Digium is stirring up the open-source community it helped create by buying one of the vendors that has built an IP-PBX on its Asterisk VoIP platform.
Digium Thursday will unveil plans to acquire Switchvox, one of the many SMB-focused vendors that have cropped up in recent years with products built on top of Digium's open-source Asterisk VoIP software. Digium is the primary developer of Asterisk.
"Switchvox gives us a more complete solution that scales to several hundred users," said Bill Miller, vice president of product management and marketing at Digium, Huntsville, Ala. "It's a turnkey solution that doesn't require as much expertise to install. Many installations are done remotely."
Both Digium and Switchvox were named as 2007 CRN Emerging Tech vendors in June.
Digium is making the announcement at the AstriCon 2007 open-source telephony conference in Phoenix. Switchvox exhibited at the show on Wednesday under its own name but will be rebranding its booth to exhibit under the Digium name today, Miller said.
The deal officially closes on Friday. Terms were not disclosed, as both companies are privately held. "They're a small company, but they're profitable," Miller noted.
Digium has been aggressively pushing its open-source VoIP agenda through several moves aimed at bolstering its standing in the channel.
In January the company brought on Danny Windham as CEO and Steven Harvey as vice president of worldwide sales. Both came from channel-friendly networking vendor Adtran, a Huntsville neighbor and an investor in the VoIP company.
Harvey in March oversaw the launch of Digium's first formal channel program, which foreshadowed the rollout soon thereafter of a line of partner-friendly Digium appliances.
Digium is currently courting several potential OEM partners for that appliance -- which runs Asterisk Business Edition for up to 50 users -- and expects to disclose its first deal soon, Miller said.
A key piece of the Switchvox acquisition for Digium is the end-user interface that San Diego-based Switchvox has built for its products. The system integrates with CRM packages from Salesforce.com and SugarCRM, enabling records from those systems to automatically pop up on the Switchvox Switchboard interface. The interface is also tied in with Google Maps to create a Web 2.0 mash-up that show the location of inbound callers.
"Switchvox will be the underpinnings of Digium's unified communications strategy going forward," Miller said.
Switchvox has 1,400 installed systems with 65,000 endpoints to its credit. The company has about 30 "extremely active" channel partners, with another 1,400 signed on, Miller said. Digium has approximately 60 solution providers in the United States.
Those partners will eventually be managed under a single Digium channel organization. Both channel programs will continue to operate as is for at least a month, Miller said.
Detailed product plans will be disclosed soon, probably at the Digium AsteriskWorld channel conference in Boston next month, he said.
Switchvox's 15 employees will be joining Digium, which altogether will have just under 120 employees. Switchvox will maintain its San Diego office, with Switchvox President and CEO Joshua Stephens staying on as general manager of that location. Tristan Degenhardt, Switchvox's vice president of operations will join Digium as a product manager.
By Jennifer Hagendorf Follett
пятница, 28 сентября 2007 г.
среда, 26 сентября 2007 г.
Laszlo Webtop links Web 2.0 and VoIP
Laszlo Systems this week unveiled an enhanced version of Laszlo Webtop, which the company refers to as "The Web 2.0 Desktop." The company also is partnering to add VoIP capabilities to the platform.
Version 1.2 of Lazlo Webtop enables delivery of Web 2.0-based, RIAs (rich Internet applications) for popular browsers and devices, the company said.
"This is a tool that allows you to assemble your own Web desktop for delivery to your customers or your employees that may or may not use prebuilt applications from Laszlo," said David Temkin, chief technology officer and founder of Laszlo, at the AJAXWorld conference in Santa Clara, Calif.
Featured is the machinery around a windowing system application integration, single sign-on, and capabilities to offer a visually integrated experience with data integration on the back end, Temkin said.
An alliance with CounterPath Solutions brings voice-based communications to Webtop as an optional capability.
"This allows you to make VoIP-based calls from your Laszlo Webtop interface," Temkin said. Users can add CounterPath's CMC (CounterPath Multimedia Communicator) WebPhone software to Webtop, integrating it with Laszlo's Mail and Contacts applications. WebPhone will be available later this year.
The 1.2 version features Laszlo Mail as an optional application module for desktop e-mail and carrier-grade scalability, the company said. Also added were APIs for application integration, in which data access and paging APIs have been added to bolster integration and performance when deploying OpenLaszlo applications with large datasets. OpenLaszlo is the company's RIA development platform.
User-based interactive advertising options is being offered as feature primarily for service providers.
Laszlo is offering bundled solutions based on Laszlo Webtop for enterprise, developers, and service providers. The three specific bundles include:
* Laszlo Webtop for Service Providers, featuring an extensible offering for delivering a customized communications Web portal. Advertising can be integrated. Providers also can add modules such as news, stocks, and productivity applications.
* Laszlo Webtop for Enterprises, to improve the way users access content, complete transactions, and consume multimedia.
* Laszlo Webtop SDK for Developers, featuring a software development kit to build Webtop solutions and leverage OpenLaszlo 4.
