the use of Skype and sometimes VoIP altogether. (Some cellular networks in North America ban the use of VoIP by customers.) People in Dubai have reportedly gone to great lengths to get around the Internet blocks, but apparently HeyU has figured a way around. And for $25, they'll let you download a copy from an unblocked link. Keep in mind that your country might consider this illegal. If that's true, it's probably unlikely that you're reading this post anyway. They have a couple of other options, including a secure site and a SkypeOut voucher. See ITP Technology or VoIP Weblog for more details.

Personally, despite my belief in freedom of speech, I think that this is a really bad idea. There's no evidence either way whether or not HeyU is legit. I'm not saying that they are not, but for your computer's safety, I wouldn't recommend downloading VoIP software except from the original vendor. If you cannot get it that way, and you are willing to circumvent your country's law, at least get your software from a reliable source, such as a friend or family member, who in turn goes to the proper source. This way, you're less likely to be installing spyware-ridden software.

AIM Pro 1.1 Gets Desktop Sharing

If you haven't already seen it advertised all over the place online, AOL's AIM Pro text/ VoIP IM client is available for free download. This version, which is aimed at business professional, is integrated with Microsoft Outlook, has added security, and has a One-Click WebEx meeting feature by which you can run presentations and collaborate on documents in real-time. The latter is basically application and desktop sharing. Of course, AIM Pro has text-, voice- and video-calling.

I downloaded a copy to both my desktop and laptop, and tried the voice calling first. It's hard to tell when you're talking to yourself, but the pc2pc call quality for my setup (over wireless router connected to cable Internet) sounded fine. I don't have two webcams, so I didn't bother with that feature, but I did try the desktop sharing. It's considerably slow, but it works. In fact, it shares EVERYTHING on your computer, so you'd better be working with people you trust. For me, it's great because I work simultaneously on both computers and was only the other day wishing I could view my laptop screen from my desktop. Well now I can, and I can share apps and transfer files without sharing my hard drives or folders - which possibly opens up my private network to wireless lurkers.

While AOL's been making a play into the VoIP market for a while, I saw no ability to call-out to PSTN phones. So Skype and company have nothing to worry about. And AIM does not have an open interface AFAIK, so companies like Vozin aren't going to be able to build bridge applications like Talqer, which gives Google Talk call-out capability.) Also, desktop sharing isn't a new feature - MSN Messenger had it several years ago, and there have been other ways to manage desktops remotely since at least 1996, if not earlier. However, it's all in a nice, free package, withe recognizable brand name, which will no doubt make a lot of the people it's intended for (business professionals) comfortable using it, especially if they for some reason do not want to use MSN.

I haven't previously used AIM a great deal, I know very little about past versions. Because of contacts I communicate with, I do occasionally chat using Gaim or Trillian on my AIM account. But if I can figure out how to speed up app sharing and get it to use a larger area of my desktop's screen, I might use it simply for remote access to my laptop. If you do decide to try Aim Pro 1.1, keep in mind that you need MS Outlook 2000 and SP 4 (service pack) to utilize the Outlook integration.

Desktop-sharing speed issues aside, there is a great deal of potential for businesses to communicate with customers using AIM Pro. For example, Leader's Bank in Arlington Massachusetts is already using AIM (though not necessarily Pro 1.1) to let customers communicate with their bank manager. If a customer has a question about services, etc., text mode is fine. But if they are having some problems with a web-based service, the manager can open up application-sharing (without relinquishing control of the mouse cursor) and walk through the necessary steps. Alternately, if the customer knows the manager well, they could allow the manager to control their own desktop, if the situation warrants it.

How AIM's desktop-sharing compares to other IM clients, I don't know, but I'll work on a comparison for the future.

Webacall Per-Second Web Calling

A few years back, some cellular providers in North America decide to offer per-second billing to their customers. It was great for anyone who felt that they were being overcharged for excess seconds in a minute. Webacall is doing the same thing for VoIP. What's your shortest phone call? Fifteen seconds? Imagine getting a phone bill for that. Coupled with already low rates, you're going to save a considerable amount over time - but really only if you are a hardcore gabber.

Webacall has a feature called missed call callback (aka ANI callback) which basically lets you use your account privileges from any phone anywhere in the world, without extra dialup charges. You have a variety of choices for making phone calls, including "triggers" for web and WAP (mobile browser).

This service is similar to Jajah in that it doesn't involve downloading any software. You're just using a regular or mobile web browser, so you can use Webcall with any computer or any WAP-enabled smartphone or connected PDA. But unlike Jajah (if I recall correctly), Webacall also has pc2phone and even (IP) device2phone calling, with the latter basically using any suitable plug'n'play PSTN2VoIP adapter. Pc2phone calling does require a soft client.

I've downloaded the X-lite softphone - it's extremely sexy looking, but the account setup seems overly complicated. You do need to register (free) from the Webacall website first, although anyone who downloads the software might miss that detail and get confused. Note that you need to download the Webacall SIP dialer to use the per second billing for pc2phone. Pc2pc calls to other Webacall users are free.

I have a lot of beefs with Webacall: Despite their attractive website, there are so many services that some users may find it confusing where they should start. There are just too many links on their home page. Keep it simple, and guide people to where they should go. I haven't a clue where I should start. Do I need the SIP dialer? It's not clear. If I just want to evaluate the X-lite softphone, where do I start? Why isn't there even a link to it on the home page? Or should I sign up just before I download it? And why do they need my address and postal code for me to register a free account? If I'm paying online, does it matter to them? What are my payment options? Do I get a few free minutes to try out? Because I'm not paying for a VoIP service that I haven't tried first. Why does the zipcode field during signup only expect 5 digits - most countries other than the US have letters and numbers in their postal codes. And why in tarnation do I have to wait one day for my login information to be sent to my email? Are you kidding me? This is the Internet.

Maybe I'm being overly critical on Webacall, but after evaluating so many VoIP services these past few months, there are some signup details I just get miffed about seeing - especially ones where despite asking for your country, they expect only a 5-digit zip code. Keep it simple, and if I like the software, I'll try some of your other services. Confuse me, and why would I bother, especially when I already have a dozen VoIP soft clients over a couple of computers? Thanks but, I think I'll stick with Skype, Google Talk/ Talqer and Hullo for now. Note to other VoIP providers: keep your home page simple, or at least guide visitors.

BellSouth and Verizon Sent Letters By FCC

Verizon recently announced a new surcharge to their high-speed DSL Internet customers. It appears BellSouth did so as well, and the US FCC sent them letters asking them to explain. BellSouth has reputedly since dropped the surcharge and will be crediting customers back to August 16th. The FCC is still waiting for Verizon to respond. There is the possibility of fines, if regulations have been violated. [via eWeek]

While Verizon at least claimed the charge had nothing to do with the a similarly priced federal charge (USF - Universal Service Fee) that has been phased out, it's hard to believe otherwise, given the timing and price. It's still my premise that they were instituting these fees to cover telecom losses possibly due to the increasing use of VoIP.

VoIP Roundup - Tues Aug 29/06

Update On Hullo VoIP Client
The other day, I wrote about Hullo, a new VoIP client that other VoIPers seem to be disinterested with but which I think might have the potential to give Skype and other soft clients and run for their money. I've used Hullo several times now, and the parties I've called have said how clear the calls seem to be. I tried a call with my father on Skype, then followed it up immediately with a call on Hullo. Verdict: Hullo is much clearer. According to my father, "it almost sounds like you're calling from a regular phone."

What's more, with the friendly help of the support team, I figured out what my Hullo numbers are for, and actually called my computer from my PDA. Again, clear voice quality.

What's Better? A Text or VoIP IM Client?
Truth be told, there are many times when a conversation is better in text mode than in audio. E-mail is not immediate enough, and voice doesn't let you "see" things being said. I particularly find that my conversations with clients and collaborators for website content are more productive in text mode. With voice conversations, it's very easy to get sidetracked. With text, you have a visual record of details, which don't need to be transcribed.

New IP Telephony Apps From ShoreTel
ShoreTel will soon be offering two new IP telephony applications, one for CRM (Customer Relationship Managment) and one for Enhanced 911. These will be in the form of modules for their pure-play IP PBX. [via eWeek]

Voice data applications, as I've mentioned here ad infinitum, are going to be where VoIP will shine over PSTN telephony.

Show Me The Money In VoIP - Telco 2.0 Industry Brainstorm 2006

Telco2.0 is holding their Industry Brainstorm 2006 on 4-5 Oct 2006, in the Tower Bridge Hilton, London, England. The organization's theme appears to be "How to make money in an IP-based world." The Brainstorm will hold discussions about "opportunties and threats to profitability", and making money from "Voice & Messaging 2.0", "Advertising-funded Content", "Broadband Connectivity", and more. This event is intended for current industry insiders rather than the general public. However, people considering becoming future VoIP integrators and consultants may want to consider going. Here are the registration details.

I think we'll be seeing more of these sorts of conferences and workshops as VoIP matures, especially in its use in the enterprise, and with a greater demand for advanced voice data applications in CRM (Customer Relationship Management), as well as other uses.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Skype! And Google Does A Deal With eBay

Today is Skype's birthday, and the team had a nice gift in that over seven million users were logged on simultaneously, for the first time ever. They figure that this will become a common occurrence, and I'd have to agree. Especially considering the multi-year agreement that Google signed with eBay, Skype's parent company. Part of the agreement involves interoperability between Google Talk and Skype (yeah!), as well as "click-to-call" functionality. This means that commerce sites will be able to display a "call" button that, when clicked by a site visitor, will initiate a call to an eBay merchant or Google advertiser, using eitherSkype or Google Talk.

I think that this an incredible development. Especially considering that earlier this year, Google released their Google Checkout competitor to Paypal, which is also owned by eBay. The latter had blacklisted Google Checkout very recently. It's a good thing for consumers that they decided to kiss and make up, though Wall Street seems to be confused about the outcome. Watch for a new Google toolbar, out soon.

Google Talk has been lagging behind a lot of the VoIP capability that Skype has, but soft clients like Talqer has filled in some features. What makes me particularly happy, though, is that intercompability between IM clients seems to be progressing a lot more rapidly this year than I would have thought in January. (Note: Festoon's Unity software acts as a bridge to Google Talk and Skype.)

Businesses: Choose Your IP Phones Carefully

With all the free VoIP software available, are IP phone handsets a waste of money? Not necessarily, especially if you don't have computers at work, or don't want one per employee. For a variety of reasons, you may prefer IP handsets over soft phones. But some of the pricier handsets are so overloaded with software-based features that they often end up not being used efficiently, according to a Gartner Group report studying enterprise use of VoIP. Sometimes simpler is better, and not just for the bottom line.

On the other hand, there are several scenarios where an IP display phone is useful, including the way a Japanese department store has set up hybrid VoIP/ RFID phones in their dressing rooms. What you choose for a VoIP phone has to be based on your business needs, not just desirable features. Write down a list of all the uses you intend for the phone. Then, when checking each feature of a fancy IP phone that you are considering, asking yourself whether your business would really benefit from it. Make a list and checkmark or cross off each feature, while comparing with your list. Use a red pen.

What are you left with? More crosses than checks? Maybe the phone isn't for you, or you haven't yet recognized how a certain feature might fit into your business. Are you planning on some advanced voice data applications in the future? Repeat the feature comparison with the specs from a number handset vendors, and get several people to do the same analysis. Having an easy-to-fill-in form would go a long way to uniform comparisons.

The most expensive, feature-laden IP phone is not necessarily the best for your business, even if you can afford it. But don't let a consultant decide that for you before you do your own analysis.

Show Me The Money In VoIP - Yet More Thoughts

Are triple-play services another potential area for VoIP revenue potential? Russell Shaw points to Tom Keating's article about pure VoIP providers (Vonage, etc.) vs cable and DSL VoIP providers. The premise is simple: aren't customers going to be more comfortable giving a company they already know a bit more money, fixed sum, for VoIP services - if it saves them on a large long-distance bill - than giving less money to a company they don't know - or looks bad in the marketplace? I.e., Vonage.

I agree with this assessment, and believe I've already brought it up in the past. Most human beings follow the path of least resistance, and would prefer a minimum of bills arriving in the mail each month. Why wouldn't they want they convenience of a single bill instead of two or three bills from separate companies? It means writing more cheques each month, which of course costs more in bank service fees, etc.

That doesn't mean pure play VoIP providers cannot make a living, but I don't think all the companies in this niche alive today will be around in 2010. Who are you more likely to go with? A company that's been around for at least ten years or a company barely a couple of years old?

