Source: www.voip-news.com

Baidu.com is going to use a Global IP Solutions application to launch real-time video chat on its instant messaging application. Baidu is a Chinese language search engine.

“GIPS developed its reputation in voice, and we’ve been successfully solving real-time video complexities for the last three years,” said Emerick Woods, Global IP Solutions CEO. “Video conference/chat users are increasingly demanding better network speeds, quality, reliability and consistency, and developers are challenged with adding more features. While most video chats suffer from freezing, bad lip synchronization and postage stamp video images, Baidu now offers one great application which delivers GIPS quality serving the single largest market in the world.”

GIPS VideoEngine is designed for real-time video communications over IP networks. Unlike other technologies, it addresses the small images that can flicker and have poor lip sync with poor voice quality.

Source: andyabramson.blogs.com

Lot’s of rumors continue to fly around about the pending release of a new Apple iPhone.

One question in my mind remains if there will be a native iChat client. It’s the one core Mac feature that never came out for the original iPhone because it would be cutting into the most lucrative aspect of the GSM mobile operators’ cash flow. SMS.

Source: andyabramson.blogs.com

One open source development house points to Google’s Summer of Code effort to include voice and video chat support for Pidgin, the open source Linux and Windows multi-headed Instant Messaging program using something called Farsight2.

An example of what Farsight2 can do is available here on YouTube.

Here’s more on Farsight2. It seems that Telepathy is using it inside their VoIP/Video client on the Nokia tablets. Now that’s something I’ve seen before and was impressed with.

Update–SightSpeed’s CTO and co-founder, Aron Rosenberg, in an email pointed out that this is a Google student support activity, with Google mentors. Thanks for that.

My view..Your ad dollars at work. ….Google gets ideas from all places, floats the balloon and sees what flies. Your ad dollars go to fund activities like the Summer of Code. Besides, what Senior in college wouldn’t give his laptop away for a chance to be at Google for an Internship in the future.

That makes me wonder. Does Google end up competing with their own advertisers at some point? You bet they do. And all those analytics YOU pay for make that possible….

Source: andyabramson.blogs.com

It looks like Apple is taking some protectionist steps around next generation enhancements to iChat.

The folks a MacNet News have dug into some recent patent application filings by the crew in Curpertino and found some revealing details.

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

BlackBerry users can call and chat with their Skype™ contacts using iSkoot on their mobile handsets

CAMBRIDGE, MA – July 9, 2007 – iSkoot, the leading provider of mobile Internet communications solutions, today announced the highly-anticipated release of the iSkoot v1.1 mobile application for BlackBerry smartphones. The new iSkoot v1.1 delivers a comprehensive mobile Skype experience on BlackBerry: With the click of a button, users can instantly chat with their Skype contacts, make and receive Skype calls, and use SkypeOut™ to inexpensively call regular phone numbers nearly anywhere in the world. iSkoot v1.1 also displays complete Skype contact status information, so BlackBerry users can see which friends, family members and business colleagues are available, as well as manage their own online presence. This latest release features a next generation, easy-to-use interface especially designed for BlackBerry users and will offer additional features soon. iSkoot works without any need for PCs, special hardware, custom phones or Wi-Fi hot spots, and utilizes the existing mobile network infrastructure to route Skype calls through the voice channel.

“We are extremely pleased to bring mobile Skype to the BlackBerry. iSkoot enables BlackBerry users running OS 4.0 or higher to take advantage of the benefits of their Skype accounts without having to rely on their PCs. With this new release of our software, we are bringing another key piece of the Web to the BlackBerry,” said Roy Erez, VP of Business Development, iSkoot. “BlackBerry commands a vast and rapidly-growing customer base, so extending support to this community marks a significant achievement for iSkoot. We will continue to work on ensuring seamless integration and expanding support for Skype across the entire line of BlackBerry devices.”

How iSkoot Works

iSkoot for BlackBerry is now available for free at www.iskoot.com. BlackBerry users can simply download iSkoot’s thin-client application to their BlackBerry devices, log on to their Skype account, and start making and receiving calls and chatting with their online Skype contacts. When a user selects a contact to call, the iSkoot solution connects the call to Skype’s peer-to-peer software so that the BlackBerry user only pays for air time on the smartphone. If the user makes a SkypeOut call, it works the same way, but the user also pays SkypeOut minutes, just as if the call were made from a PC. When a user receives Skype calls on a BlackBerry, SkypeOut charges also apply.

