VoIP Now

LiveVoIP To The Join The Mix

LiveVoIP is a new VoIP provider entering the global market.  With plans on penetrating the US, Canadian, and UK markets, it will be considered one of the few key players in the business.  They intend on offering home plans as well as business ventures later in the year.  Although they are claiming to have a major impact on the Global market, they will soon find themselves amongst 1,100 other companies.  To the best of luck, and may the best man win.  According to LightReading:

”LiveVoip is thrilled to be playing a key role in the 200 Billon Dollar Global Voice Over IP market," ”said Pamela Patterson, acting President, LiveVoip LLC. “Livevoip LLC is proud to deliver VoIP over a network operating at Gigabit speeds that are unmatched anywhere in world today,”

Read more at: LiveVoip Enters Home VOIP Market

Size At The Expense Of Quality

While the VoIP industry may be growing at an unimaginable rate world wide, ISPs are beginning to feel the weight of live feeding packets.  Sandvine Inc., a UK based company, began doing a survey on the amount of data streaming from ISP sites in light of VoIP’s growth.  From their study, they have identified nearly 1,100 VoIP providers.  There are fears that some ISPs will not be able to handle the steady increase in network usage due to VoIP users and the network will fail.  Because of this, it is recommended that ISPs structure themselves so that the quality of their services is not put in jeopardy and segment their networks to handle voice better.  According to Networking Pipeline:

"ISPs can enhance the broadband experience by prioritizing or reserving bandwidth for latency-sensitive and interactive applications like VoIP," said Sandvine's managing director Chris Colman in a statement Wednesday.

Read more at: Rapid VoIP Growth Threatens Quality Of Service

FCC Joins The Fight

In what it seems to be a change of pace, the FCC is drafting a plan to require all VoIP providers to have access to 911 emergency services.  This comes after the announcement that Verizon and SBC will be willing to give Vonage access to their 911 networks for a trial period.  Once the trial period expires, they will evaluate how well the partnership went and then decide if they wish to continue the service.  Despite this new cooperation, FCC Chairman Keven Martin believes that the government needs to step in to speed up the process.  He began having concerns over the 911 VoIP issue when there were reports of Vonage users that could not get a hold of the police or fire departments because their provider did not support such a service.  According to NewsFactor:

"Internet phones look the same as regular telephones," she said. "And even if you understand that 911 doesn't work with your VoIP, someone else in the house, like a babysitter, might not know that."

Read more at: FCC To Require 911 for VoIP

911 Trial In NYC

Earlier today Verizon announced that it would be allowing Vonage access to its 911 telephone network in the New York City area.  In this change of pace from their earlier stance on VoIP providers, the Baby Bell Company is planning on testing how well the partnership goes before implementing it further.  The major difficulty faced by VoIP is that because the calls can be made from anywhere in the world, it is extremely hard to determine the caller's number and location.  In order to counteract this, 911 must first be routed to routing centers fist so that they can be transfer to the right emergency center for their area.  According to ZdNet:

"We're going to monitor this, work out all the kinks; and if it does prove successful, we'll expand it to other places," Marchand said. "We have no timetable right now for when we'll expand beyond New York City."

Read more at: Biggest Bell to hand 911 access to VoIP operators

Linksys To Purchase Sipura Technology

Cisco Systems networking division, Linksys, has recently declared that they will be acquiring Sipura Technology for $68 millions dollars by the end of July.  Linksys, who already offers a wide range of VoIP enabled routers and wireless technologies, is planning to expand its product selection.  In fact, the company they are currently buying supplied the majority of the technology built into the VoIP routers. Therefore, the transition of personal and application will probably go smother than most buy outs.  With the forecasts being nothing but positive across the board, they see it as an investment well spent.  According to Information Week:

"VoIP is a strategic segment for innovation and growth for Cisco and Linksys, Charles Giancarlo, Cisco CTO and Cisco-Linksys president, said in a statement. "The acquisition of Sipura will augment Linksys' leading position in the rapidly growing VoIP market and is an example of Linksys' strategy to increase internal R&D capabilities in specific product categories."