Access to an evaluation copy of Lazlo Webtop 1.2 is available for free for 30 days. Pricing for Webtop deployments starts at $27,000 plus a per-user fee. The SDK starts at $795 per year.
Paul Krill is editor at large at InfoWorld.
http://www.infoworld.com
Version 1.2 of Lazlo Webtop enables delivery of Web 2.0-based, RIAs (rich Internet applications) for popular browsers and devices, the company said.
"This is a tool that allows you to assemble your own Web desktop for delivery to your customers or your employees that may or may not use prebuilt applications from Laszlo," said David Temkin, chief technology officer and founder of Laszlo, at the AJAXWorld conference in Santa Clara, Calif.
Featured is the machinery around a windowing system application integration, single sign-on, and capabilities to offer a visually integrated experience with data integration on the back end, Temkin said.
An alliance with CounterPath Solutions brings voice-based communications to Webtop as an optional capability.
"This allows you to make VoIP-based calls from your Laszlo Webtop interface," Temkin said. Users can add CounterPath's CMC (CounterPath Multimedia Communicator) WebPhone software to Webtop, integrating it with Laszlo's Mail and Contacts applications. WebPhone will be available later this year.
The 1.2 version features Laszlo Mail as an optional application module for desktop e-mail and carrier-grade scalability, the company said. Also added were APIs for application integration, in which data access and paging APIs have been added to bolster integration and performance when deploying OpenLaszlo applications with large datasets. OpenLaszlo is the company's RIA development platform.
User-based interactive advertising options is being offered as feature primarily for service providers.
Laszlo is offering bundled solutions based on Laszlo Webtop for enterprise, developers, and service providers. The three specific bundles include:
* Laszlo Webtop for Service Providers, featuring an extensible offering for delivering a customized communications Web portal. Advertising can be integrated. Providers also can add modules such as news, stocks, and productivity applications.
* Laszlo Webtop for Enterprises, to improve the way users access content, complete transactions, and consume multimedia.
* Laszlo Webtop SDK for Developers, featuring a software development kit to build Webtop solutions and leverage OpenLaszlo 4.
Access to an evaluation copy of Lazlo Webtop 1.2 is available for free for 30 days. Pricing for Webtop deployments starts at $27,000 plus a per-user fee. The SDK starts at $795 per year.
Paul Krill is editor at large at InfoWorld.
http://www.infoworld.com
понедельник, 24 сентября 2007 г.
Vyke VoIP Service has One Million Paid Users
Norwegian VoIP firm, Vyke Communications, announced this week that it has signed up more than 1-million paid internet telephony users, with downloads of its digital VoIP client doubling in the first six months of 2007.
“Growth has come from all around the world, but particularly in Asia and the Middle East, where charges are high,” said Vyke Chairman, Tommy Jensen, noting that revenue had increased significantly in recent months.
Mr. Jensen went on to say that the company was close to finalizing its acquisition of an unnamed American VoIP provider. The transaction, which is subject to ongoing due diligence, will apparently give Vyke a presence not only in the U.S., but also in parts of Africa and South East Asia.
Vyke allows users to make cheap long distance and international calls from PCs and data-enabled mobile phones. It’s AIM-listed stock has climbed more than five-fold in the past six months.
http://www.teleclick.ca
“Growth has come from all around the world, but particularly in Asia and the Middle East, where charges are high,” said Vyke Chairman, Tommy Jensen, noting that revenue had increased significantly in recent months.
Mr. Jensen went on to say that the company was close to finalizing its acquisition of an unnamed American VoIP provider. The transaction, which is subject to ongoing due diligence, will apparently give Vyke a presence not only in the U.S., but also in parts of Africa and South East Asia.
Vyke allows users to make cheap long distance and international calls from PCs and data-enabled mobile phones. It’s AIM-listed stock has climbed more than five-fold in the past six months.
http://www.teleclick.ca
Vcomm declares VoIP intent with latest deal
Vcomm has issued a challenge to rival distributor Zycko after signing a partnership agreement with communications vendor Polycom.
Under the terms of the deal Vcomm will supply Polycom’s voice over IP handset range to its UK resellers.
Speaking exclusively to CRN, Scott Dobson, managing director of Vcomm, claimed the news meant the market would be more competitive.
“It’s an open market now,” Dobson explained. “It was inevitable that something like this would happen, but that’s life and Zycko is not going to have things its own way anymore.”
Dobson added: “We are not looking to steal Zycko’s customer base, we are just looking to open up the market and the announcement gives a new lease of life to VoIP products.
“We will be aggressive in our marketing of Polycom products and we are very much looking forward to forming a successful partnership with them.”
Such views were echoed by others in the channel who believed the partnership would provide resellers with more choice.
Grahame Smee, managing director of distributor Cohort Technologies, told CRN: “There is room for growth in the market and it certainly gives resellers more options which can only be good news.”
Keith Humphreys, managing consultant at analyst house EuroLAN, said: “I don’t think Zycko will have been too concerned by the news. The VoIP market is big enough for both companies to exist.”