Ubiquitous Streaming Video On Your Cell Phone

So, you're walking by a billboard for a new TV show that looks interesting. You want to write down the details, but don't have pen and paper handy. Your head is too full of other things to remember unaided. So what do you do? Pull out your Bluetooth-enabled cell phone or PDA, point it at the billboard, and download a 30-second video clip that has all the information you need. No fumbling for a pen. [via Telecommunications Industry News]

This is a real scenario that the United States' CBS television network has created in some New York City train stations. You can stand up to 36 feet away from these special billboards and download clips, provided you have a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone or PDA. Telly junkies like me will no doubt be happy with such uses of streaming video. I can't count the number of shows I've missed over the years because I dislike watching a new series from the middle, due to missing the first few episodes. I'd rather wait 3-5 years, when it goes into re-run syndication, to watch the series in sequence. [I admit to being a TV junkie, but I do write about media, so it's kind of a necessity.]

This is different, of course, than IPTV (Internet Protocol TV), mobile TV, video VoIP, or VoIP interaction with TV characters. What I'd really like to see, though, is if I could download TV show information from these billboards, then transfer it from my mobile phone to my IPTV setup to let me pre-program my software to record the show to my hard drive. Now that would be a video junkie's dream come true. How long do you think it'll be before someone comes up with this sort of thing, if it's not already available?

Fastlinks For Mon Aug 21 - Fri Aug 25, 2006

For your convenience here are links to articles posted on this site this week:

1. Half of North American Call Centers Go VoIP
2. Show Me The Money In VoIP - Still More Thoughts
3. Is Wiretapping Unconstitutional?
4. VoIP Roundup - Mon Aug 21/06
5. New DSL Service Charges For Verizon Customers
6. Enterprise: Choosing Between Hybrid and Pure IP VoIP Systems
7. VoIP Roundup - Tues Aug 22/06
8. How Do You Shop For VoIP Hardware?
9. Show Me The Money In VoIP - Even More Thoughts
10. VoIP Call Quality Improvement Tips
11. More Active Microsoft Messenger Users Than Skype Users
12. VoIP Roundup - Wed Aug 23/06 - Skype Blotter
13. On-The-Fly Language Translation?
14. VoiP Call Quality: Monitoring Skype Calls
15. VoIP Roundup - Thur Aug 24/06
16. More On-The Fly Language Translation
17. Combine Jajah and Skype: Hullo VoIP Dominance
18. Text + VoIP IM Roundup - or Props To Techcrunch Day
19. VoSKY Marries Skype and IP PBXes
20. Skype Usage Helps Nab Fugitive CEO

Skype Usage Helps Nab Fugitive CEO

Comverse's fugitive CEO, Jacob Alexander, who is wanted on securities fraud charges, apparently was traced to a town in Sri Lanka (island country off the south coast of India) because of a one minute Skype call to the US that he made. It's unclear whether CALEA was enforced, since soft VoIP services are not currently bound by it. But Skype does record the incoming IP address. Someone was obviously monitoring the recipient's computer. More details at VoIP News and The Register.

Comverse Technology is involved in a number of businesses and had recently purchased Netcentrex and more recently Netonomy (real-time billing and customer management).

VoSKY Marries Skype and IP PBXes

Who said Skype isn't ready for enterprise? VoSKY thinks otherwise, and to prove it, is offering an actual Skype-certified solution that lets you use Skype with a PBX. Aimed at SMBs (Small and Medium Businesses) of 10-300 employees, the device bridges between a PBX and a Windows XP computer. [IW Distribution/ VoSKy via Asterisk VoIP News]

The IW Distribution press release actually claims VoSKY's device is "the World's First Skype Solution for Business". IW is only promoting the product in the Australian and New Zealand markets, but no doubt other distributors will carry it in other parts of the world, if they aren't already. (I'll do some digging and find out.) Though I'm not surprised, since the SMB and consumer VoIP market in Australia is expected to build to 6 million by 2011.

I wish I could get my hands on hardware like this, to try out. It's likely the beginning of a series of offerings that leverage the cheap pc2pc and pc2phone calls of soft VoIP clients, like Skype and Gizmo Project, for use in even more sophisticated CRM VoIP applications. Businesses need more VoIP products like this.

Text + VoIP IM Roundup - or Props To Techcrunch Day

New IM (Instant Messaging) and related software for VoIP and text conversations just keeps on coming. Some of it's great, some not so much. Here's a quick roundup of what's new. (Props to Techcrunch, because I'm summarizing some of their recent posts, and adding in a bit of commentary based on my own user experience.)

Wablet Text + VoIP IM
Wablet is a Flash-based interface that bridges conversations between most major IM services. The chat box can either be embedded on a web page (like Meebo) or used as a popup. When a chat request comes in, you can see a profile and photo of the person, as well badges indicating which social networks they belong to. According to Techcrunch, Wablet's primary innovation is around identity, allowing you to create multiple profiles for various purposes - personal, business, social.

Wablet is in an invite-only state, but you can sign up to be notified for when it's available. So I can't say much more than what Techcrunch already said.

Nimbuzz Mobile VoIP
Nimbuzz allows mobile phone and Internet users can communicate with each other using either SMS or voice. It installs on your mobile phone (or desktop - Windows only for now) and bridges numerous IM protocols. Nimbuzz, based in the Netherlands, funded by Mangrove VC, who funded Skype. (What's going on in that part of Europe? Lots of cool software coming out.)

The website says that they support most mobile phones, but they don't have any Palm devices aside from Tungsten, so I can't try it. I downloaded the Win XP client (12 Mb) then talked to the really dumb Jimmy the Chatbot, who didn't even know what Nimbuzz was. Not impressed with the desktop client (keeps crashing on me), and don't know about the mobile client. [Jive Software, Internet Is For People, Techcrunch] Techcrunch has the exclusive details.

Sky-Click Web Call Centre:
Sky-Click is a call centre based completely online, so it runs in web browsers. Calls between pc2pc and pc2phone are free, but there is a monthly charge. You can test it with their free 30-day trial. I'll explore this at a later time, but from the site's description, it seems like precisely the type of killer application that'll push VoIP forward with SMBs and maybe even enterprise. More details at Techcrunch.

Combine Jajah and Skype: Hullo VoIP Dominance

Hullo might just cause a hullabaloo, seeing as it pretty much amounts to free VoIP calling, for now, but there will be paid services later (smart move). One difference between it and Jajah is that you can call from a telephone (PSTN or mobile) or from your computer (as with Skype). With Jajah, you can only call from your phone. Hullo also lets you transfer calls, as well as allow new people to a conversation (provided you initiated the main call). Sounds pretty innovative. You can read more at Saunders.LOG.

I downloaded and installed Hullo, but only tried the pc2phone feature. First, I called my father and got his voicemail - very clear. Then I called myself on my cellphone - also very clear quality, but I'm getting weird audio cancelling, probably due to using speakers on the desktop computer and an ear plug for the mobile phone. Try it for yourself. You can make conference calls by selecting more than one profile in your contact list.

By the way, you get two phone numbers when you register: a Hullo number and a Call-in number. I tried calling the Call-In number from my cell, got a recorded message asking for my extension, but found no clear explanation of what that might be, not even in the FAQ. Then again, it's only in beta, so I fired off an email to the support team. (I also tried calling the Call-In number from Skype using SkypeOut, but this time, the call was not answered.)

But I'm overwhelmingly impressed. Skype better watch out, especially if Hullo starts getting plugins. Better get all your free calling in now, on Hullo, before they change the pricing structure.

More On-The Fly Language Translation

New software designed for laptops, intended for Army and medical personnel in Iraq, translates English-Arabic audio conversations in near real time. The software, called IraqComm, records spoken words, translates them, and plays the translations. The process takes a few seconds. The predecessor to IraqComm was a handheld device called Phraselator. [via Technology Review]

While IraqComm is currently for military evaluation only, it is also intended for a variety of other users. It shows the potential market for automated language translation tools. It certainly would be nice to have something like this for Skype which, to my knowledge, only has something like ULRTMT, that translates text nearly on the fly.

VoIP Roundup - Thur Aug 24/06

VoIP Reduces Operating Costs
[VoIP] This story is from late May, but Network World talks about a global training firm in the US that has 25-30,000 students, plus company staff, depending on phone calls. Monthly toll-free lines became expensive for the company, and administrators around the world were less in touch with each other. Part of their solution was to use a Siemens-brand PBX to handle VoIP calling from 16 international offices. Whereas they were previously spending as much as US$1.50/minute for international calls, now there are no extra charges for the same calls. [via Network World]

Other companies and small businesses have demonstrated that VoIP can reduce operating costs.

New Indian VoIP Service
The state of Andhra Pradesh in India will be getting a VoIP service, Matallo, using special phones that work over a broadband Internet connection. The state's Chief Minister was said to be happy that users need not be computer savvy. The service is intended for both residential and enterprise use, and will also offer video-calling options. [via The Hindu]

VoIP is expected to have a good future in India if a telecom policy can be agreed upon by the industry and government.

NEC Offers Managed IP Telephony
NEC Unified Solutions is now offering its Managed IP Telephony Services. The service is aimed at SMBs (Small and Medium Businesses) and was announced at VoiceCon. There are two offerings, both charged monthly, and a remote technician manages the hardware. Additional features are available, including trend analysis for VoIP network traffic. [via eWeek]

VoiP Call Quality: Monitoring Skype Calls

Has anyone been using a recent version of Skype? When I switched to using my desktop computer more predominantly than my laptop recently, I downloaded and installed the latest version of Skype for Win XP yesterday. I've made a couple of SkypeOut calls on the desktop, but it wasn't until about the third one, earlier today, that a web browser window popped up asking me about the quality of the call. I made another call shortly afterwards and there was no survey that time. Maybe it's a random survey that Skype is conducting, what with all the writeups about call quality. I've never seen the survey before, to my recollection.

The good news is that my pc2phone calls are now incredibly improved, due to my new computer setup, which I discussed yesterday in the post VoIP Call Quality Improvement Tips. Also good news, if you've downloaded a new version of Skype, you get several free minutes of SkypeOut so that you can test the quality. Since I can take advantage of the current free SkypeOut promo in Canada and the US, it doesn't matter to me. But if you live elsewhere and have not upgraded, you might want to. I mean, free minutes are free minutes, right?

On-The-Fly Language Translation?

I've posed the idea before: how nice it would be for a VoIP data application that provides on-the-fly language translation. Well, there's already such a plugin for Skype in beta format. It's called ULRTMT - Universal Language Real-Time Message Translator. [Mathemagenic via Skype Journal]

Although before you get too excited, it's for text conversations only. Surprisingly though, it handles a whoppingly big list of language conversions. I didn't count, but there's probably close to thirty translations, some of which don't even involve English. And the software supposedly works on both active and archived Skype text chats.

Unfortunately, as Mathemagenic indicated, it takes a bit of effort to install. Follow the instructions carefully and it actually does work. Use Internet Explorer. (I didn't try Firefox browser, because the actual translation window runs in an IE browser window. Don't forget to bookmark the link; there doesn't seem to be a trigger from within Skype.)

I tested the service with English-to-Japanese and English-to-French on archived chats. Then I ran Skype on two different profiles on two computers, with one set to French language (although this isn't necessary for languages that use the Roman alphabet).

Unlike most Skype plugins, the meat of the service runs in a browser window. [Like I mention above, the instructions mention IE Explorer, so that's what I went with.] After refreshing the translation browser window, I selected the active conversation on my desktop - the computer with the so-called English speaking user. Then I typed simple French greetings on my laptop. The translation window immediately showed both my French text and the English version. The desktop's Skype chat window, however, showed the French text as typed from the laptop's Skype session.

Verdict: Unfortunately, the Japanese translation does not use the Romaji letter set, and my knowledge of the other three Japanese letterforms has disintegrated with disuse. So I don't know how accurate the translation is. The French-to-English translation, however, is reasonably accurate, if a bit literal. I assume other translations will undergo the same problem. It's part of the reason why machine translation of a language is generally a last resort if a human translator is unavailable. Still, it's a nice start, so bravo to ZOverLord for a great effort, and to a product that just might one day be the closest thing to an IM Universal Translator. At least in text mode.

VoIP Roundup - Wed Aug 23/06 - Skype Blotter

On the off-chance that you use Skype and don't visit the Skype Blogs regularly, here's a quick roundup of some recent postings there.

More Free Skype Calls
Skype is currently allowing users to call regular toll-free numbers in certain countries, such as Taiwan, at no charge, regardless of where you are calling from. [via Skype Blogs]

Skype As Political Campaign Tool
Can Skype be used as a political tool? Shashi Tharoor, author and long-time United Nations employee, held a Skypecast last week with WABC-TV New York. Tharoor is currently the UN Undersecretary General and is a potential successor to Kofi Annan's post of UN Secretary General. [via Skype Blogs]

VoIPing For Profit
Gumtree is a classifieds ads community site aimed at the UK market. According to the Skype Blogs, over 5% of listings have a Skype button. Besides the standard listings for landlords, etc., some of them are for language tuition. Personally, I think that Skype, and similar soft VoIP clients, are ideal for this sort of use. The Skype post didn't say whether the tutors are using Jyve to accept payment for their time.

