VoIP Watch

Is Skype Trying To Keep Things Secret?

Why in anyone's mind would a deal between SalesForce.com and eBay/Skype be kept mostly under wraps? No it wasn't under wraps. I missed it. (see above) and so did a lot of the other VoIP bloggers.

The implications of a Skype & SalesForce.com alliance are huge. 

What’s bigger than Skype getting into the business of business? It is a huge move, especially with a company like SalesForce.com.

Someone wrote that "Skype's software is available as a Salesforce-built plug-in that enables companies to embed voice-over-IP capabilities in their Salesforce environments for doing things like launching multi-party conference calls."

This is exactly the kind of thing that goes right at the heart of Microsoft's LCS strategy and puts a heap of hurt on the conference call business. Why? SalesForce.com is used by sales organizations. Sales organizations talk to millions of customers each day.  It is a Skype Viral move to the nth degree, but candidly, the way this whole thing was executed it sure reads more like Mark Benioff being the procurer of customers like he always was the top procurer for Larry Ellison back when he was at Oracle.

I wonder what is next up Skype's sleeves?

AOL Widens Broadband Offerings

Taking a page out of Yahoo's playbook, AOL has announced a series of relationships with DSL providers to help migrate their users from dial up to broadband for as little as two dollars over their dial up package price of $24.95.

Expect to see a bundle deal with the MSO's coming down the pike would be my guess as to what is next. This could be a big boost to the AOL Total Talk package also.

Progress With Level3

Level3 keeps growing their market reach and network. Today they announced the acquisition of Progress Telecom. In the past I said the WilTel acquisition which is now in integration mode, and from what I hear almost done --read head count reductions coming soon--would yield even more.

Vonage Adds Virtual Number in Europe

In what has to be a move to counter Skype and expand footprint, Vonage has added virtual telephone numbers across Europe.

Good move.

New Blogger Blogs My Clients

I found this new blog site. Forget the photo, the content is what's turning my head (remember I'm an engaged and very happy guy, who found his perfect WinePal/Geek Girl).

Great coverage of VoIPSter and PhoneGnome by Christine, who works in the Valley and has some very impressive credentials.

Om Gets Some Yahoo Love

So Om got to go to the Yahoo soriee down in Half Moon Bay, that I was also invited to, but was on the wrong coast to join up with future Yahoo Sr. VP Brad Garlinghouse and a bunch of Yahoo folks.

One of the things Om confirmed is that Geoff Ralston left Yahoo, which now should explain why I said last night "I don't know exactly who Brad reports to these days." :-) Sometimes secrets need to be kept, even by bloggers.

BTW, I can't wait for that Mac client.......can I have it soon please :-)

Vonage Goes Inside Your House, Not Just Your Wallet

SkiBare tipped me off to the new Vonage approach to in home installation.

Can you say "cable guy" as in Jim Carey!!!

I wonder who they expect to be their Vonage professionals..Will they be GE? ITT? ex XEROX or ex Telco guys.

Gee is wire line maintanence next?

From the Lose Lips Sink Ships Department of Packet 8

A loyal field goal club member forwarded me their latest experience at VoIP Stalag 13, Packet 8 after reading my previous post about them.

I called tech support today.  Asked when the new features are coming out.  They said, "some time within the next month.  we are having server problems."  EVERY single time they try and load new software in, the system blows up.  No different this time.  Guess a lot of people are calling in with voice-mail problems etc.  WTF is the problem?  Why is it so difficult to load new software in and have it work??

Great question..I wonder if Packet 8 has an answer. Their rep at the Internet Telephony conference would only say I should expect to see an announcement in a few days from their usual spokesperson.

OpenZoep Is Here

Client VoIPSter is causing a bit of a stir with their open source approach to VoIP. They announced OpenZoep and their Firefox Browser plug in that turns the popular browser into a softphone. Bruce Stewart has the details.

iotum is Simply Relevant At ETel Today

Client iotum and their co-founder Alec Saunders seem to have hit stride at the ETel conference already.  Bruce Stewart of Emerging Telephony, a new online VoIP news site, was suitably impressed.

You can read Bruce's thoughts here.