A must read is the update on Voice 2.0 by Alec Saunders.
Not only is it a must read, it is so right on. Alec has taken a look at where things have progressed.
One highlight is how Alec draws attention to the AOL AIM PhoneLine Developer program that iotum is a charter member of. He has hit the nail on the head there, but omitted Yahoo, whose Plug In program excludes VoIP due to Yahoo's over zealous security gnomes. That, and the delays of a new VoIP ready Mac version of Messenger point to some of the troubles that Yahoo's fat overhead layers are causing. Yahoo should be much farther ahead in VoIP than they are considering whose there, what they have, how big their user base is. But like all fat, 1.0 companies, trying to play in 2.0 is not just talk. UPDATE: THIS JUST IN FROM TED WALLINGFORD--WOW!! HE RIPS YAHOO AND TAKES THEM TO TASK ON HIS OWN TERMS.
Yahoo has spent too much time working on the Yahoo integration with MSN Messenger if you read between the lines of Brad Garlinghouse's recent posting.
Along those lines it appears that Microsoft is also pretty much a non-entry in the 2.0 Voice space. They have spent a lot of time on the Enterprise side seeking to promote the LCS (Live Communications Server) but they really have not shown their intent too much on the consumer VoIP side of the fence with Live--though I do expect them to do just that.
Google is just starting to dabble deeper with Google Talk, and my guess is they will pass Microsoft and likely begin putting some real heat on Yahoo too.
So go read Alec and give him your thoughts.
P.S. It's also very relevant to read Bruce Stewart's take and how he gives props to Ted Wallingford's post..Both make some very, very good points.
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