More Active Microsoft Messenger Users Than Skype Users

According to figures released by Microsoft, there are supposedly more active Microsoft Messenger users than Skype users, and more simultaneous users at peak use as well. [via Skype Journal]

While that may be true, Microsoft does have the advantage of time and brand. I question the meaning of these numbers (but not the Skype Journal article) and whether they'll hold up a couple of years from now. Are we comparing apples to oranges right now?

I use numerous IM clients, whether for text or VoIP conversations. But guess what? I use Skype more often than Messenger. If I have Messenger contacts I need to converse with, I almost always use a multi-protocol client such as Gaim or Trillian. Heck, I even use Google Talk far more often because most of the people that I actively converse with daily use it. And it's based on an open standard, which means I can use web services such as Meebo.

So I'm probably considered an active Messenger user for the once or twice a month that I use it. But I still use my Messenger account (hotmail) a great deal. So am I considered an active Messenger user? Don't know. And now that newer versions of MSN Messenger are compatible with Yahoo! Messenger 8, it doesn't matter. Because I use the latter client more often, mostly for all the cool plugin modules it has. (Getting the picture? Microsoft really missed on power users by not using a compatible protocol until now.)

Which leads me back to why Skype shouldn't worry. Even though Microsoft has more users, the Skype environment is so much further along in terms of VoIP and data application integration. Even Yahoo!'s new Messenger has modules that are mostly non-VoIP related. Skype developers all over the world have created a rich set of addons that spell the beginning of some fairly sophisticated voice data applications.

In other words, core users of each service (collective users of both Messengers compared to Skype users) have different needs. For now, Skype is much further ahead in data applications, which is what VoIP power users need, and are thus unlikely to use either Messenger client.

VoIP Call Quality Improvement Tips

I've gone over VoIP call quality issues a couple of times, including tips for improving quality. To reinforce some of those tips, here's my latest experience. I recently set up a wireless router at home, configured over my cable Internet service. Because I'm still having access problems on my laptop, I decided to start working off my desktop.

The desktop has dual processors and 1 Gb of RAM memory, and under a gigabyte of hard drive space left on C: drive. The laptop has a single processor and 512 Mb of RAM and at least 8 Gb of hard drive space on C: Both computers are running Windows XP Home edition.

I've only made two Skype calls from the desktop computer to a landline phone, but from the comment of the one person that answered, it seems that call quality is far better than similar calls from my laptop. I should point out that my current Internet connection is also faster than what I used for my earlier calls on the laptop. But even with my current wireless connection fluctuating in speed, call quality is better.

I also found that you do not need to use headphones, provided that you have a directional microphone that won't pick up the audio from your speakers. (I'm still using my $1 microphone. I'm amazed at how well it's performed so far.)

So to summarize, to maximize your VoIP call quality, use a fast computer with lots of RAM, and a fast Internet connection. If you're directly wired to the Internet via cable or DSL, that's probably better. But a wireless router configured to cable works fairly well, too. As for having a dual processor, it's not necessarily going to make a difference because not all software is designed to take advantage of it. My observation while running processor-intensive programs is that one processor will be closed to maxed out, and the other will be relatively idle. Win XP doesn't necessarily balance processor load.

Show Me The Money In VoIP - Even More Thoughts

Tele2 is handing out free wireless phones for customers who buy thirty euros of their Parlino Dial Out service. The phones are supposedly worth about 69 euros (approx. US$87). [via The VoIP Weblog]

Given that my laptop is actually overloaded with text/ VoIP IM clients, I'm declaring a moratorium on downloading more for now, so I'm not going to try Parlino's soft client just yet. However, Tele2 had a bright idea! Maybe some of the frree soft  VoIP companies such as Skype, etc., can learn something from this.

For example, I previously complained that despite my love of Sightspeed, the signup process just to try the client wanted all kinds of info including whether I wanted to buy a phone. To Sightspeed: great product, just take a cue from Tele2. Heck. I'd pay a similar amount of money for dialout if I got a free Wi-Fi phone in the deal. [Just make sure you use something like Paypal as an option.] Same goes for Skype, Gizmo Project, etc.

Hardware is one of the areas of VoIP where the money is. Give customers something tangible to associate with your service, and you might find them using your service more often. It's purely psychological, and just my hypothesis, but if I had a "free" Wi-Fi VoIP phone, I'd probably order more minutes after my initial minutes ran out, unless the call quality sucked. Otherwise, my free gadget would just be sitting around, and we wouldn't want that, would we?

If customers reloaded their callout minutes just once, VoIP soft client makers could probably cover the cost of the phone. If call quality is good and the device easy to use, then you just might have repeat customers. Hardware/ software combo deals like this could really push VoIP use.

How Do You Shop For VoIP Hardware?

Peopleline Inc. opened their first VoIP store in Vancouver, Canada recently, choosing a high foot-traffc area of Main St. They feel that potential customers would probably like to ask questions as well as actually handle products (such as phones, adapters, etc.) before purchasing. They have plans to open more stores. [via Trans World News]

There are a number of online stores, such as VoIP Supply, but this is the first I've heard of a bricks and mortar store dedicated to VoIP products. It differs by country, but people likely feel more comfortable buying products of new technologies in person. Anyone running boutique electronics stores should take notice of this. Besides system integration, hardware (adapters, phones, etc.) is one of the areas in the VoIP market that is expected to turn a profit.

VoIP Roundup - Tues Aug 22/06

SMBs Becoming More Aware Of VoIP
According to a Q1 survey by Savatar, around 30 percent of SMB (Small and Medium Business) companies are either familar with VoIP or already converting/ converted. [via TMC Net] This of course spells good news for VoIP providers, system integrators and hardware makers.

African VoIP Developments
Kenya's Information Minister, Mutahi Kagwe, thinks that using VoIP could reduce the Kenyan government's phone bill by up to 70%. [via Capital FM] Given that various government ministries owe Telekom Kenya several billion shillings, VoIP thus seems an appropriate solution. They might take a cue from the Taipei City government and consider implementing a muncipal Wi-Fi network over which they could conduct VoIP calls.

In Nigeria, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe says that VoIP is "the engne of telephony in developing countries". The EVC (Executive Vice Chairman) of the Nigerian Communications Commission was speaking at a VoIP conference in Lagos. [via allAfrica]

Australian TAFE Colleges Going VoIP
A group of Australian TAFE (Technical and Further Education) colleges are switching their telephony system to VoIP. Approximately 4,000 VoIP handsets will be part of the migration. Some of the colleges already have VoIP in place, while others are still being converted. [via ZD Net Australia] Cisco is the project vendor.

Enterprise: Choosing Between Hybrid and Pure IP VoIP Systems

Telephony has been moving from PSTN/ POTS systems to hybrid IP-PBXes, as far as enterprise VoIP systems go. But some people expect that hybrid VoIP systems, which support TDM and IP calls, will be outdated in just a few years, supplanted by pure IP that is well integrated with data applications. [via Datamation]

Thus, companies who are currently planning a switch to VoIP need to consider what sort of system that they want to go with. If this is the situation you find yourself in, ask yourself how you to plan to use VoIP. If your business cannot benefit from integrated data applications, then a hybrid system is probably sufficient. But if you want to be able to build, say, a sophisticated CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system, a pure IP system is the direction you should consider.

New DSL Service Charges For Verizon Customers

Verizon has decided to charge their DSL high-speed Internet customers an extra US$1.20/mth (for access speeds up to 768 kbps (kilobits per second) or $2.70/m (for faster speeds). This will probably come as a surprise to customers who were expecting lower monthly bills based on a FCC decision last year to deregulate DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) service. [via CRM Buyer]

The old government fee for the USF (Universal Service Fund) is being phased out. So Verizon and no doubt other cable providers are taking advantage of it by imposing their own fee. Of course, they're claiming that this new fee has nothing to do with not having to pay the USF fee anymore. Great to know that they're thinking of us.

So what gives? Isn't their monthly service fee enough? Are they really not making any money? (Cable providers are.) Could this new fee be due to expectations that free VoIP over DSL phone calls will clog up their lines? Hmmm. Read between the lines in the CRM Buyer article, and that's what it seems like.

It'll be interesting to see who the next DSL provider is that applies a similar charge to customers' bills, and whether there will be a shift to cable services.

VoIP Roundup - Mon Aug 21/06

[Updated: Wed Aug 30/06]Philips is giving Australian customers a choice for combining VoIP with PSTN. They now have a couple of cordless handsets that either use Microsoft Live or Skype (not both). You do need a PC and a broadband Internet connection to use the phones. [via The VoIP Weblog]

Because Baby Boomers are expected to migrate to specific urban or rural areas over the next twenty years or so, companies like ComSpan will beneft from offering triple play services. [via VoIP Magazine; free registration required]

Asterisk has just released a free voicemail client, Tycho, for Win32, Linux x86, and Mac OS X computers. [via Asterisk VoIP News] I assume Tycho has nothing to do with Tycho Softworks - who offer an open source telephony stack - but I could be mistaken. [CORRECTION: It's in fact Sip-Syndication that has released Tycho, not Asterisk/ Digium. Apologies for the error.]

Is Wiretapping Unconstitutional?

[Updated: Aug 22/06] Wiretapping without a warrant is unconstitutional says US District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in Detroit, Michigan. She ordered a halt to the wiretapping program which was apparently secretly authorized by President Bush in 2001. The actual action will be delayed until another hearing on Sep 7/06.

While privacy advocates are no doubt happy, not everyone thinks Judge Taylor reasoned well in her decision and have criticized her as a Liberal, despite that her verdict was based on a number of Act violations.

One of the most important comments in her 43-page decision (or as the Washington Post calls it, "opinion") is the following:

... are no hereditary Kings in America and no powers not created by the Constitution.

This standing of hers is quite likely the primary basis for her detailed decision, and since it is aimed directly at President Bush, is the reason why "Congressional Republicans quickly condemned" her ruling.

See the Washington Post [via 21Talks ] for more details.

Show Me The Money In VoIP - Still More Thoughts

Telesyte reports that Australian PSTN telcos will lose more than US$5 in revenue for every US$1 earned. [via 21Talks] So even if they start offering VoIP services, their overall revenue will go down.

As mentioned in our Show Me The Money... In VoIP and More Thoughts posts, the money seems to be in hardware - both handsets and adapters - and integration. But as Fonality is showing, there may also be some revenue potential in VoIP PBXes.

Fonality is a company that makes Asterisk-based IP-PBX systems. While Asterisk itself is free, Fonality's PBXtra has additional features aimed at enterprise. In fact, this is why they are purportedly tops in the Asterisk PBX market. [via GigaOm]

Overall, though, this is still a young market providing a valuable and essential service. Since the service is mostly free or inexpensive, it's everything else associated with the service that will provide revenue opportunities. But my proverbial money's on VoIP data applications. 

Half of North American Call Centers Go VoIP

According to new research from Yankee Group, close to half of North American call centres will have switched to VoIP systems by the end of 2007. [via Asterisk VoIP News]

Given my experience with lousy call quality while calling my website hosting provider lately, I'm hoping that the call centres that do switch use some of the common soft clients. Say Skype, Google Talk or Gizmo Project. But I'm thinking that if they do even use soft VoIP clients, that they'll go the route of Leader Bank and use MSN or Yahoo! Messenger. Which given their new features may not be such a bad thing.

Fastlinks For Mon Aug 14 - Fri Aug 18, 2006

For your convenience, here are internal links to articles posted this week.

1. VoIP Roundup - Mon Aug 14/06
2. VoIP System Implementation Tips
3. VoIP Tips: Phase In Telephony Changes
4. Can VoIP Providers Implement CALEA?
5. Maximizing VoIP Functionality For Your Home
6. Globe7: Free Net2phone For Watching Video Ads
7. Rack-Soft 4PSA VoipNow V1.2 Control Panel
8. Efonica VoIP Service Subscriber Base Growing Rapidly
9. Google Talk Now Has Voicemail + File Transfer
10. Show Me The Money... In VoIP
11. InnovAlarm VoIP-based Alarm System
12. IM Your Bank Manager?
13. Show Me The Money... In VoIP - More Thoughts
14. 11 Cameras - Lights, Camera, VoIP
15. AppCritical VoIP Assessment Tool For SMBs
16. Examples of VoIP Data Applications
17. VoIP Roundup - Fri Aug 18/06

VoIP Roundup - Fri Aug 18/06

Skype has released version 2.1 beta of their client for PocketPC smartphones, which will actually work on either Windows CE or Windows Mobile 5 devices. [via The VoIP Weblog]

The question of how VoIP calls get routed to their proper destination over the Internet depends on several methods, none of which are standardized. Some people think that this hinders adoption of VoIP for enterprise. So a set of protocols called ENUM (tElephone NUmber Mapping) was devised which is tied directly to domain names or IP addresses in really clever, simple way. Read more at Extreme VoIP.

I'm not the only who makes nearly all of my calls via VoIP or a cell phone. Phoneboy does so as well, but uses Gizmo Project whereas I use Skype for the free SkypeOut in Canada and the US. Although the pc2phone  call quality of Skype (and other soft clients) is pretty bad, as Phoneboy points out.