Read more at: Linksys Acquires VoIP Vendor

Billion With A "B"

A recent report by Research and Markets indicate that the worldwide VoIP market will grow from $165.3 million to $985.7 million in just four years.  The reason behind such a large increase is the amount of money corporations and individuals can save on their phone bills by switching to VoIP.  Additionally, to the wide availability of the technology, it opens a vast array of potential. While these numbers are extraordinary for such an upcoming technology, it is just a "forecast".  There are hard numbers behind the estimate, but nothing is 100% certain.  Just remember that many analysts believed that the Titanic would never sink.  According to Information Week:

P to TDM will quickly dominate the market, the report says, because TDM to IP call origination is outdated and far more expensive that IP to TDM. In addition, the growth of broadband in the home will fuel IP to TDM growth. IP to TDM will be the engine that drives market growth.

Read more at: Service Provider VoIP Gateway Market To Hit Nearly $1 Billion By 2009

A Call To The Trenches

The price wars that everyone has been predicting may be on the horizon.  As Vonage and Skype increase in size and accessibility, they are continuously reaching out to bigger and better markets.  What does this market look like?  The World.  With Vonage mainly dominating North America, and Skype with their share of the international market, it is only a matter of time before the mud starts flying.  With Skye's new service plan called SkypeIn, they are planning to attract people to replace their old telephone systems with VoIP.  Additionally, Vonage is beginning a break into the international sector with sales in Mexico and the United Kingdom.  With AOL's soon entrance to the scene, it will make for a very interesting next couple years.  Even though a few of you may have already picked sides in this inevitable battle of VoIP giants, remember that competition means better prices and service.  According to Internet Week:

To date, the two services haven't targeted each other directly, and some subscribers use both services. Competition is certain to compete as the volume of callers using the Web grows and as each company increases services and marketing in international markets.

Read more at: Vonage And Skype Turn Up The Heat--On Each Other

Read The Fine Print

While companies like Vonage preach the promise of lower telephone bills at the end of every month with VoIP services, the savings could in fact only be for select customers. For example, if you do not currently have a broadband internet connection, then you can tack on another 30 to 40 dollars on to the monthly fee of VoIP.  Then if you put together a home network so you can have more than one phone and security features, you're looking down the barrel of a couple hundred dollar set-up cost.  Therefore, unless you are a heavy user of long-distance phone calls, then VoIP may in fact not be your best option.  According to CNN:

Think twice about plans with limited minutes. You'll have to keep a tab on the number of minutes you use. If you go over your monthly allotment, you'll be charged 4 cents per minute or more for every call. And it doesn't matter if it is a local or long-distance call.

Read more at: VoIP Adds Up

Pope Benedict XVI

This has nothing to do with VoIP, but please join me in welcoming our new pope, Pope Benedict XVI, at our company's owners' personal blog -- The Pope Blog!

Quick! Go Next Door & Call 911!

The battle between the states and VoIP still rages over 911 routing and you can add New York to the ranks.  Because VoIP exists on the internet and has no "hard line", 911 forwarding is by no means easy or cheap.  One way is to go through telephone companies who own the lines, but they are often unwilling to allow the access they need to the preexisting 911 lines.  In order to gain access, 911 calls from VoIP users must be routed to administrative numbers.  Unfortunately, it does not go directly to a dispatcher, but to an operator that "should" route your call to where it needs to be.  This method has gotten scrutiny because the human factor is by no means perfect. 

While it may seem that PBX companies are heartless, they see VoIP as a strong competitor and are trying to cut them down at every instance.  The 911 feature is really the only thing that they can hold over their heads with ease since they can not compete with costs.  At the current moment however, the states are blocked from regulating VoIP in any way due to the FCC.  Even though Texas sued successfully in one case, California has dropped their suit.  According to: ConsumerAffairs.com:

VOIP providers have been growing rapidly but the 911 issue is likely to become a major stumbling block, many analysts think.

Read more at: 911 Issue Becoming an Emergency for VOIP Providers

Let's Get Involved

(This post has nothing to do with VoIP)

Dear readers,
    I know there are about 200-250 unique vistors a day on this site, and you can all be involved with VoIPNow.org.  While I like spreading the word of VoIP to the masses, I think that you the reader could take this website to a whole new level.  Posting comments on the stories I report creates a discussion among all of you.  I am just one writer with one point of view and it helps me as much as it does you if we got a different perspectives sometimes.  Thank you for your continued support of this site.

-Cameron McCarter
Cam.McCarter@gmail.com

Videophone For Cheap

The great thing about VoIP is that it is not just limited to voice because you can also transfer video if you so please.  However, this side of VoIP is not exploding like the rest of the market.  For instance, 8x8, a videophone producer, has cut the price of their phones by nearly 75%.  From an original starting price of 500 dollars, it has dropped all the way to 99 dollars.  While it is a videophone however, it can complete calls to non-video phones as well. 