Supported Blackberry Handsets

iSkoot v1.1 currently supports the following devices running OS 4.0 or higher:

• 7100
• 7500
• 7700
• 8100 (Pearl)
• 8300 (Curve)
• 8700
• 8800

iSkoot will continue to work to extend support to other BlackBerry devices soon.

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

BlackBerry users can call and chat with their Skype™ contacts using iSkoot on their mobile handsets

CAMBRIDGE, MA – July 9, 2007 – iSkoot, the leading provider of mobile Internet communications solutions, today announced the highly-anticipated release of the iSkoot v1.1 mobile application for BlackBerry smartphones. The new iSkoot v1.1 delivers a comprehensive mobile Skype experience on BlackBerry: With the click of a button, users can instantly chat with their Skype contacts, make and receive Skype calls, and use SkypeOut™ to inexpensively call regular phone numbers nearly anywhere in the world. iSkoot v1.1 also displays complete Skype contact status information, so BlackBerry users can see which friends, family members and business colleagues are available, as well as manage their own online presence. This latest release features a next generation, easy-to-use interface especially designed for BlackBerry users and will offer additional features soon. iSkoot works without any need for PCs, special hardware, custom phones or Wi-Fi hot spots, and utilizes the existing mobile network infrastructure to route Skype calls through the voice channel.

“We are extremely pleased to bring mobile Skype to the BlackBerry. iSkoot enables BlackBerry users running OS 4.0 or higher to take advantage of the benefits of their Skype accounts without having to rely on their PCs. With this new release of our software, we are bringing another key piece of the Web to the BlackBerry,” said Roy Erez, VP of Business Development, iSkoot. “BlackBerry commands a vast and rapidly-growing customer base, so extending support to this community marks a significant achievement for iSkoot. We will continue to work on ensuring seamless integration and expanding support for Skype across the entire line of BlackBerry devices.”

How iSkoot Works

iSkoot for BlackBerry is now available for free at www.iskoot.com. BlackBerry users can simply download iSkoot’s thin-client application to their BlackBerry devices, log on to their Skype account, and start making and receiving calls and chatting with their online Skype contacts. When a user selects a contact to call, the iSkoot solution connects the call to Skype’s peer-to-peer software so that the BlackBerry user only pays for air time on the smartphone. If the user makes a SkypeOut call, it works the same way, but the user also pays SkypeOut minutes, just as if the call were made from a PC. When a user receives Skype calls on a BlackBerry, SkypeOut charges also apply.

Supported Blackberry Handsets

iSkoot v1.1 currently supports the following devices running OS 4.0 or higher:

• 7100
• 7500
• 7700
• 8100 (Pearl)
• 8300 (Curve)
• 8700
• 8800

iSkoot will continue to work to extend support to other BlackBerry devices soon.

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

Another open source Asterisk based has come to bloom at 1bizcom. The open source software based 1bizCom is next generation web-based, multi-tenant, distributed, mulit-lingual, inbound, outbound Video enabled VoIP & VVoIP call/ contact center solution for Asterisk with Built-in phone, IVR, CRM, Predictive dialer, ACD, Chat, Mail, Fax, Video and other features.
The system runs on Windows IIs web server and the MySQL data base could reside on a Linux server if preferred. The system is in beta and the current version seems to be 0.8.0.0b1 and the application package is known as 1bC.
According to the 1bizcom site;

1BizCom has all the salient features which goes beyond with new creations like efficient call handling, Automatic Call Routing (ACD), Voice Logging/Recording, Authentication, Conferencing, Data base screen pops, Answering machine detection with detailed statistics and reporting for reduced response time, improved customer experience and quality management of the operations. 1BizCom is a highly scalable Call Center Solution supporting three-dimensional scalability, which will enable client to scale up and optimize the operations as per changing requirements with vendor independence. 1Bizcom helps users to take care of the entire value chain and continuously work on processes & help to generate value at peak places.
Exclusive Features

Automatic Call Distribution (ACD)
Call handling features
Call connection notification on the screen
Call transfer, Call Conferencing, 3rd party verifications
Voice Logging, Monitoring
Call Detail Record (CDR) and Reporting
Web based solution
Maintaining call history

I have not tested the application, due to the fact that builds were pulled off by the developer. The developer left the following message on the Sourceforge Forum;
"Thanks for outstanding support that has been landed to 1bizcom since its lauch few days back…Unfortunately, due to some critical issues, I have to pull the builds…But, please note that we are highly motivated by the initial community support landed and we are firm to provide you a very strong collaborative open source platform.
Please, give us some time and we will get you an improved version of the software very soon. "

But if you are handy with subversion, it is possible to grab the application and the code. See the links bellow. But I will watch out as the developer might have had a good reason to pull out the build.

