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Looking Forward To Spring VON 2008
2007-09-25 15:29:00
You read the headline right. I'm looking forward to Spring VON 2008 in San Jose even though 2007 Fall VON in Boston hasn't happened yet. After catching up with Jeff Pulver over the weekend and hearing his vision and direction for the granddaddy of VoIP conferences it was rewarding to hear the energy and enthusiasm back in his voice. Like most of us Jeff has been looking at the future of where voice, video and social communications (some call it networks or media) all converge. Jeff is seeing that very clearly and while this upcoming VON will set the stage with the very hot Innovators Unconference Track that Carl Ford has been busily assembling. All this is setting the stage for the 2008 show, which makes this years Fall VON very exciting. The nexus of communications is rapidly coming together between the various modes, and from Jeff's perspective the jump starts in late October and runs all the way to Spring in San Jose.
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James Seng On VoIP
2007-09-25 15:13:00
It was nice to see Singapore based blogger James Seng write a post about VoIP even if he basically says nothing is new. Om Malik riffs on the theme presenting both sides of the coin. He's right in my opinion about the price game. I've said for many years now that its about the apps and features, not the price, since the price is effectively at zero or so close it doesn't matter any more. Technorati Tags: VoIP
More About: Voip

Mig33 Offering Desktop Experience On Mobiles
2007-09-25 15:00:00
Its easy to think about Mig33 as VoIP play but after catching up with pal Jim Hudak at DEMO yesterday here in San Diego, I'm realizing there's a lot more going on with the Redpoint backed company that was firing on all cylinders last winter at O'Reilly's eTel. One of their most recent moves has been to make it possible for low end Java capable mobile phones to function as an email device. That means in emerging nations where GPRS is the standard, that the locals can have access to email and get beyond text.
More About: Desktop , Mobiles , Experience , Bile

Vonage Bashing Continues
2007-09-25 14:40:00
This morning I woke up and read how a CNET reporter had nothing but a less than exemplary experience with Vonage and switched to Skype. Yesterday one of my agency team members was pulling her hair out over the frustrations of trying to separate from the New Jersey phone company when she moved, with the experience taking three months and a bill in excess of $80.00 including the $39 dollar termination fee. It seems Vonage does everything they can to try to keep a customer before letting them go. Unfortunately much of this leads to only more confusion and frustration based on the emails I have been receiving the last few years.
More About: Bash , Conti

T-Mobile BlackBerry 8320 Adds WiFi and VoIP To Mix
2007-09-24 15:11:00
I'm looking forward to seeing the consumer and small business customer markets reaction to the new Blackberry 8320 that offers VoIP and WiFi from T-Mobile . While it will provide much of what I'm getting now with Truphone on my Nokia E61i, my instincts tell me that the single source provider will appeal to the later adopters who don't want to fiddle and diddle. They just want to talk. For years I have been convinced that it was only a matter of time before the mobile operators entered the VoIP game. With this release, T-Mobile becomes the first real operator to make the push, and they are starting with the largest group of early adopters of cloud based IP based technology in the mobile world. The BlackBerry users. I've felt this way because the mobile operator already owns the customer out on the road, and now they have the ability really provide the service where the reception has been not always pristine. This will help change that. I expect to see Sprint foll...
More About: Voip , Wifi

Henry Blodgett on Pudding
2007-09-24 14:57:00
A few weeks ago I wrote that friends in the Valley were just laughing at the idea of a company giving away advertiser supported VoIP, where the conversations are listened in on by some type of technology. Now it seems Silicon Alley Insider Henry Blodgett has the same opinion as he riffs on a New York Times article about the company where they wrote: The company’s model, of course, raises questions about the line between target advertising and violation of privacy. Consumer-brand companies are increasingly trying to use data about people to deliver different ads to them based on their demographics and behavior online. The Associated Press also reports on the launch.
More About: Pudding

News and Notes for September 21 2007
2007-09-21 14:53:00
3COM, a rival of Cisco, is intimating they plan to become a player in the SMB VoIP space. This is becoming the number one market that everyone is going after. It is going to come down to a few things in my view. Quality of product. Professionalism of the install team and ability to deliver a reliable call experience on and off campus. In-Stat says there are 55 million VoIP users world wide and experts expect that number to really grow. Web Worker Daily has an excellent round up of IM clients and more to help you stay close and work closer. A report out of Australia says that the island continent needs "open networks" for the new economy to grow. Obviously this has a big impact on VoIP and Video communications, as well as collaboration apps. Information Week calls the new RIM Blackberry 8820 as the iPhone for the Enterprise market. It brings VoIP and WiFi to the mobile phone platform that so many business users are already embracing. Ooma was covered by the Associated Press...
More About: News , Notes , September