But using Gizmo does have some shortcomings, too. Go have a read (it's short) about how he got around a not being able to mute his handset during an 800 number-based conference call.

Examples of VoIP Data Applications

Martin Geddes talks about an telephony industry mag called Receiver (sponsored by Vodafone). In his write up, he speculates on the idea of your voicemail being able to distinguish who a call is from, giving different people a different message.

Of course, if you've followed any of the recent posts here about data applications being where VoIP could really shine, you know that it's more than possible - probably already available. (I'm still looking).

In fact, since VoIP-based CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software can presumably retrieve customer records based on who is calling, I can't see why Martin's idea can't be implemented. That means you could have a single VoIP call-in number, usable on a Wi-Fi phone, to conduct all your conversations, business or pleasure.

Of course, in the scenario Martin was talking about, nightclubbing, you'd need widespread Municipal Wi-Fi if VoIP was to be in the equation.

AppCritical VoIP Assessment Tool For SMBs

A new troubleshooting tool from Apparent Networks will help assess VoIP network problems prior to deployment. AppCritical already exists, but a new version aimed at SMBs (Small and Medium Business). [via eWeek]'

The tool is said to have a low-startup curve and requires little training. But at US$40,000, I can't see a lot of SMBs - especially those falling into the "S" category - being able to afford this. What I do see happening is for VoIP solutions integrators/ consultants purchasing the tool and hiring themselves out. Less headache and cost for SMBs.

11 Cameras - Lights, Camera, VoIP

Word is that in Canada, on the CBC government-run TV network, is a new show called 11 Cameras. The concept of the show is centered around lives lived online, where the main characters communicate with each other primarily through video-calling software: VoIP with video. Although the term VoIP is never referred to, nor is "software" mentioned.

You can see the episodes online. (Internet Explorer only, and content not available in all countries.) I'm just not sure it's worth the time. While CBC has award-winning shows much of the time, 11 Cameras certainly cannot be one of them.

The acting is dreadful, the camera angles one-sided, the setup and plotline one-dimensional. What do you expect from a show where the TV viewer sees a computer screen and a few video call windows? That's pretty much all you see, with each character staring straight into their presumed webcam (and one security camera in a variety store).

It might be okay to date via VoIP, but watching people carrying on with their boring lives from one camera angle? Unh-unh. Advice to CBC programming directors: can the show or maybe you'll see "you've got (angry) mail" on your computer screen. If this is the future of million-channel Internet TV, I don't to be part of it.

Show Me The Money... In VoIP - More Thoughts

Ted Wallingford says that others who will make money on VoIP are integrators/ consultants. [Note: Ted Wallingford's VoIP Weblog is moving over to Download Squad. You should also check out his (brief) thoughts about Adam Fisk's dislike of Skype's closed system. (Warning: Adam's article is of a fairly technical nature.)]

Or the money might be in VoIP-based phone booths. [via Andy Abramson's VoIP Watch] Of course, as Andy points out, with so many Municipal Wi-Fi projects going on, could something like payVoIP work?

According to a Synergy Research Group report, IP phones enjoyed a 50+ percent growth over the past year, and nearly 25% growth just from Q1 to Q1 2006. [via eWeek] This supports the idea that the money in VoIP is in the aftermarket. That's my stand and I'm sticking with it.

IM Your Bank Manager?

If you've ever done banking online or by phone, you know that sometimes you run into problems and need some help. But like the IVR (Interactive Voice Reponse) systems of larger banks are not exactly a joy to interact with. A small bank in Arlington, Massachusetts - Leader Bank - realized this and decided to let customers text IM the local branch manager. [via CRM Buyer]

Leader Bank currently only supports AIM (AOL Instant Messenger) but may be adding the Yahoo! and MSN Messenger clients as well. Okay, it's not VoIP, but it's a good step forward in CRM (Customer Relationship Management), which should lead to happier customers. If VoIP support is added, then coupled with data applications, businesses could benefit from the resulting advanced CRM tools.

InnovAlarm VoIP-based Alarm System

It's always nice to see VoIP being used in unique new ways, and that's exactly what InnovAlarm is doing. Imagine home and security alarm systems, but which use Skype or another soft client instead of regular phone lines. The service is in pre-beta. [via Read/Write Web]

The only drawback with this application is that your computer has to be turned on. I'm wondering if there's a market for a similar solution using phone2phone with a VoIP bridge, using hardware such as Digifone's plug'n'play adapter. Phone2phone VoIP calls generally seem to have better quality.

There's obviously a perception that there is a market for InnovAlarm's method. In fact, Read/Write Web reports that the company will be getting $10 M of venture cap in Q4 2006.

Show Me The Money... In VoIP

Om Malik wrote a great speculative piece at GigaOm on who'll make money in VoIP. (There's even a poll question, if you want to put in your two cents worth.) As Om says, with Wi-Fi, any profits made were made mostly by hardware makers (e.g. Linksys, D-Link, Netgear etc.) and chip makers.

It makes sense then that something similar may happen with VoIP, espcially considering how many free services there are. As proof of at least a similar attempt, look at who is offering VoIP hardware and phones. Linksys, Netgear, D-Link, and others, of course.

While some of the offerings are a bit pricey - normal for new consumer gadgets - I would assume their collective market research teams did enough homework to determine that someone would actually, given the number of products released.

It all supports my own hypothesis so far that people don't want to pay for intangibles such as soft VoIP, but are more than happy to spend $200-300 on a Skype Wi-Fi phone.

Google Talk Now Has Voicemail + File Transfer

Google Talk, Google's text + VoIP IM (Instant Messaging) client, now has voicemail and file transfer. I could swear, however, that this was already available as recently as a week or two ago. However, according to a C|Net news article, these are new features announced yesterday, for Google Talk's first birthday. [via GigaOm]

GoogleTalk now offers a soft client for Blackberry devices, but has yet to offer true VoIP capabilities such as calling in or out from/to regular phones. Vozin Communications Talqer soft client, which integrates with Talk or runs standalone, provides such features.

Efonica VoIP Service Subscriber Base Growing Rapidly

Efonica, Fusion Telecommunications' global VoIP service now has over 400,000 subscribers since their launch two months ago. Fusion announced this week that they added 150,000 subscribers in the last two weeks alone. (Their consumer, business, and government clients are distributed in over 100 countries.)

The Efonica service allows users to make free calls using Fusion's SIP adapter. Calls can be made from any combination of PCs, internet phones and regular phones. Fusion recently filed for a VoIP patent for their DSP (Directed SIP Peer-to-Peer) technology.

Rack-Soft 4PSA VoipNow V1.2 Control Panel

Rack-Soft's 4PSA VoIPNow (no connection with this website) is a VoIP control panel for a variety of Linux operating systems. It allows HSPs (Hosting Service Providers) and ISPs (Internet Service Providers) to offer VoIP service to residential and business customers.

The newest version, 1.2, is out of public beta testing. Prices start at US$299, and a trial can be obtained at Rack-Soft's website. There is also an online demo of 4PSA VoIPNow.

Globe7: Free Net2phone For Watching Video Ads

Globe7 has joined the mad rush to give away Internet calling for free. But they've take a different approach to monetizing VoIP: making you watch video advertising. To make it worth your while, though, you get a half-cent (US$0.005) credit for every minute of video you watch, good for international calls.

They've also thrown in a free gigabyte of web storage space, where you can backup and share your files. And they've added customizable news feeds in the soft client so you can keep up with the latest news.

In addition to voice, you can make video calls to other Globe7 users. In fact, they're also making a play for other video services, including IPTV/ Internet TV. Although at this point, their content consists of just clips and trailers - which is what you have to watch to earn credits for your international calls.

While they maybe wisely do not use the term "VoIP" on their home page, they unwisely only support Windows 2000 and XP. You also need Adobe Flash Player 8 or above to watch the video ads. I assume, though, that with all the other clients that support Mac or Linux, Globe7 will eventually follow suit.

Personally, though, while this is a great concept, I think they dropped the ball on this one. They really should have incorporated this in terms of a social network and given it a catchier name.

Oh, wait a minute, they did. They call it "my forest". It makes me wonder what age group they're aiming at. My forest? Maybe that's why they want my birthdate (and phone number and whether I'm M/F) during the registration process. All I can wonder is why?

You're asking me for far too much information all at the same time, just to use your service. Apparently others disagree, as they've had about 18 million downloads. It'll be interesting to see how many people are actually using the service, and whether that number increases when they come out with a Wi-Fi version of Globe7. I'll stick to Sightspeed or Yahoo! Messenger 8, thanks. (Although I'll be honest; I can't remember what info either one asked for, but I'm pretty they didn't need my birthdate, sex and phone number.)

Maximizing VoIP Functionality For Your Home

Thinking about adding VoIP service at home? Here are a few tips and options for maximizing the value of your setup.

Plan on keeping your regular phone line for the time being. While some companies are developing solutions for e-911 emergency calling, most providers don't offer this. If you have children or elder family members, I suggest you keep your current line, or maybe a cell phone.

If you already have a broadband Internet connection, you don't need to get your VoIP through pure play providers such as Vonage. If you still want to be able to take regular phone calls, try one of the plug'n'play adapters that are popping up. They let you use your existing handsets and come with VoIP service, usually by the minute. Most of these VoIP adapters have a bypass feature which allows you to take/ make regular phone calls as well.

Alternately, you can set up a wireless router and purchase Wi-Fi VoIP phones, which can then be used pretty much all over your house, and possibly even outside, within range. Since this setup makes use of soft VoIP clients, the only way that people can call you from a PSTN or mobile phone is if you have a call-in number and service such as SkypeIn or Gizmo Call-In, or something similar.

Evidence suggests that phone2phone calls using a VoIP bridge tend to be of higher quality than pc2phone or phone2pc calls. So keep that in mind when deciding what type of setup to go with, and consider ways to improve call quality for pc2pc and pc2phone.

Can VoIP Providers Implement CALEA?

CALEA, or Communcations Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, has a lot of misconceptions surrounding it in terms of its applicability to VoIP, as well as security issues. The IT Association of America (ITAA) has isued a report (PDF, 21 pgs) to educate VoIP service providers.  [source: TMC Net]

The deadline for CALEA compliance for VoIP providers is May 14, 2007, and the ITAA questions the ability of smaller providers to comply in time, due to the expected financial cost. Amongst other things, they also question whether standards can be developed for CALEA for VoIP because of all the different VoIP types. The ITAA paper includes Vinton Cerf of Google as an author.

Another group, GLIIF (Global Lawful Interception Industry Forum) issued a rebuttal (PDF, 8 pages) with pretty much the exact same title as the ITAA document.

My pure gut instinct says that the GLIIF report sounds like a bunch of companies protecting their own investment in future CALEA solutions, because my educated guess indicates that their main rebuttal points are in turn refutable. In fact, from the glance I had at the GLIIF document, it contradicts the opinions and public statements about CALEA made by many well-known Internet experts earlier this year.

However, that's just my feeling, and without reading both documents thoroughly, I'm not make any definitive declarations. Ultimately, whether I support it or not, I think all types of VoIP calls will be wiretapped - maybe not immediately because of technical issues, but eventually. It's been that way for decades with PSTN lines, and governments are just not going to give up that kind of surveillance power. (Having worked for telcos, I've heard things that worry me, but things aren't going to change, especially in the current climate of fear.)

VoIP Tips: Phase In Telephony Changes

Planning to move from POTS/ PSTN to a VoIP system? Howard Berkowitz says that the move can be incremental, and in fact recommends that approach rather than a wholesale change. Incremental changes, he suggests, reduce the chances of technical problems that come from installing a complete VoIP system. [via Techworld]

One of his key pieces of advice is that any size business that switches to VoIP should also keep one regular PSTN line or mobile phone. That's exactly what I do. I make as many calls as I can using VoIP, but currently keep my PDA phone for inbound calls for anyone who does not use any of the multitude of VoIP soft clients that I use.

Good planning of your move to IP telephony will reduce the problems that are some times inevitable for a new VoIP system implementation.

VoIP System Implementation Tips

Not everyone who has switched their business to VoIP is happy with their results. A Detroit-based law firm switched their telephony a couple of years ago, but has had regular system problems, including crashing. The VoIP system was provided by a client of the firm.

The firm spent US$750K on their six-office VoIP project for a couple hundred lawyers, and had considered ditching it because of all the system problems. However, a software services firm, Compuware Vantage, helped them solve many of the problems. Compuware's management tool reduced support calls from lawyers by 50/ day down to five/ day. The law firm's additional expenditure was just under $100K. [via Computer World]

Project management practices often tell you to essentially not throw good money after bad. In this case, the extra expense was worth it, to make the initial investment bear fruit.

These problems bring some key issues that businesses considering a VoIP system should consider:

Firstly, plan to run a VoIP system on a dedicated computer server. In fact, you may need more than one server. (See steps 2 + 3.)

Secondly, make sure that you run network diagnostic tools to analyze and report on peak network times. Any server worth its salt, whether for VoIP or just a website or database, has to be able to handle peak traffic, not just average performance.