Zycko was unavailable for comment as CRN went to press.
Vendors smarten up VoIP performance
http://www.vnunet.com
Under the terms of the deal Vcomm will supply Polycom’s voice over IP handset range to its UK resellers.
Speaking exclusively to CRN, Scott Dobson, managing director of Vcomm, claimed the news meant the market would be more competitive.
“It’s an open market now,” Dobson explained. “It was inevitable that something like this would happen, but that’s life and Zycko is not going to have things its own way anymore.”
Dobson added: “We are not looking to steal Zycko’s customer base, we are just looking to open up the market and the announcement gives a new lease of life to VoIP products.
“We will be aggressive in our marketing of Polycom products and we are very much looking forward to forming a successful partnership with them.”
Such views were echoed by others in the channel who believed the partnership would provide resellers with more choice.
Grahame Smee, managing director of distributor Cohort Technologies, told CRN: “There is room for growth in the market and it certainly gives resellers more options which can only be good news.”
Keith Humphreys, managing consultant at analyst house EuroLAN, said: “I don’t think Zycko will have been too concerned by the news. The VoIP market is big enough for both companies to exist.”
Zycko was unavailable for comment as CRN went to press.
Vendors smarten up VoIP performance
http://www.vnunet.com
пятница, 21 сентября 2007 г.
VoIP Provider 5PCom Launches Affiliate Program
VoIP provider 5PCom recently announced launch of its new affiliate program. Although the company itself is a relatively new entrant to the market, its executives and technical staff are veterans in the VoIP and broadband industry.
Through its affiliate program, 5PCom plans to share revenue with affiliates using a “bounty” commission system. For the time being, the bounty for every referred customer is equal to the price of a month of the selected service. Commissions are paid following completion of a 30-day free trial and the first billing cycle are complete.
Says 5PCom’s founder and CEO, F. Douglas, said other VoIP providers offer even higher bonuses to affiliates, but often such incentives are not based on a sustainable business plan. This has led to fallout from companies like Vonage (which discontinued its affiliate program at one point) and scandals surrounding the now-defunct SunRocket (News - Alert) and Allo.
“5PCom is not a ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ company,” Douglas said in a statement. “Our policies and financial management will ensure that we are not only sustainable, but profitable.”
By Raju Shanbhag
Through its affiliate program, 5PCom plans to share revenue with affiliates using a “bounty” commission system. For the time being, the bounty for every referred customer is equal to the price of a month of the selected service. Commissions are paid following completion of a 30-day free trial and the first billing cycle are complete.
Says 5PCom’s founder and CEO, F. Douglas, said other VoIP providers offer even higher bonuses to affiliates, but often such incentives are not based on a sustainable business plan. This has led to fallout from companies like Vonage (which discontinued its affiliate program at one point) and scandals surrounding the now-defunct SunRocket (News - Alert) and Allo.
“5PCom is not a ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ company,” Douglas said in a statement. “Our policies and financial management will ensure that we are not only sustainable, but profitable.”
By Raju Shanbhag
четверг, 20 сентября 2007 г.
Corporate VoIP Still Can Give Headaches
Robert Mitchell over at ComputerWorld has his take on remote VoIP for corporate installations and it is not pretty:
I agree with Robert that his experience in Corporate VoIP was not good so here are some rules that I have learnt with the 20 odd people we have remotely supported.
Rule 1: As a generalization, Soft Phones suck. They have the potential to make the experience really bad. Use good quality SIP phones like the Aastra 57i in the home that has plenty of features. People love familiarity of phones
Rule 2: Use home routers as VPN clients, not the computer. This is one less thing for people to worry about. Does this create another issue with security. Yep it does but access control lists can fix that. Does it make more work for the IT folks, yep, does it make the user happier, yep too.
Generally Speaking there are ways to use VoIP independently from the Corporate VPN using SIP endpoints. This however is a complicated setup for the security guys and is generally avoided and put in the too hard bucket but results in a cleaner experience for the user. The golden rule for network security is appropriate level of security for appropriate level of value being secured.
by Greg Royal
Computerworld would like nothing better than to cancel my home office phone and route me through its Siemens HiPath PBX in corporate by way of a voice over IP link. I am one of a few early adopters of VOIP in a pilot here, so in-house expertise is at a minimum. To use VOIP I need to keep my VPN connection up all day long (a challenge in itself) and load a rather clunky application called OptiClient. After some false starts the client is finally stable enough to use from my home office (although as I write this from Computerworld's offices I notice that it has frozen up). But I'm still having problems. Whether these are true glitches or "features" of VOIP isn't yet clear. I'm hoping readers can help.
I agree with Robert that his experience in Corporate VoIP was not good so here are some rules that I have learnt with the 20 odd people we have remotely supported.