My Views on Product Evaluations
2007-09-20 20:21:00
I get asked a lot to test new products. I do my best to test the ones that fit into my lifestyle, or as I get around to them. Over the past few weeks I've tested the new Jawbone Bluetooth headset. I really wasn't that impressed, it was difficult to change the pieces that fit in the ear, taking up way more time than devices from Plantronics or IQUA. Because I couldn't get the right fit it provided me a less than subpar experience. On the other hand I gave it to my ultimate beta tester, my wife. She loves it, especially as she whirls around her medical office and has to talk on the phone and post notes to her Tablet PC while being on the phone. Helene says it really cuts down the noise and people on the other end seem to hear her better than on the Plantronics. In my car I've been using the IQUA Snake2 Bluetooth Speakerphone. This is the best in car implementation of Bluetooth I have found. The sound comes from behind you, and my friend with the Golden Ears, KenRad...
More About: Views , Product , Valuation

Speakeasy + Best Buy + Geek Squad: How to Make It All Work
2007-09-20 15:58:00
Speakeasy + Best Buy + Geek Squad On paper this troika is a very good thing. One of the biggest issues all VoIP companies have is servicing the small business market on the installation end. The synergy being established here makes sense on paper. But it comes down to the execution. This story shows that there are still teething pains going on. My take is that if Best Buy can line up a relationship with DeVry Technical Schools then they could have a pipeline of Geek Squad members to help support the future growth.
More About: Work , Make

Saunders Is Getting 2.0
2007-09-20 15:44:00
Alec's post this morning shows that he really is in tune with what 2.0 is all about. His realization that Facebook is a great test bed for marketing new services is in total alignment with my viewpoints on how to effectively use new forms of media. Old line market research companies that struggled to blend in the web with their tools and tactics should read Alec's post and then delve deeper into how to use Facebook. If Cluster was important, then the tribal aspects of the Facebook crowd are even more relevant.

New Samsung Windows Mobile 6 Blackjack Rumored
2007-09-20 15:29:00
Windows Mobile 6 offers SIP and it usually supports WiFi. That makes the next generation of Samsung Blackjack s one very sexy package for the enterprise market as it could be VoIP ready right out of the box.
More About: Windows , Windows Mobile

Jangl Adds A New Relationship
2007-09-20 15:12:00
I just read that Jangl has a new relationship with Tagged. This is an example of 1+1 = more. It's about social media and networking, while keeping some degrees of your own identity private.
More About: Relationship

TalkPlus' Jeff Black Profiled on Vator.TV, Thomas Howe Featured On Telco 2.
2007-09-20 07:47:00
Check out Jeff Black 's interview with Bambi Francisco. Client Thomas Howe will be a featured speaker at the rapidly rising Telco 2.0 conference in London. The event organizers' blog has a nice summary about Thomas and his mashup approach as well as his award winning eTel performance.
More About: Featured

USA Today Reviews Ooma
2007-09-20 06:25:00
Check out Ed Baig's review in USA Today of Ooma. Jonathan Greene's evaluation continues.
More About: Reviews

TMC IT EXPO WEST-My Perspective
2007-09-20 06:16:00
I realized sometime last week that I didn't blog from IT Expo at all. Rich's post sums up all the coverage nicely. While I had some great briefings with Fonality and Polycom, much of what I learned was more beneficial for future posts than simply covering a bunch of "announcements." I use briefings more for background and context for future posts not simply for immediate gratification for the PR people who set up the briefings. The show was a great chance for me to catch up with friends, but I also found myself wrapped up more with things away from the show and because so much of my life is dependent on being connected, that when Wednesday rolled around, I stayed in my hotel room working and working and working. The lack of broadband at the venue (128k just doesn't cut it) and the poor cell reception on my T-Mobile Blackberry 8700 made it difficult to be in touch as much as I now need to be. Show organizers need to start taking into consideration their venu...
More About: West , Perspective