Thirdly, if your company's business is phone-based, you're probably going to need backup VoIP servers, where overflow calls get shunted at peak times. This a technique that high-volume websites, including search engines, use. Unless you are running a call center, you will not need dozens of VoIP servers, but you may need a few.

This sort of information is something any good VoIP system provider/ reseller/ consultant will tell you, but knowing this makes you more aware of what potential problems your IP telephony network might encounter. More knowledge means you're less likely to be cheated or run into problems later.

VoIP Roundup - Mon Aug 14/06

Don't know how I missed this, but Digium, the company responsible for the popular open source PBX telephony software Asterisk, received nearly $14 million in venture capital funding. The funds will partly be used for expanding operations with intent of approaching both SMBs and enterprises. [via GigaOm] Om also had an interview last week with Mark Spencer, founder of Digium and creator of Asterisk.

Uvoipia is yet another VoIP provider whose service lets you use your existing telephone handset via SIP-based phone adapter and a broadband Internet connection. The device allows you to also make and receive standard phone calls. The service caters to Canadians and Americans, and has a variety of business and residential rates. In-network calls to other Uvoipia users are free with the UR Phone plan, which only charges a small monthly fee.

Want to make Skype calls with a regular phone handset? VIVOphone has an adapter, VoiceKey, about the size of a Zippo cigarette lighter. Note that you're not using your regular PSTN phone line. Instead, you plug the phone or PBX into the VoiceKey, and the VoiceKey into a USB port on your computer. So you cannot take regular phone calls. You can, however, connect a cordless phone to the VoiceKey [via Daily Tech]

Fastlinks For Mon Aug 07 - Fri Aug 11, 2006

For your convenience, here are internal links to articles posted this week.

1. VoIP Call Quality To Landlines Really Does Suck
2. VoIP From A Cell Phone With MINO Wireless
3. VoIP Roundup - Mon Aug 07/06
4. Keeping Secrets In The Open Using VoIP
5. VoIP Roundup - Tue Aug 08/06
6. KishKish Skype VoIP Lie Detector Test
7. Is SIP The Building Block For IP Telephony Features?
8. Meebo Meet My VoIPpleganger
9. VoIP Roundup - Wed Aug 09/06
10. Digifone Plug'N'Play VoIP Device For Regular Handsets
11. VoIPing For Profit - Ether Consulting In Action
12. VoIP Roundup - Thur Aug 10/06
13. We Need Better Cellular Wireless Data Plans
14. Cable VoIP vs Pure Play
15. VoIP Roundup - Fri Aug 11/06

VoIP Roundup - Fri Aug 11/06

The Deputy Director General for Telecomunications at the OUR (Office of Utilities Regulation) in Jamaica feels that VoIP will eventually dominate fixed phone lines. But VoIP industry players there are understating that, saying that VoIP will supplement rather than dominate fixed lines. [via Jamaica Gleaner]

I don't know exchange rates but unlimited calling there costs between 1500-2000 Jamaican dollars per month. Service initiation fees cost almost double that, one time. Sounds like a lot, but apparently, though, this is "low cost".

Daily India has an interesting perspective to the value of VoIP in the home: family ties. The article points out the cost of long-distance calls have a negative social effect: loss of family ties and resulting regret.

A rather heavy verdict, but maybe it's true for immigrants of some countries. It's not surprising that many of the reader questions on this site are basically "how can I call from/to India for free". By sheer population size, India and, to a lesser extent, China will have many ex-pats living elsewhere, say North America, than other countries. Free calls, or at least inexpensive net2phone calls, would give families a stronger bond.

I've asked the question before: when you think of VoIP, who do you think of? Skype? Vonage? Despite the reputed US$20 M/ month that Vonage spends on advertising, and their slogan "VoIP with Vonage", more people might be associating VoIP with Skype. [via Networking Pipeline]

Regardless, I'd choose Skype over Vonage any day simply because of all the extra features, such as video, the ability to plug in Jyve to get paid for my time, file sharing, etc. Although, there are people who would benefit from a basic service such as Vonage.

Cable VoIP vs Pure Play

Apparently cable VoIP is giving providers such as Vonage a run for their money. That's because for a few dollars more per month, customers are getting cable (data + video) plus telephony, as well as other features that pure play VoIP cannot provide. [via CED Magazine]

This IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) architecture promises far more than pure play VoIP. One of the most important expected features, to some people, will be a global phone number, which can be used anywhere and can be called from anywhere.

While Vonage is still in the lead in volume, it's probably due to the extra features why cable companies are leading in new VoIP subscribers, and why one company, Time Warner, isn't far behind in total subscribers.

On the other hand, I know people who do not watch TV or use the Internet, but do have a need for a telephone, without any "global number" feature. There's always a market for basic telephony. It just may no longer be worth the amount of monthly advertising that companies like Vonage are said to spend (US$20M).

We Need Better Cellular Wireless Data Plans

For the last two days, my regular Internet connection was unavailable. As a result, I was forced to eat up the bandwidth on my cellular data plan, to research and post articles here and elsewhere. No VoIP calls, no streaming media, no downloading of movies. Just pure browsing. Nothing outside of allowable activities.

My monthly bandwidth cap of 250 Mb/month is virtually gone in two days, leaving me only about 70Mb for the rest of the month. If I pass the 250 Mb cap, it's going to cost me about $3/Mb. At my current bandwidth usage rate, that's about $210-240/day of excess fees. Literally.

So I called up my cellular provider and begged for a better data plan, to no avail. It's the third time I've asked this year. They'd already rolled back their "unlimited" offer on PCMCIA laptop "data cards". No more unlimited access. And nothing better than 250 Mb/mth.

But it got me to thinking about how expensive Internet access, hosting, etc., used to be even just five years ago. Prices eventually went down as the actual market size increased. At the current rates of cellular wireless data plans, it's just too expensive to want to make VoIP calls on a smartphone/ PDA. Unless you use something like MINO Wireless, which keeps the Internet access during a VoIP call to a minimum.

Otherwise, forget about mobile VoIP with soft clients running on your mobile device. For now, at least. Maybe, in the near future, when mobile telecoms get on board with VoIP, we'll see more favorable rates for data plans.

VoIP Roundup - Thur Aug 10/06

Successful personal development blogger Steve Pavlina wrote recently, in an article detailing 10 reasons why it's worth learning some technical abilities, that he disconnected his entire house from traditional phone lines and switched fully to VoIP. [via Steve Pavlina] He does not say anything about e-911 emergency calling nor the service he's using.

Riverside, California is initiating a pilot project for muni Wi-Fi. It's also being touted as a public safety network. [via Xchange Mag]

Got a GSM-based cell phone? The new CelluNet gateway allows mobile- to- mobile VoIP calls on a GSM network, via a SIP bridge, which should produce a cost savings forproviders of GSM. [via Asterisk VoIP News]

If you're an AOL subscriber, you may be pleased to hear that their parent company, Time Warner, is changing their fee structure to provide email, IM (Instant Messaging) and VoIP free of charge. But only to broadband users. So if you're on their outrageously priced dialup plan, it's time to quit and move up to broadband. [via Teleclick, CNBC TV]

VoIPing For Profit - Ether Consulting In Action

I've previously covered Ether, a voice-based (pay-per-call) web service that lets you set up consulting practice with just a phone, email and Internet site. This is not a VoIP service per se, however, you can use a VoIP phone number for accepting calls. (Jyve, on the other hand, offers similar functionality but works over top of Skype.)

I just revisted the Ether site recently, to see what's changed since the got out of beta. On their blog page, I noticed a list of websites using Ether and browsed through them. There are a few using Ether very creatively, but I haven't called any of them to see if they're actually getting any busines. Here are few interesting listings where the charge is not by the hour:

The AdventistPastors has Skypecast podcasts, and advice (presumably spiritual) for parishioners via Ether is billed at $1/min.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, not to be confused with the world-famous musician, has an organization called the Art of Living, which provides a free Ether call, presumably to discuss other paid services.

Can't come up with something for dinner? Enterprising foodie and food-blogger, Greg, is offering affordable recipe help ($2.50 for 5 minutes) or a dinner idea ($1.00/15 min). Truly ingenius. Makes me laugh, but you'd be surprised at how many people have trouble making dinner on a regular basis.

Having job troubles? A severance package lawyer is offering 20 minutes of advice for $95. Need help with with your website development? Tyler Hall charges only $2.00/min for consultation. Can't figure out what gadget to get? Optical Poptitude is only charging $3 for 15 minutes of advice. For on and offline media publishing advice, it'll only cost you $0.35/min from the website Apple Week.

If you couple Ether with a plug'n'play VoIP device such as Digifone, you can bring the cost of setting up and running a consulting business essentially down to nearly nothing.

Digifone Plug'N'Play VoIP Device For Regular Handsets

Digifone UK has a new plug'n'play VoIP unit that lets people make free broadband phone calls using current handsets, without a computer. All you need is a broadband Internet connection, and you're good to go. You'll probably need a broadband router as well, so that you can split the broadband line between the Digifone unit and your computer.

Digifone currently has 3 models. The EL1 (GBP 50) handles one line. The EL2 (GBP 100) is for two lines. For three or more lines, there's the EL4, which is GBP 100, plus GBP 50 per extra line. Prices are inclusive of VAT, postage and handling.

The system is compatible with H.323/ SIP-based terminals and will work with a PBX. The unit itself runs with an embedded Linux operating system kernel. (More details are available by contacting Digifone via email.) According to the detailed specs, you can call PSTN even if AC power fails. The unit is FCC approved, as well as MIC (Korea).

The list of countries for free calls numbers roughly 30 and includes Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, UK, New Zealand, USA (+mobile), and several more European and Asian countries (but no India). This is comparable to Jajah, which requires you to use a computer, and calls are limited to 30 minutes. While Gizmo Project offers free calls to 60 countries, both parties in a call have to be registered.

The Digifone VoIP service is provided by a German company,  Betamax. You're allowed a maximum of 300 minutes per week of free calls. After that, a rate of 0.7 pence (British) per minute is charged (0.8 p/min for British mobile phones, free for British landlines). Call summaries are sent monthly by a customer's choice of email or snail mail (post).

Other countries and rates will be listed on Digifone's website, but I don't recall seeing anything up there yet. There's also no mention of e-911 handling, but I'm assuming that since you can make direct calls to PSTN numbers, that it's not an issue. Whether or not the emergency service will see your number on their call-display I'm not sure.

If you're a communications company, Digifone is looking for licensees anywhere in the world. The EL series has received a number of awards, including Pulver100 (USA), 2004 Mae Kyung Venture Grand Prix (Korea), and Certificate of Technology Evaluation (Fraunhofer Institute, Germany). Just a guess, but I think more devices like these are going to be making telecoms quake but cable providers happy. Get in on the action.

VoIP Roundup - Wed Aug 09/06

Jeff Pulver (Pulvermedia) and Paul Kaputska have just launched Vonosphere, a website dedicated to voice- and video-on-net news. Jeff is a very proactive person who writes letters to politicians regarding issues such as net neutrality. Congrats to both of you on the new site. [via IP Inferno]

The pricey (US$350) new Mylo from Sony, like the HyunWon Boxon, is a combo consumer electronics gadget. But it actually has VoIP, in the form of Skype. [Sony via Engadget, The VoIP Weblog]

Vonage has come up with a way to offer real e-911 access to their customers. The service ties the caller's phone number with a phsyical address. [via Xchange Mag]

Cindy Waxer of TMC Net says that VoIP job opportunities abound. So, she says, forget about become a doctor or lawyer. Apparently,  the second-fastest growing occupation is in the area of network systems and data communication analysis, right through to 2014. Job numbers will increase by 55%.

VoIP in the enterprise to date relies on WANs (Wide-Area Networks), but deployment's been a headache for some network managers. That's because VoIP is a demanding application in terms of network usage and traffic patterns. [via TMC Net] An alternative is to deploy VoIP over MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) networks.

Meebo Meet My VoIPpleganger

A couple of early Friday mornings ago, something strange happened to me, just before I went to bed. Skype messaged me saying someone wanted to add me to their buddy list. Okay, that's not strange, but the person had the same initials and last name as me. Had I pressed some strange combo of ALT-keys? No, this was a real person, and they lived half-way across the world. Some sort of VoIP doppleganger - a VoIPpleganger, maybe?

Then, after a few hours of sleep, I'd barely un-hibernated my laptop when someone from the Ukraine IMed me via the Gaim text IM client, on my AIM/ICQ account. Gaim was running for one business contact, Google Talk for another, and Skype was running for the free SkypeOut within Canada and the US. Gizmo Project wasn't running, and I hadn't installed Yahoo! Messenger 8 yet. And I'd just shut down the Trillian IM client because Gaim could manage the same accounts.

The moral of the story? Arrrrrrggggghhhhh. My laptop's RAM is always maxxed out because of all these damned text/ VoIP IM clients running for different biz contacts. Are you going crazy trying, too, trying to manage a handful of software clients?