Rule 1: As a generalization, Soft Phones suck. They have the potential to make the experience really bad. Use good quality SIP phones like the Aastra 57i in the home that has plenty of features. People love familiarity of phones
Rule 2: Use home routers as VPN clients, not the computer. This is one less thing for people to worry about. Does this create another issue with security. Yep it does but access control lists can fix that. Does it make more work for the IT folks, yep, does it make the user happier, yep too.
Generally Speaking there are ways to use VoIP independently from the Corporate VPN using SIP endpoints. This however is a complicated setup for the security guys and is generally avoided and put in the too hard bucket but results in a cleaner experience for the user. The golden rule for network security is appropriate level of security for appropriate level of value being secured.
by Greg Royal
вторник, 18 сентября 2007 г.
SMBs Need Your VoIP Expertise
With the right combination of training, applications, and services, you can earn long-term, profitable customers in the SMB segment.
With all of the talk about SMBs, you might think this market segment is nearly saturated with VARs and the latest IT solutions. But, this is far from the case, according to a recent Info-Tech Research Group survey of more than 1,850 SMBs. For instance, the analyst group discovered only about 1/3 of the respondents are using VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol). Further, only 16% of companies with fewer than 100 employees have implemented VoIP. “One of the primary reasons cited was the relative lack of solutions and services specifically targeted at this market,” says Jayanth Angl, research analyst at Info-Tech Research Group.
Industry experts from Allworx, Avaya, Nortel, and Objectworld believe that SMB-specific VoIP solutions are available, but VARs need to understand how to sell them. What’s more, VARs need to know which applications and services to bundle with their VoIP hardware.
http://www.itreselleronline.com
With all of the talk about SMBs, you might think this market segment is nearly saturated with VARs and the latest IT solutions. But, this is far from the case, according to a recent Info-Tech Research Group survey of more than 1,850 SMBs. For instance, the analyst group discovered only about 1/3 of the respondents are using VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol). Further, only 16% of companies with fewer than 100 employees have implemented VoIP. “One of the primary reasons cited was the relative lack of solutions and services specifically targeted at this market,” says Jayanth Angl, research analyst at Info-Tech Research Group.
Industry experts from Allworx, Avaya, Nortel, and Objectworld believe that SMB-specific VoIP solutions are available, but VARs need to understand how to sell them. What’s more, VARs need to know which applications and services to bundle with their VoIP hardware.
http://www.itreselleronline.com
понедельник, 17 сентября 2007 г.
VoIP Usage in US on the Rise
Recent research from TeleGeography indicates that while the VoIP market in the US is most definitely on quick rise, Europe is leaps and bounds ahead of us. The total number of US VoIP subscribers nearly doubled in the last year, going from 6.5 million in mid-2006 to a whopping 11.8 million by the second quarter of this year. TeleGeography is projecting that VoIP subscribers in the US will reach a staggering 23.3 million by the year 2011, mostly due to cable companies jumping on the IP telephony bandwagon.
While the US VoIP market is going along at warp speed, Europe’s growth is even sharper, largely due in part to their aggressive pricing and by “active participation of incumbent operators such as France Telecom, Deutsche Telekom and BT in the VoIP market. In Europe, incumbent service providers accounted for 26%of VoIP subscribers, while in the US, AT&T, Verizon and Qwest have remained largely on the sidelines. If these factors remain in place, TeleGeography projects that by 2011, VoIP penetration in Europe will be approximately twice as great as in the US.”
‘VoIP service in the US has emerged as a mainstream service that is causing traditional service providers some headaches,’ commented TeleGeography analyst Stephan Beckert. “However, in Europe, VoIP could fundamentally change the structure of the fixed-line market.”
The complete summery of TeleGeography’s US VoIP, can be found here, and TeleGeography’s EuroVoIP here.
While the US VoIP market is going along at warp speed, Europe’s growth is even sharper, largely due in part to their aggressive pricing and by “active participation of incumbent operators such as France Telecom, Deutsche Telekom and BT in the VoIP market. In Europe, incumbent service providers accounted for 26%of VoIP subscribers, while in the US, AT&T, Verizon and Qwest have remained largely on the sidelines. If these factors remain in place, TeleGeography projects that by 2011, VoIP penetration in Europe will be approximately twice as great as in the US.”
‘VoIP service in the US has emerged as a mainstream service that is causing traditional service providers some headaches,’ commented TeleGeography analyst Stephan Beckert. “However, in Europe, VoIP could fundamentally change the structure of the fixed-line market.”
The complete summery of TeleGeography’s US VoIP, can be found here, and TeleGeography’s EuroVoIP here.
четверг, 13 сентября 2007 г.
VoIP "growing strongly"
More and more British businesses are coming to appreciate the value of VoIP technology, it has been claimed.
Though the UK continues to lag behind the penetration occurring in Europe, uptake of the technology is certainly on the rise, according to the Internet Telephony Service Providers Association (ITSPA).
Chairman Eli Katz explained that, thanks to its low running costs and easy installation, VoIP is playing an increasingly important role in UK business.
"One of the key drivers is broadband penetration and certainly amongst small business," he commented, "that continues to be a very high penetration and it continues to expand on that.