Voice MashUp Mania Coming To Las Vegas
2007-09-19 04:20:00
Comunicano client, The Thomas Howe Company and Sylantro are teaming up to challenge developers to create the best Voice 2.0 mashups and present them at Sylantro's Global Summit in Las Vegas , Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. This latest contest will generate new technology solutions to real problems faced by enterprise and businesses today. Thomas is widely regarded as one of the masters of the mashup following his eTel contest win last February. “Voice is moving beyond its traditional applications such as PBX into the realm of Voice 2.0 where it leverages the huge momentum in allied areas such as the Web and mobility to become a key enabler in communication transactions. Thomas Howe is among the handful of thought leaders whose leadership, creativity, and evangelism have given Voice 2.0 a firm footing today ," Marco Limena, president and CEO of Sylantro Systems told me. "We are very excited to be partnering with him and his team in defining the future of voice applicatio...
More About: Mashup , Mania

Mr. SIP Goes Windows Mobile
2007-09-17 13:44:00
The new Windows Mobile 6.0 Smartphones and PDAs have the capability to be wonderful VoIP devices with apps like Skype, Fring and more coming. The key is to make sure the device is SIP enabled. Sometime they will work right out of the box, other times users will have to reload some CAB files.
More About: Windows Mobile , Bile , S mobile

News and Notes for September 16 2007
2007-09-16 19:12:00
Devicescape, a company which has participated on panels I've moderated for MuniWireless, continue to execute on their plan to be the simplest way to log on to WiFi networks, both public and private, with a client/server solution that automates how device log onto hotspots. Their latest move, an iPhone application to solve one pain point with iPhone users, reports Tidbits. This is important because with T-Mobile/Starbucks and Apple working together to sell downloads of iTunes direct to the new iPods my guess is the new software will also be tuned to work on them as well. That makes adoption, usage easier and more pain free. Ironically, the Naperville Sun has rerun the story I was quoted in about staying connected on the road. DeviceScape is one of the tools that helps make it possible. The Dow Jones News wire story about Skype not ringing up the numbers continues to make the rounds. This time in the Chicago Tribune. I think its time for eBay to make some serious moves over in th...
More About: Notes , September

hello
2007-09-16 09:20:00
benim i?te

Free World Dialup Offers Voice Mail To FaceBook Users-Less Unified, More Di
2007-09-15 18:42:00
First up was iotum's Conference Calling feature for Facebook users. Now FWD has unveiled what I'd like to call FaceMail , a new Voice Mail service for FaceBook users. This is good for those that spend all their life in FaceBook, but like Skype voice mail, it isn't portable yet so it means having to go to another place to listen to more messages versus having them all in one place (Grand Central, CommuniKate, Ring Central) which is and has been the mantra of those in the unified messaging space for years and not "diversified messaging" which both FaceMail and Skype Voice Mail fall into. What does it need? 1) An RSS Feed for Each Message. That way those who use feed readers get notified. This would be a great tool for inbound call centers or group support teams. 2) The ability for the message to be fed to GrandCentral. Let's face it, with so much going on in the world of mashups, Google and GC are poised to be at the epicenter. 3) A presence feature, one ...
More About: World , Free , Offers

Virgin America To Offer WiFi In Flight
2007-09-14 15:42:00
This is music to my ears.. I had the good fortune to use WiFi on Lufthansa and SAS while flying in 2005 and 2006. With the two trips I took to Europe this year I sure missed it, and actually adjusted my travel so I wasn't out of touch for what felt like a whole day. WiFi in the sky for the business traveler is a wonderful way to stay connected.
More About: America , Wifi , Virgin , Flight , Virgin America

Congrats To Fonality-Best of Show At IT Expo
2007-09-14 15:14:00
Tom Keating reports on what he considered the best of show at IT Expo ...Fonality.
More About: Show , Rats , Ality

iPhone Coming to UK Next Week?
2007-09-14 12:08:00
Last100 is reporting that the Apple iPhone is coming to the UK. I recently bought one to see what all the hoopla is about after waiting a few months after release. The iPhone isn't the most advanced phone in the world. As a matter of fact it is really at least one generation back in its capabilities in some ways, but in others one generation ahead. In many ways it reminds me of the 90's era AOL vs. other online services. It doesn't do everything, but what it does do, it does exceptionally well. As such, it is my casual phone, while I switch between the Nokia N95 and E61 as my primary mobile.
More About: Iphone , Week , Ming