Fortunately, a number of companies are making an effort to either be compatible with other IM clients, or at least be a bridge. We've already covered a few. For example, the newest Yahoo and MSN Messengers are compatible, and Festoon Unity tries to bridge Skype + Google Talk.

Well here's another one, which bridges four different IMs. And you don't have to download anything: Meebo. Meebo, which is AJAX-powered, works in your web browser, sort of like a virtual desktop. It bridges AIM/ICQ, Jabber/ Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, and MSN Messenger IM accounts. You get little dialog windows that you can move around, and all of your contacts from all of your above-mentioned accounts sit in one handy little window, with different icons to differentiate their source IM.

Meebo Me is a separate web-based service which lets you place a chat box/ shout box on a website/ weblog, and probably aimed at the various social networks. I haven't tried it because I already have an abundance of shoutboxes on my sites.

Meebo itself doesn't handle VoIP, nor Skype or Gizmo Project clients to my knowledge. But maybe all that's coming. Although it is convenient, easy-to-use, and a good start to IM network compatibility. Enough said; go give it a try.

Is SIP The Building Block For IP Telephony Features?

Many people think that the SIP-based technology will be the core building block for future enterprise IP telephony networks, especially for call control protocols and offering features for VoIP that are already present in existing telephony systems.

SIP, or Session Initiation Protocol, is an IETF proposed standard to manage online multimedia sessions that include video, voice, IM, and more. As such, there is expected to be strong interest in the SIP market in the near future. [via CNS Magazine] Light Reading has published a new report studying the SIP market  (US$900).

KishKish Skype VoIP Lie Detector Test

KishKish has a new feature for Skype called SAM, which effectively functions like a lie detector. Or so they claim. Voice Stress Analysis is the principle on which lie detectors work. SAM can do this for VoIP calls recorded from Skype.

SAM was orginally just a voice answering machine for Skype. If you're away, it'll record the call and notify you with a list of messages, as well as access to the recording. Now it also detects voice levels on recorded Skype calls, to help determine if the person is potentially lying. [via Skype Blogs]

On their webpage, they have a video of President Clinton talking about the allegations levelled at him re Monica Skankinksi.. uh Lewinski. While the video is playing, a little graph shows P-Willy's voice level fluctuating, synced to his facial and hand gestures. Yet I saw no stress in Clinton's face nor heard any in his voice, despite what SAM suggests. They have a "Skype Me" button to a profile named "clintondenial". If you've downloaded and installed SAM, you can record the call and try the VSA feature yourself. (There's a 10-day free trial, the installation's simple, and SAM is very easy to use, as is the VSA feature.)

Keep in mind that lie detector tests are often disallowed in court in the US. Still, there are a few other presidents and prime ministers I'd like to VoIP and record when KishKish comes out with their real-time version of SAM.

VoIP Roundup - Tue Aug 08/06

Looking for work in the VoIP field? 2it Consulting is looking for a Pre-sales Engineer with Cisco VoIP/ IPT (IP Telephony) experience for one of their clients in the Sydney, Australia area. [via IT Wire]

Jajah has added Australia and New Zealand to its list of free-call countries that can have free phone-to-phone calls using Jajah's VoIP bridge. [via m-net]

The Philippines government has an interest in VoIP and wants to build intranets for its use. Several government agencies are said to be buying switches for installation. Once the VoIP intranets are built, the next step will be to hook into commercial telephony networks in the Philippines, but not until they offer VoIP services as well. [via Inq7] This is an interesting approach, and one I assume the VoIP-over-municipal-WiFi project in Taiwan is considering as well.

Apparently, Skype will have an official version available for MS-Windows Smartphone 2003-based mobile smartphones/ PDAs. (Note: there is already a Skype client for Windows Pocket PC-based devices.) The bonus for owners of dual-mode phones is that they'll have a choice of Skype over either Wi-Fi or 3G - a sort of DIY converged service. [via Red Herring] It'll be interesting to see how fast they'll come out with a Mobile Linux version, once Mobile Linux for PDAs actually exists.

First there were Skype-certified Wi-Fi phones, now Alpha Networks is offering Google Talk-enabled Wi-Fi phones. Google's GMail will also be supported. [via Asterisk VoIP News]

Keeping Secrets In The Open Using VoIP

Hackers-cum-researchers performed an interesting security-testing experiment earlier this year using VoIP phone numbers and Internet social networks. They presented their findings recently at Defcon.

Their primary plan was to determine if secret signals could be passed right out in the open, from enemy agencies to their agents. They theorized that the use of social networks to transmit carrier messages might increase the noise ratio so that it would be harder for "unauthorized parties" to decode the secret but publicly-transmitted messages.

This is in fact a technique already used covertly by intelligence agencies. However, they use shortwave numbers stations, and all governments have denied such operations. The general technique is to broadcast streams of seemingly nonsensical numbers or words, often in a female or child's voice. Of course, the stream represents a code, and only a few parties have the cipher to decode it.

Strom Carlson, a security researcher, and the hackers collective Project Evil teamed up to see if someone could do the same thing using the Internet, particularly using any of the abundant social networks out there. What they did was set up their own numbers stations. But instead of using shortwave transmissions, they used VoIP phone numbers and recordings. If you called such a number, you would hear a stream of code words. They advertised the existence of the VoIP numbers stations using Craigslist pages, using fake messages, to see if anyone would participate.

In short, they were successful getting others with a cryptographic interest to participate and decode messages using a one-time key. They figure enemy forces could be too. This is something proponents of CALEA may want to take note of: if hostile parties want to use VoIP, they are not necessarily going to use unencoded messages. (On the other hand, this experiment by Carlson might just give CALEA proponents more fodder.)

CALEA stands for Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, and, in short, gives any Law Enforcement agency the right to wiretap communications networks, including the Internet and VoIP, in special circumstances. Although to date, it's not on the agenda to tap soft VoIP calls using clients such as GoogleTalk and Skype.

Of course, there are those people that believe that email spam is being used as numbers stations for intelligence communications. Although who is behind it is hard to say. (I particularly notice some interesting word patterns in the spam in my university alumni email account.) Public key cryptography concepts date back centuries, and the Internet is a perfect distribution vehicle. Just never thought VoIP could be used as a supplementary broadcasting outlet.

Additional sources: Slashdot, Homeland Stupidity, Defcon.

VoIP Roundup - Mon Aug 07/06

According to a recent IDC report, Microsoft views VoIP as a very profitable revenue opportunity, and their iniatives will be disruptive for the next few years. Part of their plans include challenging PBX and IP PBX vendors. [via Businesswire]

As businesses and individuals move towards a digital media convergence, in terms of network infrastructure, for voice, data, and video networks, security is going to become more of an issue. Security Park recommends that vendors wanting to enter the VoIP security space should work closely with end-user focus groups. [via Security Park] They have a VoIP security special report (US$1295), in association with Data Monitor, which addresses some of the issues.

Zeus Kerravala, VP of Enabling Technologies, Yankee Group, spoke at TMC's VoIP Developer show, stating that the "low hanging fruit" of the VoIP market "consists of softphones, call centers, and the convergence of VoIP and mobile devices." As well, he suggested that companies focus on ROI (Return on Investment), not TCO (Total Cost of Ownership). I'm thinking that eBay already thought of that when the spent US$2+ billion buying Skype.

VoIP traffic volume on telecom networks is expected to double during the next 12 months. As a result, call quality may get worse. The solution may be new SIP-based services enabled by IMS (Internet Multimedia Subsystem) upgrades to telecom networks. [via VNU Net]

The Prairie Island Indian Community in Minnesota, USA, is using VoIP for their communications. The solution from IPcelerate will also include a rapid emergency notification system that alerts all 150 community households. [via TMC Net] Glad to see that someone solved the emergency calling problem.

With video-conferencing become a standard feature in the new generation of VoIP/ WoIP soft clients, businesses are asking questions about how and what hardware and software to setup, as well as issues of conferencing etiquette. VoIP.com is offering some guidance in that regard. [via PR Web]

VoIP From A Cell Phone With MINO Wireless

Dr. Watson? It's MINO. MINO Wireless is a new VoIP service for smartphones and PDAs that have cellular wireless data connections to the Internet. Calling between forty countries is supported, for approximately 2 cents per minute. Besides PSTN phones,  MINO works on Java-enabled cell phones, or those with a WAP-based web browser. [via The VoIP Weblog, VoIP Monitor]

Most cell phones/ PDAs that can surf the internet will support WAP. MINO is also carrier-independent, so presumably this service will work for nearly any cell phone or PDA. Right now, they have a couple of promos. For those hesistant to use the service, the software is free and you get a trial of 30 minutes worth of free calls. MINO-to-MINO calls are half-price. If you like the service and refer friends, you'll get US$1.00 for each referral.

As it's my job to test as many services as possible, I signed up. The process is relatively simple, and they seem to support a lot of phone manufacturers. My cellular carrier was not on the list, but the info provided AFTER sign-up shows that GSM phones can download software and CDMA phones can use the WAP site. (This is in fact partially incorrect, as I found out later.)

Since my carrier uses CDMA for the Palm Treo 650 (with 1xEV-DO wireless), I can only report on my experience in that regard. And unfortunately, as seems to be the case every time I try VoIP services on my Treo 650 (CDMA), it didn't work from the WAP browser.

But their website instructions are slightly incorrect (as I found out afterwards). So I went to their regular website, entered a couple of phone numbers I'd be calling from, including Treo's mobile number, then tried a couple of calls. I was finally able to do a PSTN-to-PSTN call successfully, but after several tries, I nearly gave up on involving my Treo in the equation.

Actually, being the stubborn sort that I am, I then sent MINO support an email, and they got back to me nearly immediately. (Thanks to Jim + Ray at MINO for their help.) After a few emails exchanged, MINO Support helped me figure out the right way, at least for my set up.

First, I had to download their Java application and install it to my Treo (despite the signup instructions for CDMA phones). Then, when making a call, I had to wait 30 seconds for the call to connect. What I also had not done is switch my Treo from data to phone mode. Doh!

Finally, using the MINO Java app on my Treo, I punched in the number I was calling and waited until the call connected. Then I switched over to phone mode on my Treo. MINO called me, then dialed my father. Success! I felt like Alexander Graham Bell. Finally, success using VoIP on a mobile device!! I could hear my father clearly, and he could hear me.

In fact, he said that call quality was far better than my previous calls to his landline from Skype. As a result of the call quality, he actually plans to use MINO and some of the other similar services, such as Jajah, for phone2phone long distance use. (Gizmo Project requires that the party you're calling has registered as well, which won't work for him.) However, he's a bit more reluctant to use pc2phone services because he doesn't like the call quality. So to paraphrase a popular candy's catchphrase, quality mobile to phone VoIP calling does exist.

VoIP Call Quality To Landlines Really Does Suck

I've increasingly been taking advantage of Skype's free calling to landlines within Canada and the US lately. To date, I've probably made calls to six or seven people at four different phone numbers. It appears that VoIP calls made to my Internet hosting provider's support line are of the worst quality. At least on their end.

With the exception of one call, I hear the person I'm calling (on a landline) clear and crisp. But last night, while trying to resolve some domain name issues, the hosting company rep repeatedly had to tell me that she was picking up only every other word I said. The conversation ended up taking twice as long as I'd hoped. For Skype calls to other people, though, the callee stated that they thought I sounded distant or maybe in some sort of booth. Quality wasn't great, they said, but it was passable.

On the other hand, a Skype-to-Skype VoIP call with someone half-way across the world was clear as a bell, with a single audio artefact - a slight buzz for a millisecond - and a slightly reduced volume. The other party literally sounded like he was in the same room as me, hence barely a noticeable delay. The person's voice, however, did drop in volume a few times. Which might have been what had happened with my voice when I called my hosting company.

This all contradicts what I said previously about call quality, supporting Brix Networks findings. I think there are a number of factors to consider when determining what kind of VoIP quality you'll experience. There are ways to improve call quality, but if one party is using a landline and the other a computer, quality may be poor.

My observation so far is that if you want to involve VoIP, pc2pc seems to have the best call quality, provided you have a broadband Internet connection. Phone2phone with a VoIP bridge usually does as well. (I tried with Jajah, which offers free calling between registered users. However, I only called myself, with a phone in each ear, so that's not a true indicator.)

Fastlinks For Mon Jul 31 - Fri Aug 4, 2006

For convenience, here is a list of internal links to articles that were posted this week on VoIP Now:

1. IM Text/VoIP Lowdown
2. VoIP Roundup #4
3. Yahoo Messenger 8 IM - Text + VoIP Features
4. Sandhills Software Skype Add-ons
5. VoIPing For Profit - Ether Consulting
6. VoIP Roundup - Tues Aug 1/06
7. VoIPing For Profit - Jyve Talking
8. Festoon Unity Video + Voice Bridges Skype + Google Talk
9. VoIP Roundup - Wed Aug 2/06
10. How Do You VoIP?
11. VoIP Roundup - Thur Aug 03/06
12. How To Make Free VoIP Calls - Reader Q+A
13. VoIP Roundup - Fri Aug 04/06 - Press
14. Advanced VoIP Apps For Enterprise, SOHOs and SMBs
15. How To Record VoIP Calls - Reader Q+A

How To Record VoIP Calls - Reader Q+A

There are many reasons to record VoIP calls, especially in a business setting. But even for home use, it can come in handy. (Just have the courtesy to notify the person you're talking to that you are recording the call. In fact, in some countries, recording a regular telephone call without the other person's consent is illegal. Unless you're the government.)