"In terms of subscribers utilising VoIP–centric services, we're looking at about over 200,000 by the end of this year.
"Ofcom's recent statistics indicate two to three times growth…just in the past year," Mr Katz continued. "That's the good news. The challenging news is that overall as a penetration in the UK, we're quite far behind a number of European countries.
"So we are growing strongly, but there are other countries that are already at twenty, thirty per cent level of penetration - in terms of all subscribers utilising VoIP services. But here in the UK it's still certainly in the single digits; probably the lower end of single digits, but growing strongly."
Ofcom research from 2006 revealed that around 60 per cent of the UK population is now aware of VoIP technology.
http://www.adfero.co.uk/
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Though the UK continues to lag behind the penetration occurring in Europe, uptake of the technology is certainly on the rise, according to the Internet Telephony Service Providers Association (ITSPA).
Chairman Eli Katz explained that, thanks to its low running costs and easy installation, VoIP is playing an increasingly important role in UK business.
"One of the key drivers is broadband penetration and certainly amongst small business," he commented, "that continues to be a very high penetration and it continues to expand on that.
"In terms of subscribers utilising VoIP–centric services, we're looking at about over 200,000 by the end of this year.
"Ofcom's recent statistics indicate two to three times growth…just in the past year," Mr Katz continued. "That's the good news. The challenging news is that overall as a penetration in the UK, we're quite far behind a number of European countries.
"So we are growing strongly, but there are other countries that are already at twenty, thirty per cent level of penetration - in terms of all subscribers utilising VoIP services. But here in the UK it's still certainly in the single digits; probably the lower end of single digits, but growing strongly."
Ofcom research from 2006 revealed that around 60 per cent of the UK population is now aware of VoIP technology.
http://www.adfero.co.uk/
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вторник, 11 сентября 2007 г.
Simicomm Launches World’s Easiest VoIP Installation
New Monthly Lease Option Makes 15 Minute Phone System Affordable for SMBs
MADISON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Born to remove the complexity of VoIP solutions, Simicomm™ today announced the final version of its EasySpeak PBX. The product is available for a one time fee or a $50 monthly lease option (paid off in just 24 months). The leasing option eliminates the large upfront costs that deterred many small businesses from migrating to VoIP-based phone systems. EasySpeak PBX, however, still has the features and functionality of most high-end VoIP solutions.
Designed for small businesses and resellers looking for hassle free installation, the EasySpeak software can be completely installed, including fully automated phone configuration, in only 15 minutes! Place a CD into a dedicated server and the software self installs. Plug your phone line into the server, plug your phones into the Ethernet ports and phones (Polycom, snom, Linksys and others) are auto-provisioned automatically and given an extension number based on the order they are connected (1st plugged in is extension 101, 2nd is 102, etc.).
Based on the Asterisk® open source PBX, EasySpeak works with both VoIP and analog phones. To use analog phones, a line card from Digium or Sangoma is required. Changing of extensions and management of other features can be made by logging into the novice-tested, web-based toolbox.
“Even though other Asterisk-based systems may cost less initially, they require extensive knowledge of Asterisk. These Asterisk specialists are not readily available to small businesses, and the high cost expertise necessary to set up and support a base Asterisk system results in increased costs,” noted Dennis Barnum, CEO of Simicomm. “Customers need to be aware of these hidden costs, as well as additional proprietary hardware costs.”
EasySpeak (230 MB file) can be downloaded at www.simicomm.com. A free 14-day trial is also available for a limited time.
http://home.businesswire.com
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MADISON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Born to remove the complexity of VoIP solutions, Simicomm™ today announced the final version of its EasySpeak PBX. The product is available for a one time fee or a $50 monthly lease option (paid off in just 24 months). The leasing option eliminates the large upfront costs that deterred many small businesses from migrating to VoIP-based phone systems. EasySpeak PBX, however, still has the features and functionality of most high-end VoIP solutions.
Designed for small businesses and resellers looking for hassle free installation, the EasySpeak software can be completely installed, including fully automated phone configuration, in only 15 minutes! Place a CD into a dedicated server and the software self installs. Plug your phone line into the server, plug your phones into the Ethernet ports and phones (Polycom, snom, Linksys and others) are auto-provisioned automatically and given an extension number based on the order they are connected (1st plugged in is extension 101, 2nd is 102, etc.).
Based on the Asterisk® open source PBX, EasySpeak works with both VoIP and analog phones. To use analog phones, a line card from Digium or Sangoma is required. Changing of extensions and management of other features can be made by logging into the novice-tested, web-based toolbox.
“Even though other Asterisk-based systems may cost less initially, they require extensive knowledge of Asterisk. These Asterisk specialists are not readily available to small businesses, and the high cost expertise necessary to set up and support a base Asterisk system results in increased costs,” noted Dennis Barnum, CEO of Simicomm. “Customers need to be aware of these hidden costs, as well as additional proprietary hardware costs.”
