Source: www.voip-news.com

Verizon Business now has an Internet protocol termination service. It’s available now on a limited basis.

According to Verizon:

The move to offer an IP-based toll-free termination option comes as wholesale customers and their customers transition to an all-IP network architecture, driven by growth in IP applications such as voice over IP (VoIP).

This service comes with new online features — via Verizon’s wholesale Web portal, Portfolio — that allow access to electronic order-entry systems, call-detail records and online bill presentation.

Users can choose from Access-Based Billing and Operating Company Number (OCN)-Based Billing.

Source: www.voip-news.com

VoIP application software provider Broadsoft’s chief technology officer will be speaking on a panel at Telephony Live: The 2008 Telecom Summit. The panel is “How open should i be?” and it will tackle how communications is changing with rapid advancements and how open a network should be.

“Developers, carriers and technologists need to collaborate through open networks so innovation can take place, which benefits our industry and the consumer,” Hoffpauir said. “Voice has been an underutilized application in the Web 2.0 evolution but recent advancements are changing the industry, and BroadSoft through our Xtended efforts, is one of the leading players on the international telephony stage.”

According to Broadsoft:

Telephony Live takes place Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 at the Chicago Embassy Suites in Chicago. Moderated by Telephony Magazine Reporter Rich Karpinski, the panel will discuss key emerging trends that are the talk of the telecom industry.

Source: www.voip-news.com

Third place in the BroadSoft(R) Xtended Voice Mashup Contest went to QuickSet.

QuickSet allows both Windows and Mac users to access BroadWorks services through a simple desktop interface that is powered by the Adobe Air platform, allowing Flash applications to run on the desktop. It was created by Las Vegas-based Joseph Farrar.

“The ability to create mashups of Web services with voice features allows developers to quickly and easily create applications that positively impact public safety, business processes and other communication functions in ways that have not yet been possible,” said Michael Tessler, BroadSoft’s CEO and president. “Voice and Web 2.0 communication mashups are enabling innovation across all industries, allowing them to operate more efficiently.”

For their win, QuickSoft creators receive $1,000 and a free pass to BroadSoft Connections 2008.

Source: www.voip-news.com

Remember the days back when phone companies vyed for your long distance service, touting their low, low rates and exploiting their competitors shortcomings. I never thought I would see the days when those commercials wouldn’t dot the television landscape.

Well, I guess they still do, but instead of MCI, Sprint, AT&T and the many bells, it’s now Vonage versus the phone company vs Verizon vs … you get the idea.

Actually, the choices today are far greater than they were 15 years ago between wireless, VoIP and a host of other options.

What do you think? It’s obvious that VoIP is in a period of shift and change. Where will it go next?

Source: www.voip-news.com

snom’s M3 phone answers the question, why can’t you take it with you? The SIP handset using DECT technology and operates like a normal cordless phone — except it’s better.

The phone was recently tested by ChannelWeb, who said that it’s good for those who work remotely or often find themselves away from their desk. Unfortunately, they said, it doesn’t support power over Ethernet. Shame.

Read the full review here.

Source: www.voip-news.com

According to Phone+, VoIP is a tremendous value-add for broadband providers, representing $26 billion in revenue worldwide last year. That’s 62 percent more than the previous year’s nunbers. The data comes from Point Topic, which estimates that in 2007, value-adds like VoIP represented 30 percent of revenue for broadband providers, up from just 10 percent a few years earlier.

That is only expected to grow.

So what does it all mean? Like any industry, value added products are where companies can get the most revnue. In farming, that means wine, jellies, sauces, etc. Whereas a tomato alone might generate 20 cents of revenue, a tomato sauce made of four tomatoes may generate $4 worth.

So broadband providers should clue in and start turning their veggies into jam.

Source: www.voip-news.com

The judges for the BroadSoft, Inc. Xtended Voice Mashup Contest have been announced. The contest runs through Sept. 2. The contest is intended to encourage the creation of telephony mashups that are new services for customers.

According to BroadSoft:

Xtended Voice Mashup Contest judges include:
– John Musser - Founder & Blogger, Programmable Web, a site that covers mashups, Web 2.0 APIs and the Web as a platform
– Dave Gilbert - CEO, SimpleSignal, hosted business VoIP provider
– Rich Karpinksi - Reporter, Telephony Magazine and blog content provider, Telephony 2.0, covering news, technologies and business strategies of telecom providers
– Mike Tessler - CEO, BroadSoft, Inc.
– Scott Hoffpauir - CTO, BroadSoft, Inc.

Winners will be announced in September at the Web 2.0 Expo New York 2008.