On a previous post about recording VoIP calls, one reader, Richard, asked how he can record his calls using 3rd party audio recording software:

I have been reading your site about how to record VOIP calls. I have Nero Wave Editor and have tried recording. However, the speaker is a fair way from the microphone and I cannot hear the other person when I play back the recording. Would I have to place the speaker close to the microphone or is there another way where the recording can be done perhaps internally through the sound card. If so, would Nero Wave Editor enable me to do this or would I need something else?

Richard, you don't say whether you are using a softVoIP client, such as Skype, Google Talk, Gizmo Project, etc., or if you are using hard VoIP through some PBX device. Let's discuss both scenarios. Regardless of your setup, you want to combine the audio of both people at the same volume.

Recording From Soft VoIP Clients
If you're using something like Skype, there are 3rd-party plugins and overlays. I'm using HotRecorder. With most other softVoIP clients, such as SightSpeed and Yahoo! Messenger, etc., audio recording is built-in. You just have to activate it. So I'm assuming that if you are using a soft client, you do not have built-in recording. In this case, you'll need to employ an external mixer.

First, I don't recommend placing the speaker near your mic. If you do, you're likely to get screeching feedback. Instead, you'll have to send the audio output of your computer to an audio mixer. (I use inexpensive, good-quality Behringer mixers, but they're popular and sometimes hard to find.)

You don't need multiple channels or anything fancy. You're simply going to reroute the audio of your conversation by sending it out of your computer, to the mixer, and back into your computer's audio input, and thus into your recording software - in this case, Nero Wave Editor. I haven't used Nero, but I'm assuming that you will have to manually trigger it, when you start a conversation.

Recording From Pure-Play VoIP Phones
If you're using a regular handset and have VoIP via a service like Vonage, or are using a VoIP PBX, etc., this is a bit more difficult to answer. As I said in previous post on recording, there are special solutions. Otherwise, it depends on the specific phone you are using, but you might be able to output the audio of the conversation from the handset straight to your computer's audio input.

As before, you'd have to trigger your recording software manually. Unless your phone has a MIDI (Musical Instrument Device Interface) port, in which case you'd have to have a sound card on your computer with a MIDI port as well. This is a very unlikely situation. I haven't heard of telephone handsets with MIDI ports because they serve no existing need of musicians and composers. But in case they exist and you find one, the MIDI signal from the phone would trigger your recording software - provided it has MIDI sync capabilities.

But generally speaking, whether using soft or hard VoIP, you basically want to route the conversation's audio directly to your recording software, and this may require a multiplexer or a simple channel mixer as an intermediary device. If you're recording calls for podcasts and want to mix in other sounds, you're better off doing after-call sound editing.

In either case (soft or hard VoIP), you'll have to do a bit of planning to determine the most efficient way to record your calls.

Aside: For general audio recording needs, I use a variety of software. But for the price, you can't beat the free, robust, open source, high-quality Audacity audio recording software. It's supposedly written by industry insiders for garage/ basement/ bedroom musician, but can be used for any audio recording - up to 16 channels simultaneously, if your computer's RAM can handle it. It accepts Steinberg Cubase's VST plugins. (Cubase is a high-end music composing/ sequencing software package.) There's also a built-in programming language, Nyquist, in Audacity, with which you can write your own audio effects. Audacity runs on Windows, Mac OS X, and GNU/ Linux.

Advanced VoIP Apps For Enterprise, SOHOs and SMBs

According to CIO Today, VoIP adoption is getting a boost through advanced features such as broadcasting, presence, find-me/ follow-me, and conferencing. But the real promise of VoIP, they say, is in the integration of voice and data applications.

VoIP also gives advanced CRM (Customer Relationship Management) power to SMBs (Small to Medium Businesses) and even SOHO (Small Office/ Home Office) owners. [via TechNews World]

By treating VoIP as a data application, some incredibly sophisticated CRM experiences can be produced. Throw in auto-answer attendants and CCXML and VoiceXML support, and you have a powerful voice-driven VoIP-based IVR (Interactive Voice Response).

You can also take advantge of VoIP data. For example, if you're an SMB that sells services or products over the phone, each VoIP call becomes data you can store: which country or city the call came from, how much and what they purchased, etc. All of this data can be quantized, stored, and then geo-analyzed. For larger businesses that have multi-language operators, you can transfer calls to the correct operator by applying language defaults based on IP addresses.

It's not that you cannot do this via existing phone systems and computers, but it's not integrated, and thus requires more human data entry. With VoIP data applications, most of the process becomes automated and thus less prone to error. Imagine getting a monthly report, via, email, from your VoIP system showing sales by region. This is just a glimpse into the potential of advanced VoIP data applications.

VoIP Roundup - Fri Aug 04/06 - Press

Here's a summary of some of the VoIP-related PR we've received recently.

Actiontec Electronics and Azlan have signed a distributor agreement for the Actiontec's VoSKY family of Skype-certified products. Azlan serves resellers in UK and Ireland. VoSKY products include: Chatterbox (plug'n'play USB speakerphone for Skype), Internet Phone Wizard (PSTN/ Skype multiplexer for traditional handsets), Call Center (extends Skype to mobile phones), and VoSKY Exchange (a PBX add-on that multiplexes PSTN/ Skype calls for all phones in an office).

These Actiontec products have already been out on the market for some time. I haven't seen any of them in action, but I'm salivating. Could call center really work on my frustrating Treo 650 (on a CDMA carrier, 1xEV-DO)? VoSKY Exchange could be just the thing to make SOHO/ SMB owners salivate. This information was sent to us by a PR agency, but if anyone associated with VoSKY is reading this, feel free to to send some of this stuff over for, uh, testing. Yeah, that's it. And review, of course.

VoiceOneT is now offering the VoIP-related Click4Me.Net web service. Registration is free, and registered members can talk free from any combo of phone, mobile, or IP phone. Visit Click4Me or Labs.VoiceOne. There is also Click2Me for cell phone users, which requires registration at Click4Me first, and provides a web interface.

Click4Me works similar to a service like Jajah. Unlike Jajah (as far as I'm aware), you can show your availability status. Users can also keep their phone numbers private, block specific callers, or reqire special PINs (Personal Identification Number). Apparently you can also embed the service into web pages, web ads, and emails through the use a hyperlink. The email thing sounds like a great killer app.

How To Make Free VoIP Calls - Reader Q+A

It's not suprising that a lot of readers of this site ask, via the comments, how they can make a free VoIP call from a specific country to another, where the callee has a phone but no computer. So I thought it'd be worthwhile giving a summary of some of the services that have come out this year, in terms of categories rather than specific software.

First, let me answer the question(s) as simply as possible. There are some countries that are less likely to have free calling between PC and PSTN/ mobile phones - not that I've seen. Two of those countries are India and China. Maybe it's because they're the two most populous countries in the world, and few companies want to give up the potential market share.

The only exception I've run across is Jajah (see below), which is currently offering free landline and mobile calling to/from China. But if you run their trial, you can also make a 5 minute call to/from India as well. If I find any other VoIP services that allow free landline calls to/from India or China, I'll write about it on this site.

On the other hand, if both the caller and callee have a computer with a non-dialup Internet connection, you can make all the free VoIP calls you want, between any two countries, with pretty much any softVoIP client. For example, Skype, Google Talk, MSN Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, Gizmo Project, etc.

If you want to call or receive calls on a regular phone via a VoIP network, there are SIP-based adapters (hardware). You'll still need a broadband Internet connection, but won't need a computer. But how many people have a broadband connection and no computer? Not many, I'm guessing.

For many countries, there are a few options for free PC-to-PSTN (PC-to-phone, PC2phone) calls, occasionally including mobile. Some are time-limited promos, some are permanent offers. Here are just a couple of options. (I'll not cover everything here.)

(1) Skype just finished a July promo for free pc2phone calls from Canada and the US to Mexico, Japan, and the UK. I'm guessing they'll have other country offers later this year. They also have free pc2phone calls within Canada and the US until Dec 31/06. But if you don't live in either Canada or the US, you'll need to pay for their inexpensive SkypeOut service, which lets you call pc2phone to many countries.

(2) Gizmo Project has a permanent offer that let's you call pc2phone between 60 countries (but not India and China). However, both caller and callee need to register as Gizmo Project users. (This might mean having to download and install the software as well. So if you don't have a computer, you may have to ask a friend. Keep in mind that you are allowed up to, I believe, three phone numbers per registrant, so your friend may not want to help you :)

(3) Jajah allows PC2phone calls free for up 30 minutes. It's unclear exactly which countries are allowed and which are not, as I've read different things. They do have a 5-minute trial call, and their list of countries includes India and China. But when I read their web pages, I see only China included in the 30-minute free calls, between registered users. You should note that Jajah allows you to make phone2phone calls, not pc2phone calls.

This is just a sampling of some of the nice VoIP plans currently available. If you know of others, please feel free to mention them in the comments section. I will try to put together a comprehensive free-VoIP guide, before Christmas time, that points to articles both here and on other websites.

VoIP Roundup - Thur Aug 03/06

Ted Shelton of IP Inferno and VoIP Magazine has been busy and proactive. First he sent a letter to Meg Whitman of eBay, urging her to open up the Skype VoIP protocol. Then he sent a letter to US Senator Dianne Feinstein, and got this positive letter about network neutrality in response.

Dal of Asterisk VoIP News asks, is residential telephony past it's sell date? Both mobile comm and VoIP have threatened providers of regular phone service, particularly in the Asia Pacific region. Analysis from Frost & Sullivan shows that the industry there reached its peak in 2005, and the subscriber base will be growing at a paltry compound yearly rate of about 2.3 percent up until 2012. There are, however, other areas of growth in the business. [via Asterisk VoIP News]

For those of you familiar with RSS (Really Simple Syndication), you know that it's a handy way to consume the content of your favorite websites, especially news sites. Well, here's a leg up on RSS news reader software: one that reads you one minute headline summaries via an Asterisk-based VoIP phone. [via Nerd Vittles] There's also MailCall for Asterisk, which reads you your email by VoIP phone.

New Zealand's Slingshot offers the iTALK VoiceBox to bring VoIP calling to regular home phone users. This is done by connecting a regular phone to a broadband connection via a suitable adaptor device. [via The VoIP Weblog, Scoop]

How Do You VoIP?

What do you find more valuable to you: a smartphone, PDA, or laptop? According to market research firm In-Stat, users of smartphones find those more essential to their business. [via CNS Magazine] However, that's not factoring in how people use VoIP. Given that it's the SOHO (Small Office/ Home Office) and probably SMB (Small and Medium Businesses) owners that are most likely to be the next wave to adopt VoIP, the value of one device over may soon depend on its ability to VoIP.

I know that when I bought my first Palm PDA in Oct 1999, it wasn't "connected". But it was essential to my consulting for task management (no laptop back then), as was my cell phone - especially since I haven't had a land line in about 12 years or longer. Of course, there was no VoIP then, so it didn't matter.

Now that I have a Palm Treo 650, which is a PDA with cell phone and cellular Wi-Fi access, I rarely use it except to actually test VoIP products. But that's primarily because I now work 100% from home. If I were still travelling around, even locally, as I used to for consulting, that'd be different.

So to me, my laptop is more important, as I can move around the house, or go up to the university library to do research. I do most of my softVoIP calls from Skype, mainly because the few people that I speak to who use VoIP only have Skype. The other reason being of course Skype's free calling within the US and Canada (until the end of 2006).

On the other hand, if I could actually find a VoIP service that works on Treo 650 (CDMA network, in my case), I'd be more likely to use my Treo for VoIP  long distance calls outside of Canada and the US. How about you? How do you use VoIP for your business?

VoIP Roundup - Wed Aug 2/06

MediaRing in Singapore will be offering "prefix-3" VoIP phone numbers. These numbers can receive calls from both PSTN and mobile phones as well. [via ChannelNews Asia]

Verizon had just reported a loss of US$500 million between Q1 and Q2 of 2006. A story in today's New York Times confirms this. Verizon is the USA's No. 2 local phone carrier, just behind AT&T. Qwest, the fourth largest carrier, also reported losses due to VoIP/ Internet telephony compared to a year ago. Both companies stated that increased sales of broadband and wireless services dampened the losses slightly. [Aside: As I was about to post this roundup, CNBC TV showed a video segment about New York's over-taxed electric grid, and how Verizon is helping out with hydrogen cells.]