EasySpeak (230 MB file) can be downloaded at www.simicomm.com. A free 14-day trial is also available for a limited time.
http://home.businesswire.com
Special Report: Real Estate Magnate Shares Secrets to his Success
понедельник, 10 сентября 2007 г.
VoIP over WiFi + Dysfunctional hotspot market = ?
I purchased a Nokia E65 in April primarily because I wanted to play with the WiFi and VoIP capabilities of this device. So far this had been limited to using my phone at home as a cordless phone and testing it over various connections in NZ. While I was in Australia last month I spent a fair bit of time playing with my Nokia E65 connecting via both Telstra and Azure WiFi hotspots. Connecting to my Asterisk box at home is great, I can make calls as though I’m at home and only be paying for internet charges (around A$6.60 per hour with Azure). Call quality has been perfect using both providers and VoIP over WiFi is a great solution for bypassing the high roaming costs charged by mobile networks. But is it a replacement for your cellphone? The simple answer is no.
We’ve been hearing for years that VoIP over WiFi would kill off cellphones. Anybody who still believes this needs to get a grip on reality and accept that this is nothing but a dream. With the exception of the few large scale WiFi Networks (such as The Cloud in London) WiFi networks just can’t achieve an acceptable level of coverage to ever have a chance of doing this and people don’t want to walk around a city looking for a hotspot that they can use their phone from. Pricing is a significant issue with most hotspots offerering time based charging which may be fine for web browsing but if you want to use a VoIP solution or a instant messenger application then paying hourly rates while your connection is idle can prove rather expensive. Data based charging solves this problem but has the potential to drive down the average hourly revenue generated by a hotspot. In the world of broadband however nobody ever pays their ISP hourly rates for a broadband service so why should the hotspot market be any different? Flat rate charging is possibly the solution to the problem, but more about that later.
Hotspot operators also haven’t yet overcome the most basic of problems – that 99% of hotspots use a web based interface for user authentication. Even if you are in a good coverage area trying to open up a web browser on a small cellphone or PDA screen to enter your login details is just a horrible end user experience. The solution to this is simple – use a protocol such as 802.1x EAP or WISPr to authenticate end users without them having to login manually to the hotspot. EAP simply hasn’t taken off in the hotspot world but Boingo, FON & iPass have all adopted WISPr and and any hotspot that is a partner network supports for these supports WISPr - the problem however is that most hotspots only support WISPr for their Boingo & iPass logins and not their own customer base. I have a piece of 3rd party software on my phone called SmartConnect which supports WISPr for hotspot logins however I’ve so far been unable to test this because neither Azure or Telstra support WISPr for their own user accounts and in New Zealand neither CafeNet or Telecom’s WiFi hotspots support this either. Even Steve from Tomizone has commented that he would love an application for his new Apple iPhone to automatically connect to a TomiZone Hotspot. Everybody seems to acknowledge that this is a problem but why is a solution taking so long?
Nokia have chosen to support various 802.1x EAP methods of user authentication in their S60 firmware but have so far ignored WISPr. Both iPass and Boingo have also announced Symbian S60 based client software however while iPass issued a press release over a year ago saying that a Symbian S60 client was being launched but trying to get your hands on this is another story. Boingo are currently beta testing a Symbian S60 client which will work with their Boingo Mobile service, a flat rate US$7.95 per month service that offers unlimited VoIP and internet access from a Smartphone or PDA using any of their worldwide hotspots. Looking at it the Boingo Mobile deal has the potential to finally bring VoIP over WiFi to the masses. The Netgear WiFi Skype phone has Boingo software embedded in it and Boingo is trying to establish partnerships with manufacturers to embed their hotspot software into products which allows users to simply stroll up to a Boingo hotspot and their device will automatically connect to the internet with no requirement to manually enter user details. Kodak have had Boingo support in several of their WiFi capable cameras for some time now allowing easy transfer of data from any Boingo hotspot anywhere in the world.
This leads on to the next issue – how do any of the small standalone hotspot operators who are starting up today really think they can make money? Sure, there will always be a market for a hotel or café to have it’s own private WiFi system offering internet access and many of these are probably delivering a tidy profit. As an end user however I want a single login that works when I’m at a hotspot which is exactly what large global networks such as iPass and Boingo are offering. By being an aggregator and partnering with WiFi operators around the world they no longer need to spend large amounts of money rolling out their own hotspots but relying on WiFi network operators to partner with and delivering end users to those partner networks. iPass and Boingo differ significantly in that iPass is a true roaming network where you use your existing ISP’s login to connect to hotspots (and dialup) connections any pay an hourly rate for access. Boingo charges a flat monthly fee for access to the Boingo network with some restrictions in place preventing excess downloads from single hotspots and per minute surcharges that exist on some partner networks.
I can hear people saying now that this is just rubbish but people said the same thing about roaming between GSM networks in the early days. If companies such as Boingo manage to start embedding their software in large numbers of WiFi devices then choosing to ignore partnering with large scale aggregators such as iPass or Boingo is a decision that’s going to seriously cripple your business and really does kill the whole concept of having affordable internet anywhere and everywhere.