“The goal of our Xtended program is to arm the market with voice applications that support individual work and personal lifestyles,” said Leslie Ferry, vice president of marketing for BroadSoft. “We are excited to have such a distinguished panel of judges who support our goal of fostering innovative telephony mashups in the marketplace.”

Source: www.voip-news.com

The FCC’s recent ruling in the Comcast case (Comcast blocked traffic of BitTorrent’s file sharing service) might not be as great a windfall as some are making it out to be. In fact, the FCC”s treatment of the case — which is arguably a figurative slap on the wrist — could have made things worse.

According to a recent VoIP News article:

But even though the FCC ruled that Comcast was deliberately deceiving users by blocking BitTorrent traffic, it didn’t fine or otherwise penalize the cable ISP. Instead, it merely ordered Comcast to take three steps within 30 days. First, Comcast must disclose what the FCC called its discriminatory network-management practices. Second, the company will submit a plan describing how it will stop such practices by the end of the year. Third, Comcast will disclose to both customers and the FCC the network-management practices that would replace its discriminatory practices. If Comcast doesn’t take all three steps, the FCC warned, “interim injunctive relief” will automatically take place.

Read it here.

Source: www.voip-news.com

The winners of the 2008 PilotHouse Awards from Nemertes Research have been announced. The awards are based on the ratings of IT executives.

“This research is a must-have for companies evaluating a new VOIP strategy, or reassessing an existing one because it relies on real experiences from real customers,” says Robin Gareiss, executive vice president and senior founding partner, Nemertes Research.

Without further ado . . .

         Nemertes Research 2008 PilotHouse Awards: VOIP Providers

  Best Overall VOIP Providers (all rollout sizes combined)
  -- ShoreTel, Inc. - Winner
  -- Siemens Enterprise Communications - Finalist
  -- 3Com Corporation - Finalist

  Top-Tier VOIP Providers - Small Rollouts (<500 Endpoints)
  -- ShoreTel, Inc.
  -- Siemens Enterprise Communications
  -- Cisco Systems, Inc.

  Top-Tier VOIP Providers - Midsize Rollouts (500-2,000 Endpoints)
  -- Cisco Systems, Inc
  -- Avaya Inc.
  -- Nortel

  Top-Tier VOIP Providers - Large Rollouts (>2,000 Endpoints)
  -- Nortel
  -- Alcatel-Lucent
  -- Cisco Systems, Inc.

  Best Overall: VOIP Vertical Solutions
  -- Avaya Inc.

  Best VOIP: Industry-Specific
  -- Education - Avaya Inc.
  -- Financial Services - Cisco Systems, Inc.
  -- Healthcare - Cisco Systems, Inc.
  -- Manufacturing - Avaya Inc.
  -- Professional Services - Avaya Inc.
  -- Retail - Cisco Systems, Inc.
  -- State/Local Government - Nortel
  -- Transportation - Siemens Enterprise Communications

Source: www.voip-news.com

snom has released snom klarVOICE, a wideband headset that can be adapted for all of snom’s VoIP phones. It boasts twice the voice frequency spectrum.

“Telephones have remained unchanged for so long, most people have no idea what limitations they have lived with,” explains Dr. Michael Knieling, Executive VP of Marketing and Sales. “But VoIP also lays the groundwork for a revolution in the quality of voice we communicate with!”

According to snom:

The new snom klarVOICE handset works with the codec G.722. This codec is able to shrink the bit rate of the voice channel down to 12.65 kbps, offering excellent quality. In standard narrowband VoIP calls, the voice signal is sampled at 8,000 times per second, resulting in an effective voice pass-band of about 200 to 3,300 Hz. The new wideband handset offers a doubled sample rate, providing an effective pass-band of 50 to 7,000 Hz.

Source: alanweinkrantz.typepad.com

Source: www.voip-news.com

Here’s a company that we haven’t heard a lot about lately: VoIP-PAL.com.

So what’s up with it? VoIP-PAL.com has — in their words — terminated its agreement with Big Apple Consulting USA . . . actually, according to the press release it did nearly six months ago on Jan. 17. Odd that it’s just being announced now, right?

“We have had many inquiries asking us if we have an investor relations firm working with us,” said Richard Kipping, CEO of VoIP-PAL.com, Inc. “So to clarify, we thought we should announce that VoIP-PAL.com, Inc. suspended its agreement with Big Apple Consulting USA on October 17, 2007 for a three-month period pending clarification on certain matters relating to the agreement. After an internal review we decided to terminate the agreement on January 17th 2008.”

Hmmmph. Well, that certainly begs the question, “But why?”