VoIP Watch

Powell Is Pissed. Om's On It

While I'm out checking out wine bars and tapas bars in Portland, OM-nipresent online Om Malik is on the case and grabbed the first post related to Michael Powell's pissed off response to SBC's plan to roll out TipTop.

From the very start I have felt that the SBC foray, as well as some other shots from Bell South are all geared towards harming, or at least slowing down the VoIP uptake by alternative access carriers. By his very measured retort it is clear that Chairman Powell is concerned and will have the FCC closely scruitinizing the situation when they return.

The best thing SBC could do is back off and let the work be done. But they are too monopolistic and have not learned from misteps by Microsoft. Perhaps the DoJ needs to dig into SBC and Bell South, look high enough and find who the super advisors are to both and figure out that divertiture is really a myth and that the 20 plus year plans drawn up by the Baby Bells in the 80's are still being implemented.

Tekrati Points To VoIP Growth

What we all suspected over the past year has now been validated. VoIP deployments by the carriers and RBOC's are on the rise. Check out the posting over on TekRati.

What this means in plain language is that the RBOC and ILECs are all gearing up to roll out more VoIP based services to consumers and the enterprise. Deploying VoIP isn't as easy as fliping a switch. You actually have to build out some infrastructure to make sure that it works as well or better than what it is replacing.

Will European VoIP Ever Sing In The Same Key?

The purpose of the EU was supposed to bring together greater commonality between members. So far, not so with VoIP. That's why this meeting that James Enck comments on is going to be so interesting.

It also is likely one of the reasons Level3 and others are be as aggressive in the European market at gearing up for VoIP in a big way with both infrastructure and access deals.

Pulver's Top VoIP Bloggers

I want to thank Jeff for the recognition for my making the list of who the Top VoIP Bloggers are.

What makes all of us on the list worthy is the ability to share what we know between each other. I don't look at others as competitors, but as peers. That's what makes Blogging great !

Thanks Jeff.

eWeek Says 2004 Explosive for VoIP

In what is a nice recap the first doyen of VoIP, Ellen Muraskin of eWeek, has a fast read recap of 2004 and its growth in 2004.

She calls into question the enterprise market and asks where the future lies drawing out the need for the ability to cross connect multiple networks. This makes me think that companies like Stealt Communications are perfectly poised for this type of effort. It also means that technologies like MPLS from Cisco and others will be rolled out to maintain the QoS and deliver the services that already work in the PSTN/PBX world correctly.

One example is Caller ID. When I call my CallVantage line from an SBC landline or T-Mobile mobile phone all works perfectly. However, when I call from Vonagethe number that shows up on the Caller ID is somewhere in Phoenix, AZ. Something as simple as how the signaling data moves will be important.

Without the basics being done right, corporate America will fiddle, but not dance to the VoIP seller tunes.

Are VoIP Security Fears Overblown

A ZD Net reporter goes fishing about VoIP security and after talking to experts comes back with only his rod, reel and a net.

Right now the evidence would indicate that the major carriers are experienced enough to deal with threats to their networks from the core. The issue is how are they handling the intrusion from the edge, where the Telephone Adaptors and SoftPhones are based?

I see this story as a positioning play by companies like McAfee and Symantec that will lead to the development of VoIP security software for the desktop and laptop.

Om calls it the Fear Factor. I say, FUD is FUD and security companies love to spread that so they can create a market.

HOT VoIP In Israel

HOT has a hot offer in Israel. They launched its fixed-line residential telephony service breaking Bezeq's long-standing monopoly by using VoIP technology.

HOT is reportedly spending $100 million in the network over the next three years.

Talking To Your Friends

Friendster Fone powered by GloPhone is coming soon.

Just like Kazaa's deal with Skype, the idea of community oriented calling is rapidly drawing upon us. Each are offering the ability to call your friends, and with Skype Out you can call to PSTN numbers.

But what I'm realizing is just how far off AOL was in looking down the road and really building in synergy.

First they had music and music delivery capabilities which they acquired to promote via their sites and pages, they had technology that they were already deploying that was sticky--AIM, IM, ICQ, they had music and video streaming and download abilities--WinAmp, Shoutcast, Spinner, they had a visionary team in the Shoutcast crew that developed Gnuetilla, Waste and who knows what else if they were allowed to do their thing...that when all rolled together was or could have been what all these other newcomers are trying to be.

What was most important was they had two very important aspects that all the newcomers are trying to acquire. Customers who pay and content that people want. The Warner Bros. library of video and audio is immense. The publishing division has tons of books and audio books.

But what held AOL back was the drive to create a new broadband experience on one hand and on the other the dedication to that cash cow they have, the dial up customer base.

Had AOL been able to execute on a combined strategy of tech with content it would have been THE one play that everyone wanted, especially younger audiences. Unfortunately due to all the internal, intercine corporate boardroom, executive suite and field level politics, none of the future could ever happen.

Comments Closed

I had to turn comments off, at least for a while.

This morning I got hit with a rapid fire amount of comment spam, enough to make me want to turn it off and evaluate my options.

Next week I intend on talking to other bloggers using TypePad about this and also the good folks at SixApart. The blogosphere is too powerful of a communications tool to be damaged the way email has become.

Sun Rocket Goes On Sale

All they are missing is the guy who used to do the tv ads for a chain of electronics stores in New York and a few other markets called Crazy Eddies. You see, Sun Rocket, the VoIP player started by some ex WorldCon/MCI types wasn't getting enough subscribers to their offer, so now they are starting what could become a VoIP price war.

The news leaked out earlier in the week, but being on the road, I didn't pick up on it. To their PR person's credit she called, but I was doing the Pulver Party day travel and missed her call and given the short week I failed to call her back. I'm sorry, that's so unlike me. Anyway, I'm not impressed when a company launches saying what they are doing out of the box is giving great value, then they have to lower their pricing so quickly.

My question is, if somone signed up with the original plan pricing will they get dropped to the new deal?

Let me give you another thing to to ponder. My credit card has built in 90 day price protection. If the price lowers by 10 dollars a month after I bill it to my card do I get to ask for the 10 dollars credit for the previous 90 day period and then for each 90 days thereafter....