I was going to talk about the concept of Muni WiFi networks and why they’re nothing but a bad business model but I’ll save that for another day..
http://www.geekzone.co.nz
We’ve been hearing for years that VoIP over WiFi would kill off cellphones. Anybody who still believes this needs to get a grip on reality and accept that this is nothing but a dream. With the exception of the few large scale WiFi Networks (such as The Cloud in London) WiFi networks just can’t achieve an acceptable level of coverage to ever have a chance of doing this and people don’t want to walk around a city looking for a hotspot that they can use their phone from. Pricing is a significant issue with most hotspots offerering time based charging which may be fine for web browsing but if you want to use a VoIP solution or a instant messenger application then paying hourly rates while your connection is idle can prove rather expensive. Data based charging solves this problem but has the potential to drive down the average hourly revenue generated by a hotspot. In the world of broadband however nobody ever pays their ISP hourly rates for a broadband service so why should the hotspot market be any different? Flat rate charging is possibly the solution to the problem, but more about that later.
Hotspot operators also haven’t yet overcome the most basic of problems – that 99% of hotspots use a web based interface for user authentication. Even if you are in a good coverage area trying to open up a web browser on a small cellphone or PDA screen to enter your login details is just a horrible end user experience. The solution to this is simple – use a protocol such as 802.1x EAP or WISPr to authenticate end users without them having to login manually to the hotspot. EAP simply hasn’t taken off in the hotspot world but Boingo, FON & iPass have all adopted WISPr and and any hotspot that is a partner network supports for these supports WISPr - the problem however is that most hotspots only support WISPr for their Boingo & iPass logins and not their own customer base. I have a piece of 3rd party software on my phone called SmartConnect which supports WISPr for hotspot logins however I’ve so far been unable to test this because neither Azure or Telstra support WISPr for their own user accounts and in New Zealand neither CafeNet or Telecom’s WiFi hotspots support this either. Even Steve from Tomizone has commented that he would love an application for his new Apple iPhone to automatically connect to a TomiZone Hotspot. Everybody seems to acknowledge that this is a problem but why is a solution taking so long?
Nokia have chosen to support various 802.1x EAP methods of user authentication in their S60 firmware but have so far ignored WISPr. Both iPass and Boingo have also announced Symbian S60 based client software however while iPass issued a press release over a year ago saying that a Symbian S60 client was being launched but trying to get your hands on this is another story. Boingo are currently beta testing a Symbian S60 client which will work with their Boingo Mobile service, a flat rate US$7.95 per month service that offers unlimited VoIP and internet access from a Smartphone or PDA using any of their worldwide hotspots. Looking at it the Boingo Mobile deal has the potential to finally bring VoIP over WiFi to the masses. The Netgear WiFi Skype phone has Boingo software embedded in it and Boingo is trying to establish partnerships with manufacturers to embed their hotspot software into products which allows users to simply stroll up to a Boingo hotspot and their device will automatically connect to the internet with no requirement to manually enter user details. Kodak have had Boingo support in several of their WiFi capable cameras for some time now allowing easy transfer of data from any Boingo hotspot anywhere in the world.
This leads on to the next issue – how do any of the small standalone hotspot operators who are starting up today really think they can make money? Sure, there will always be a market for a hotel or café to have it’s own private WiFi system offering internet access and many of these are probably delivering a tidy profit. As an end user however I want a single login that works when I’m at a hotspot which is exactly what large global networks such as iPass and Boingo are offering. By being an aggregator and partnering with WiFi operators around the world they no longer need to spend large amounts of money rolling out their own hotspots but relying on WiFi network operators to partner with and delivering end users to those partner networks. iPass and Boingo differ significantly in that iPass is a true roaming network where you use your existing ISP’s login to connect to hotspots (and dialup) connections any pay an hourly rate for access. Boingo charges a flat monthly fee for access to the Boingo network with some restrictions in place preventing excess downloads from single hotspots and per minute surcharges that exist on some partner networks.
I can hear people saying now that this is just rubbish but people said the same thing about roaming between GSM networks in the early days. If companies such as Boingo manage to start embedding their software in large numbers of WiFi devices then choosing to ignore partnering with large scale aggregators such as iPass or Boingo is a decision that’s going to seriously cripple your business and really does kill the whole concept of having affordable internet anywhere and everywhere.
I was going to talk about the concept of Muni WiFi networks and why they’re nothing but a bad business model but I’ll save that for another day..
http://www.geekzone.co.nz
US VoIP market picking up pace
The number of US consumers turning to IP telephony solutions has soared from 6.5 million in mid-2006 to 11.8 million by the second quarter of this year, industry analyst TeleGeography has revealed.
Based on current trends, the research group estimates that by 2011 some 23.3 million people will be wired into VoIP phones.
However, despite the success of American cable providers in spurring on the IP telephony revolution the US market is still lagging behind its European counterpart.