I have gone through the demo provided on the side and I feel that his Asterisk add on has clear long path ahead.

Links;
1bizcom site
Sourceforge project
1bizcom SVN at Sourceforge

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

FreeSWITCH is an open source telephony application built from the ground up
and designed to take advantage of most existing voip, telephony software and libraries. FreeSWITCH paves the way for one to build an open source PBX system, an open source voip switching platform or a VOIP, Telephony gateway uniting various technologies and platforms such as SIP H.323, IAX2, LDAP, Zeroconf, XMPP / Jingle and OpenPBX, Bayonne, YATE or Asterisk.

FreeSwitch is a multi-platforms software and it runs on Windows Linux and MAC. It is also possible to run it on other UNIX flavors.

FreeSwitch is built on existing OpenSource libraries and projects, namely SQlite, SRTP Secure RTP, Apache Portable Runtime, Lib Resample, exosip , IAXclient, Speex Codec, libsndfile.

FreeSWITCH, the telephone soft-switch, has touched upon a few milestones combining many a famous VOIP application features into it’s core.

In Early April FreeSWITCH announced it’s interoperability capabilities with the GoogleTalk, goggle’s Voice chat program. Making it possible to gateway calls to SIP or the PSTN from Googletalk. Then again in July it brought out the capability of voice switching at 16Khz against the traditional 8Khx switching done in the VOIP world. This is a significant improvement on the quality of voice. What does that brings to a phone conversation? It brings more richness and clarity to voices, improving the overall experience of a phone call.
Now FreeSWITCH has done it again, Now it has brought the first two elements together and topped it off with a new capability that may change the way we interface to our phones.GoogleTalk has recently released a new version of their client capable of transmitting audio at 16 kilohertz making it possible to call FreeSWITCH and interact in a conference bridge or listen to a text-to-speech engine read you your favorite news story all in high definition audio.

You want a twist with that? Yes you can have all that and more, interact with the system on the phone by listening to the audio and dialing a few digits, now you can send and receive text messages with the system at the same time.

Imagine, you start your VOIP/TELEPHONY/CHAT program, and a voice asking you for your account information, then in a chat window you type your name and another person on the other end, on a phone be able to intercept the information and react accordingly. This may break the paradigm of the auto-attendant altogether. And I am sure the idea will run wild through the VOIP community. Who knows, one slime might even try to patent the idea!

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

FreeSWITCH is an open source telephony application built from the ground up
and designed to take advantage of most existing voip, telephony software and libraries. FreeSWITCH paves the way for one to build an open source PBX system, an open source voip switching platform or a VOIP, Telephony gateway uniting various technologies and platforms such as SIP H.323, IAX2, LDAP, Zeroconf, XMPP / Jingle and OpenPBX, Bayonne, YATE or Asterisk.

FreeSwitch is a multi-platforms software and it runs on Windows Linux and MAC. It is also possible to run it on other UNIX flavors.

FreeSwitch is built on existing OpenSource libraries and projects, namely SQlite, SRTP Secure RTP, Apache Portable Runtime, Lib Resample, exosip , IAXclient, Speex Codec, libsndfile.

FreeSWITCH, the telephone soft-switch, has touched upon a few milestones combining many a famous VOIP application features into it’s core.

In Early April FreeSWITCH announced it’s interoperability capabilities with the GoogleTalk, goggle’s Voice chat program. Making it possible to gateway calls to SIP or the PSTN from Googletalk. Then again in July it brought out the capability of voice switching at 16Khz against the traditional 8Khx switching done in the VOIP world. This is a significant improvement on the quality of voice. What does that brings to a phone conversation? It brings more richness and clarity to voices, improving the overall experience of a phone call.
Now FreeSWITCH has done it again, Now it has brought the first two elements together and topped it off with a new capability that may change the way we interface to our phones.GoogleTalk has recently released a new version of their client capable of transmitting audio at 16 kilohertz making it possible to call FreeSWITCH and interact in a conference bridge or listen to a text-to-speech engine read you your favorite news story all in high definition audio.

You want a twist with that? Yes you can have all that and more, interact with the system on the phone by listening to the audio and dialing a few digits, now you can send and receive text messages with the system at the same time.

Imagine, you start your VOIP/TELEPHONY/CHAT program, and a voice asking you for your account information, then in a chat window you type your name and another person on the other end, on a phone be able to intercept the information and react accordingly. This may break the paradigm of the auto-attendant altogether. And I am sure the idea will run wild through the VOIP community. Who knows, one slime might even try to patent the idea!