Gizmo5.com Launched
2007-09-14 07:22:00
The folks at SipPhone tipped me off to the new Gizmo5.com. When I have some time I'll try it out. Here's the release. FREE SOFTWARE BRINGS INSTANT MESSAGING AND LOW COST CALLING TO MILLIONS OF MOBILE PHONE USERS WORLDWIDE Gizmo for Mobile, available at gizmo5.com, does AIM, MSN, Yahoo, Cuts Text Charges And Saves Up to 90% On Calling SAN DIEGO, Calif. - September 14, 2007 - SIPphone, Inc., makers of Gizmo Project VoIP & IM software, announce the release of Gizmo for Mobile. Gizmo for Mobile is free software that runs on mobile phones which will allow anyone to instant message with any Gizmo Project, AIM, MSN, Yahoo or Gtalk user, use VoIP to place low cost international calls and transfer files to any other Gizmo for Mobile or Gizmo Project user. With the release of Gizmo for Mobile, SIPphone becomes the first company to offer a PC and mobile phone solution with software for all major phone and PC operating systems. For the first time, instant messaging, voice commun...
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News and Notes for September 13 2007
2007-09-13 17:59:00
Skype Journal's Jim Courtney makes the claim that client Thomas Howe has written the definitive post on what is a mash-up just in time for the Skype Mashup event which I've been invited to attend later this month. Courtney calls Howe's writing a "key reference post" an it sure is. This is something to bookmark. Howe also was quoted in a CIO Today and BusiessWeek Online story giving the young lad from Cape Cod a double header day. Starbucks is looking more and more like the beneficiary of everything that T-Mobile does. First it was just a place to log on with your laptop. Then deals with Sony brought in Mylo users, followed by Playstation users. Now they are bringing in people who take photos with Nikon's digital camera that has WiFi in it. This is the razor blade strategy to a T. T-Mobile is offering the owners of the Nikon camera a complimentary six month subscription which is worth $240.00. Add in what they are doing with the @Home product and you see...
More About: News , Notes , September

AT&T Goes Orange
2007-09-11 17:14:00
I just read a note that said AT&T is changing their corporate colors from blue to ORANGE. Does that mean a merger with Orange is coming? AT&T spent a lot of money rebranding Cingular to AT&T, and yet back then before the change Cingular was orange colored too. Does any of this spending and branding changes make sense? Maybe if you're planning a merger it does!
More About: Goes

Why I Carry The Card
2007-09-10 19:40:00
American Express made a phrase very relevant. "Never leave home without it." Rich Tehrani's comment today about hotel bandwidth speeds at his hotel made me realize why we subscribe to EVDO Rev A services with both Verizon and Sprint, as well as now HSDPA from AT&T. Here at the event the Los Angeles Convention Center is offer access for $12.95 a day, with speeds of 128k up and down-best efforts or $14.95 for a public IP and those same speeds. Thanks, LACC, but I have my card.
More About: Card , The Car , Carry

News and Notes for Sunday September 9 2007
2007-09-09 12:51:00
Will there be consolidation up and down the line in the video conferencing industry? TechConfidential seems to think so. I've often suggested Usage and Attitude or Intender studies be conducted by clients to help determine market readiness for new technology and adoption. Now it seems that Forrester's Charles Golvin agrees. This is exactly the kind of thing that helps the telcos and the cable folks know just when is when, and then when to say when to pour the dollars behind new technology. The Geekzone in New Zealand calls the Voice over WiFi market a dysfunctional market, but reveals that Boingo is beta testing a new piece of log-on software for the Symbian Series 60 market. That means N80i, N95 and E series Nokias will be Boingo capable.....Does anyone at Boingo want to send me the software........We do know a few Nokia Blogger Relations bloggers very well. The TMC Internet Telephony, Call Center 2.0 and Green Technology World shows all start tomorrow. I'm looking f...
More About: News , Notes , Sunday , September

Jonathan Greene on ooma
2007-09-08 22:35:00
Jonathan Greene seems to be dismayed about ooma. Seems my original reservations are coming to life.
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Alec Saunders On The iotum Conferencing Facebook App
2007-09-08 22:32:00
Client and friend Alec Saunders gives a rather candid and insightful perspective on the iotum Conference Calling Application that works with Facebook .