Now here's a company who understands unlimited Internet usage from a cell phone. The UK's T-Mobile is offering rates of less than a penny per kilobyte, with a maximum charge of 1 GBP (Great British Pound) per day. It's all free after that, for the rest of a day. They're also not limiting what sites you visit, but proof of age is required for access to adult sites. Unfortunately, this service is only available for two phones: the Motorola v3 RAZR and the Nokia 6131, with other handsets promised soon. [via The Register]

Infonetics Research, in their VoIP Services report, says that VoIP service revenue has doubled between 2004 and 2005 in North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific. In these regions, from 2005-2009, It's expected that US$120 billion will be spent on VoIP services. [via Infonetics]

VoIP Inc. has just launched their VoiceOne Lab Development website as a showcase for their new VoIP technology and projects. [via New Telephony] Interestingly, the project page has something called the gTalk Mobile Client. Should be interesting to see who has the rights to that name, as some people use GTalk to refer to Google Talk's IM client.

Festoon Unity Video + Voice Bridges Skype + Google Talk

Festoon Inc, formerly called vSkype, has relaunched with two voice-related offerings. One is Abazab, which lets you collect video comments on a website or weblog. The second, Festoon Unity, is a WoIP (video + VoIP) bridge between Skype and Google talk.

Festoon Unity runs in the background, activated by a button from either Skype or Google Talk. The callee must also have Festoon installed, as well as Skype or Google Talk. The nice thing about Festoon Unity is that it really does unify Skype and Google Talk, or so they say. I haven't convinced anyone to download it yet, but apparently you can call from Google Talk to Skype.

Hot damn! VoIP intercompatibilty. To a degree. Although there's no mention of Sightspeed or Gizmo Project, both of which are based on the open source SIP standard. But hey, it's a start, and the alliances are forming. Unity is supposed to be supporting AOL, Yahoo! Messenger, and MSN Messenger by some time this year.

On their what's new page, a number of features, both useful and frivolous. Besides intercalling between Skype and Google Talk, the new version (beta) has better lip syncing, faster video, and better audio quality. They also now support most proxy servers, including SOCKS and HTTP. And for conference calls, they've improved group audio for better conversation flow. For the kids, they have video effects collectively called EyeCandy, which basically lets you paste your face in cutouts and pretend you're someone else.

Abazab, which is Festoon's new offering, isn't VoIP, but it does let website owners and visitors communicate with voice and video comments. Festoon is very similar to Grouper [Mashable, Techcrunch], and is aimed at squarely at bloggers, particularly the social spaces of MySpace, Xanga, etc. As long as you have a website/ weblog where you can add HTML code containing a Shockwave/ Flash player, you can use Abazab.

Both Abazab and Grouper look like a whole heck of a lot of fun, and advance the cause of a read/write two-way sort of web. And Festoon Unity advances the search for the holy grail of text/ VoIP IM clients. Bravo.

VoIPing For Profit - Jyve Talking

Like Ether, Jyve is an Internet-connected voice commerce application that lets you consult via phone calls and earn money. Unlike Ether, Jyve is directly plugged into VoIP. In fact, it's an application layer over top of the Skype VoIP IM client.

Jyve's another great idea, like Ether, but they've gone a step further by creating a free searchable , structured directory of "experts" who will consult with you via Skype at a given rate. You can search for listed experts by categories and sub-categories, or by tags. (Ether has a community forum, but no consultant listings that I could see.)

If you're an expert yourself, you can signup, setup, and list yourself on their site, under a variety of categories. They create a "Click & Buy" billing account for you. You can then download Skype and Jyve buttons to post on your website. These buttons display your availability. (Jyve availability can be configured differently than Skype availability.)

Once you get a Skype call from a potential client, you generally spend a few minutes negotiating a price, then use Jyve to switch the free call to a paid call. I think that this feature alone makes Jyve a potentially better service than Ether, since the latter requires two separate numbers to pull this switch off. It's seamless in Jyve - or at least in theory. If you're unavailable for consulting, clients can leave you a voicemail or an email by clicking on the appropriate button on your Jyve listing page.

Jyve-Skype calls can be pre-paid, or metered by the minute, or in blocks of time, etc. You can also sell digital content via Skype's file transfer feature. For example, you may want to record conversations and supply a copy to your clients at a later time. (To send free screen snaps, use TechSmith's free Skype profile for SnagIt. You can also run live screen sharing using WebDialogs Unyte's free Skype plugin. I'm just not sure you can meter either of these for profit. Warning: to use SnagIt for Skype, you must already have SnagIt installed. If not, install the Snagit 30-day demo first, then the Skype profiles version. If you've previously tried the demo and passed the trial date, you're probably out of luck.)

The major drawback to Jyve is that it's purely web- and Skype-based. The calling party also has to be using Skype. So you cannot take calls from a regular phone/ mobile through Jyve. Thus the smart consultant will set up both Ether and Jyve accounts. And like Ether, you're not limited to just talk-only consulting. There are all kinds of professions, including writing, listed in the Jyve experts directory.

So what does Jyve get out of this? They take a 20%, which is higher than Ether's 15%. But in any commission-based industry, 15-20% is pretty standard, unless you're Elvis and your agent is Colonel Tom Parker - in which I case Tom gets 60%. Hmmm. Gives me an idea: Elvis-By-Skype. Need an Elvis to perform for an event? Hook up your speakers to your computer and Jyve-Skype me. Though I think I'd much rather perform Led Zeppelin's Communication Breakdown, or maybe Blondie's Call Me (in Spanish?). Though I'll throw in Electric Light Orchestra's Telephone Line. Hint: voice commerce can be used in a lot of ways, particularly for musicians to communicate with fans, besides corny references to musical communication.

VoIP Roundup - Tues Aug 1/06

Verizon reports that their net revenue for Q2 2006 was down $500M. Part of this had to do with costs involving their FiOS fiber-optic broadband service. The other reason, although it doesn't explicitly mention VoIP, is that the company had a more than seven-percent drop (over a year) "in the number of switched access lines in service", due to customer migrating to other technologies. [via InfoWorld]

Microsoft had egg on their face when a live demonstration of their IVR (Interactive Voice Response) voice recognition software completely misunderstood the demonstrator and, after fitfully trying to interpret what he was saying, actually typed out some gobbledygook about erasing everything. [via CNBC TV, InfoWorld] (Now do you believe me when I say that the domain name wewillassimiliateyou.com - or something like that - was once registered to Microsoft?)

While the software in question  was not VoIP-based, voice-processing is increasingly become a part of popular VoIP packages, typically through add-ons or plugins. Microsoft has also expressed a strong interest in VoIP lately

You know VoIP's about to go mainstream and become a household word when the Motley Fool personal finance and investing website starts talking about VoIP. [via Motley Fool]

In the article, Fool contributor Tim Beyers mentions that in the eight months since using Skype instead of a landline in his office, he's had a lot of dropped calls but ended up with a total (prorated) annual savings of nearly $450. However, he's opted to stick with a regular landline at home, for a variety of reasons. In all, a fairly balanced look at the pros and cons of using VoIP.

The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) describes how one branch of the Health Services Union assessed their undesireable phone system situation and, after considering a number of vendors, went with a US-based VoIP provider, Zultys Technologies.

This is an interesting read because the Union branch was not obviously a candidate for VoIP, especially because there's no need for long-distance calls, and most calls were expected to be inbound from 20,000 members. [via SMH]

VoIPing For Profit - Ether Consulting

Ether is a voice-based service, though not necessarily VoIP-based, that lets you essentially set up a consulting business online, with the help of a phone, email address and website (free-hosted is fine). I'd all but forgotten about Ether until I stumbled across Amit Agarwal's post a couple of nights ago.

Ether is a brilliant concept. They give you a free toll-free number (and personal extension) that clients can call, which you advertise on your website, email, or business card, along with your rates and availability. At the Ether site, you can login and configure your availability throughout a single day. Calling clients will be notified that you are unavailable at present, if necessary.

If a client want to talk to you, they pay upfront, with their credit card, through Ether's billing system, and the call gets transferred to your desired phone number (home, cell, etc.), if you're configured as being available. If you've set a fixed time limit for a call, the call will end.

Your rates can be set by a variety of time periods, including custom (max $1,000 for a max of 120 minutes). You can even specify that minutes are free after a certain duration. So, for example, I could charge for the first 45 minutes, then allow the rest of a call to be free. (Although there's no way that I saw when I signed up for the beta where you could limit the free time. That's something that would have to be managed manually.) If you've set recurring rates, such as $30 for every 15 minutes, the client will be billed before the call can continue.

It appears that you can setup multiple phone profiles from a single Ether account. So if you do a variety of consulting work and have different websites to promote that work, you can post a different Ether extension # and call rate on each site.

Ether went live near the end of June 2006. I signed up months ago during the beta trial. Because of technical and personal reasons, I never got around to actually fully setting up my account. However, I did come across a couple of websites where the owners had set up. One site owner had two profiles/ numbers. One was something like $100/hour consulting. The other was 30 minutes free, available for a couple of times each week, first-come-first-served.

It's a great concept, and I had intended to set up for business. In fact, I even bought my Palm Treo 650, and the calling and wireless data plans, with Ether consulting explicitly in mind. Unfortunately, since I don't have a landline (haven't for nearly 12 years now), that means I have to use up my costly cell phone minutes. Either that or I need to purchase a SkypeIn, TalqIn, or Gizmo Call In type of plan.

So while Ether might be using VoIP in their phone system infrastructure, it's not a VoIP service from the end user point of view. However, if you have a "call in" phone number for Skype or one of the handful of other softVoIP clients, or even a hardVoIP phone number, there's no reason why you cannot enjoy VoIP benefits from your end.

In fact, because Ether also lets you sell digital content to clients via email or by downloading from your website, you could offer extra services. For example, if you are using a SkypeIn number, you can record calls and offer clients a copy for $0, or even a small fee. If you have voice-to-text software, you could even offer a text transcript, maybe in PDF form, for later download from your site - again for free or fee. Additionally, you could offer language translations of the transcript.

You can essentially set up a consulting practice for nearly any type of business (there are a few restrictions) for next to no cost. (For example, you can use a free-hosted site, but I wouldn't recommend it.) You can do followups by email or downloadable documents, if necessary. The options for businesses are endless, even if you don't want to do a lot of talking.

For example, let's say that you do web analytics work, say with a basic package rate of $500. Set up one Ether profile that gives a limited number of free 15 minute calls. Then set up a second profile that provides a 10-15 minute call for $250, but provides the content via email or download at an agreed upon date. (I have yet to see the non-phone Ether interface, so I'm speculating about the email/ download setup.)

That means that a client calls for free and describes what they want done. The call is the equivalent of a free estimate, but in this case, the price is fixed. If they think you can do the job, and you want to, they call back immediately on the other Ether extension, pay for your service up front, and finish providing the project details, etc.

It might take you a week to finish, or whatever, but when you do, the client calls back on the agreed upon date for a second $250 call, and you complete the transaction. The client has their work and your Ether account will have this additional $250, as well as the $250 from the second call. You could obviously get more sophisticated in your setup and break things down into four calls.

Ether takes a 15% commission from each transaction, which doesn't sound too bad for the service they offer. Hopefully they'll consider integrate with a softVoIP client such as Skype (because of it's Paypal connections) or an open source client such as Gizmo Project. For video calling, there's also Sightspeed, which would make it possible to offer consulting services with visual instruction, such as language pronunciation lessons. To summarize, Ether's a great concept, with room to grow in the VoIP arena to become a killer application.

Sandhills Software Skype Add-ons

Sandhills Software  [via AsteriskVoIP News] is offering three Skype-related products. The first are not explicitly VoIP offerings but instead use voice processing.

SkypeTransfer is US$19.99 and lets you transfer calls to someone in your Skype contact list. SkypeAttendant, is US$29.99 and  automatically answers your SkypeIn or Skype to Skype calls using voice-to-text recognition. (To be honest, maybe I've lost my mind, but from the live demo of these two services, I cannot tell the difference.) There are 30-demos of these two packages.

SkypeMusicShare is US$9.99 and lets you share songs with your Skype buddies. There's also a Delta Jukebox that lets you play songs from your Windows Media Player library using voice commands. This sounds like fun, but the live demo button on their website just replays one of the other demos. There is a 15-day trial download. [If fledgling bands/ musicians want to talk to their fans and share their music simultaneously, they should follow the example of the Coldplay and Skype promo.]

So I download and installed all three demo versions to my laptop (Win XP). (From what I can tell, there are only Windows versions.) SkypeMusicShare and its included Delta Jukebox both gave me run-time errors. SkypeTransfer didn't seem to work; I tried to test it with a friend. I didn't bother having me call back to test SkypeAttendant.

It's unfortunate that these didn't work for me, as their general concept is sound, and the Delta Jukebox would have been fun. If I've understood their very brief description correctly, SkypeAttendant would likely be particularly useful in an enterprise VoIP setting.