In Europe uptake of VoIP solutions has accelerated rapidly since last year, due in large part to the liberalising of access to local copper loops managed by incumbent telecoms providers such as Deutsche Telekom and BT.
Aggressive competition and pricing and active participation by incumbent operators in the VoIP market have also yielded positive results, with TeleGeography projecting that by 2011 VoIP penetration in Europe will be twice as great as in the US.
"VoIP service in the US has emerged as a mainstream service that is causing traditional service providers some headaches," commented TeleGeography analyst Stephan Beckert. "However, in Europe VoIP could fundamentally change the structure of the fixed-line market."
http://www.telappliant.com
Based on current trends, the research group estimates that by 2011 some 23.3 million people will be wired into VoIP phones.
However, despite the success of American cable providers in spurring on the IP telephony revolution the US market is still lagging behind its European counterpart.
In Europe uptake of VoIP solutions has accelerated rapidly since last year, due in large part to the liberalising of access to local copper loops managed by incumbent telecoms providers such as Deutsche Telekom and BT.
Aggressive competition and pricing and active participation by incumbent operators in the VoIP market have also yielded positive results, with TeleGeography projecting that by 2011 VoIP penetration in Europe will be twice as great as in the US.
"VoIP service in the US has emerged as a mainstream service that is causing traditional service providers some headaches," commented TeleGeography analyst Stephan Beckert. "However, in Europe VoIP could fundamentally change the structure of the fixed-line market."
http://www.telappliant.com
четверг, 6 сентября 2007 г.
US VoIP market is growing fast—but Europe is growing faster.
The number of US consumer VoIP subscribers soared from 6.5 million in mid-2006 to 11.8 million by the 2nd quarter of 2007, according to TeleGeography's US VoIP Research Service. While the growth of network-independent providers like Vonage has slowed sharply, cable companies' rapid voice subscriber gains have more than made up the difference. TeleGeography projects that the number of US VoIP subscribers will rise to 23.3 million by 2011, driven chiefly by the strong growth of cable providers' IP telephony offerings.
Nevertheless, US VoIP subscriber growth is falling well behind the blistering pace set by European VoIP service providers. Both markets experienced similar growth patterns over the first few years of development, but began to diverge in 2006. Several factors help account for Europe’s much more rapid VoIP service growth, including freer access to incumbents’ local copper loops, more aggressive competition and pricing, and the active participation of incumbent operators such as France Telecom, Deutsche Telekom and BT in the VoIP market. In Europe, incumbent service providers accounted for 26%of VoIP subscribers, while in the US, AT&T, Verizon and Qwest have remained largely on the sidelines. If these factors remain in place, TeleGeography projects that by 2011, VoIP penetration in Europe will be approximately twice as great as in the US.
'VoIP service in the US has emerged as a mainstream service that is causing traditional service providers some headaches,' commented TeleGeography analyst Stephan Beckert. 'However, in Europe, VoIP could fundamentally change the structure of the fixed-line market.'
TeleGeography's US and European VoIP research services provide in-depth data and market analysis of the US and European consumer voice over IP markets, including market shares, growth rates, forecasts, and profiles of leading providers.
To download the executive summary of TeleGeography’s US VoIP, please visit: http://www.telegeography.com/products/voip/index.php
To download the executive summary of TeleGeography’s EuroVoIP, please visit http://www.telegeography.com/products/euro_voip/index.php
Source: TeleGeography's US VoIP and Euro-VoIP reports
http://www.telegeography.com
UK firms failing in VoIP security
A large number of businesses in the UK are failing to secure their voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and Wi-Fi networks adequately, according to a new report.
The increased uptake of wireless networks and VoIP among UK businesses has meant the security risk associated with these networks has risen as a result, with Nation Computing Centre (NCC) research claiming organisations are not doing enough to secure their systems.
Its research found that 40 per cent of respondents in the UK either have not secured their Wi-Fi systems or have only done so partially.
In terms of VoIP security, just 15 per cent claimed to have installed security measures.
Phishing and spam attacks are one risk firms should be aware of when using VoIP and Wi-Fi, although firms are more aware of the risks involved with internal security threats from the use of high-capacity USB sticks.
More than three-quarters of respondents in the survey from the NCC admitted they realised the threat posed by the data sticks, but just 11 per cent had controls introduced to deal with the situation.
http://www.onestopclick.com
The increased uptake of wireless networks and VoIP among UK businesses has meant the security risk associated with these networks has risen as a result, with Nation Computing Centre (NCC) research claiming organisations are not doing enough to secure their systems.
Its research found that 40 per cent of respondents in the UK either have not secured their Wi-Fi systems or have only done so partially.
In terms of VoIP security, just 15 per cent claimed to have installed security measures.
Phishing and spam attacks are one risk firms should be aware of when using VoIP and Wi-Fi, although firms are more aware of the risks involved with internal security threats from the use of high-capacity USB sticks.
More than three-quarters of respondents in the survey from the NCC admitted they realised the threat posed by the data sticks, but just 11 per cent had controls introduced to deal with the situation.
http://www.onestopclick.com
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