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

FreeSWITCH is an open source telephony application built from the ground up
and designed to take advantage of most existing voip, telephony software and libraries. FreeSWITCH paves the way for one to build an open source PBX system, an open source voip switching platform or a VOIP, Telephony gateway uniting various technologies and platforms such as SIP H.323, IAX2, LDAP, Zeroconf, XMPP / Jingle and OpenPBX, Bayonne, YATE or Asterisk.

FreeSwitch is a multi-platforms software and it runs on Windows Linux and MAC. It is also possible to run it on other UNIX flavors.

FreeSwitch is built on existing OpenSource libraries and projects, namely SQlite, SRTP Secure RTP, Apache Portable Runtime, Lib Resample, exosip , IAXclient, Speex Codec, libsndfile.

FreeSWITCH, the telephone soft-switch, has touched upon a few milestones combining many a famous VOIP application features into it’s core.

In Early April FreeSWITCH announced it’s interoperability capabilities with the GoogleTalk, goggle’s Voice chat program. Making it possible to gateway calls to SIP or the PSTN from Googletalk. Then again in July it brought out the capability of voice switching at 16Khz against the traditional 8Khx switching done in the VOIP world. This is a significant improvement on the quality of voice. What does that brings to a phone conversation? It brings more richness and clarity to voices, improving the overall experience of a phone call.
Now FreeSWITCH has done it again, Now it has brought the first two elements together and topped it off with a new capability that may change the way we interface to our phones.GoogleTalk has recently released a new version of their client capable of transmitting audio at 16 kilohertz making it possible to call FreeSWITCH and interact in a conference bridge or listen to a text-to-speech engine read you your favorite news story all in high definition audio.

You want a twist with that? Yes you can have all that and more, interact with the system on the phone by listening to the audio and dialing a few digits, now you can send and receive text messages with the system at the same time.

Imagine, you start your VOIP/TELEPHONY/CHAT program, and a voice asking you for your account information, then in a chat window you type your name and another person on the other end, on a phone be able to intercept the information and react accordingly. This may break the paradigm of the auto-attendant altogether. And I am sure the idea will run wild through the VOIP community. Who knows, one slime might even try to patent the idea!

Source: snapvoip.blogspot.com

FreeSWITCH is an open source telephony application built from the ground up
and designed to take advantage of most existing voip, telephony software and libraries. FreeSWITCH paves the way for one to build an open source PBX system, an open source voip switching platform or a VOIP, Telephony gateway uniting various technologies and platforms such as SIP H.323, IAX2, LDAP, Zeroconf, XMPP / Jingle and OpenPBX, Bayonne, YATE or Asterisk.

FreeSwitch is a multi-platforms software and it runs on Windows Linux and MAC. It is also possible to run it on other UNIX flavors.

FreeSwitch is built on existing OpenSource libraries and projects, namely SQlite, SRTP Secure RTP, Apache Portable Runtime, Lib Resample, exosip , IAXclient, Speex Codec, libsndfile.

FreeSWITCH, the telephone soft-switch, has touched upon a few milestones combining many a famous VOIP application features into it’s core.

In Early April FreeSWITCH announced it’s interoperability capabilities with the GoogleTalk, goggle’s Voice chat program. Making it possible to gateway calls to SIP or the PSTN from Googletalk. Then again in July it brought out the capability of voice switching at 16Khz against the traditional 8Khx switching done in the VOIP world. This is a significant improvement on the quality of voice. What does that brings to a phone conversation? It brings more richness and clarity to voices, improving the overall experience of a phone call.
Now FreeSWITCH has done it again, Now it has brought the first two elements together and topped it off with a new capability that may change the way we interface to our phones.GoogleTalk has recently released a new version of their client capable of transmitting audio at 16 kilohertz making it possible to call FreeSWITCH and interact in a conference bridge or listen to a text-to-speech engine read you your favorite news story all in high definition audio.

You want a twist with that? Yes you can have all that and more, interact with the system on the phone by listening to the audio and dialing a few digits, now you can send and receive text messages with the system at the same time.

Imagine, you start your VOIP/TELEPHONY/CHAT program, and a voice asking you for your account information, then in a chat window you type your name and another person on the other end, on a phone be able to intercept the information and react accordingly. This may break the paradigm of the auto-attendant altogether. And I am sure the idea will run wild through the VOIP community. Who knows, one slime might even try to patent the idea!