Personally, I have always seen videophones as a thing for science-fiction movies and corporate meetings.  The technology is by no means new, but it has never grabbed a hold of the consumer's imagination.  Many companies fail to see the beauty of a regular telephone, because you don't have to look good to talk to people on it.  A question I always ask is: Who wants to see someone that just got up at 6am?  And: Who really wants to answer the phone and know someone is watching you at 6am?  Companies need to get the pictures and realize that if people wanted videophones, they might actually have bought them.  According to TeleComWeb:

"We believe that by dramatically lowering the cost of entry, we will diminish the hurdle facing consumers who have shown strong interest in purchasing our broadband videophone but are precluded from doing so because of the price," said 8x8 Chairman & CEO Bryan Martin in a prepared statement explaining the price cut.

Read more at: 8x8 Slashes VoIP Videophone Prices By 75%

Vonage Dominance Questioned

It was a good run, but Vonage may soon have to pass the torch when it comes to being top dog in the VoIP business.  In a recent study, many analysts are foreseeing the rise of other companies, and Vonage is not going to be able to keep up.  While they have been the poster child for the VoIP community, many larger more able cable companies are rising to the task.  With AOL and COX ready to roll out their own VoIP services, their ability to package deals with TV, Internet, and VoIP will bring a great amount of savings to the average consumer.  While Vonage offers a great range of services and has a stellar customer base, they will not be able to do battle in the price wars.  According to CommsDesign:

Zeus Kerravala, an analyst at the Yankee Group research firm, "For a consumer getting a single bill and getting big discounts, that's a pretty compelling value proposition."

Read more at: VoIP Stays Hot

Payday For Skype

Skype has finally decided to enter the money market and offer a pay subscription for their VoIP services.  The decision came after they logged 100 million downloads from their website.  A service called Skypeln is one of the two services now being offered by the company.  Skypeln will enable people to forward cell phone calls to a Skype number when roaming.  This will save people a great deal of money on long distance and roaming charges on people's cell phone bills.  Skype Voicemail is the second pay service and allows people to manage voicemail messages saved through VoIP communications.  Skypeeln will cost around 39 dollars a year and the Voicemail will be roughly 19 dollars for a year. According to BetaNews:

According to Skype's internal numbers, it has more than 35 milllion registered numbers, and claims 150,000 new users sign up daily.

Read more at: Skype Launches Pay Services fo VOIP

VoIP Regulations Goes Up In Flames

The ICANN, or Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, is responsible for managing the Domain Name System and making sure that everyone receives a valid address. Although their main role is very limited, they do hold a fair amount of influence when it comes to internet products and regulation.  The Chairman of the company, Dr Vinton Cerf, recently release a statement in regards to the regulation of VoIP.  In this statement he is quoted stating that, "We don't regulate it."  Cerf then went on to say that it would be a grave mistake to regulated VoIP like a regular PBX network.  Moreover, ICANN's CEO Paul Twomey commented that VoIP service providers should not be forced to provide 911 assistance to consumers. 

While I agree that legislators should not view VoIP as an extension of the telephone, there needs to be some regulations emplaced on the technology.  The average consumer is not willing to put the effort into looking deeply into their service agreements.  People who switch to VoIP services usually cancel their existing telephone line to save the monthly payment.  More importantly, because 911 coverage has always been supported with their telephone, they see no reason why they should investigate if VoIP provides it.  As a consumer, they expect a certain level of protection.  In this case however, the actions of government are only going to be able to force services providers to add this feature.  If the companies are not forced to pay for the emergency service, they will get away with it for as long as they can because that drives down costs.  Some may call it heartless, but others just call it business.  According to ZDNet:

If legislators chose to define VoIP the same way they did normal telephony, Cerf warned, "they will discover that they have legislated themselves into a pretty big corner".

Read more at: ICANN bosses slam VoIP regulation

WEP Is Weeping

Own a Wireless network?  Ever wonder where all your database files went from your hard drive last week?  Maybe several FBI agents deleted them just because they could.  In a recent ISSA meeting in Los Angeles, CA a team of FBI agents displayed how simple it was to compromise a WEP encryption on a wireless network.  While it is not a unknown fact that such a thing can be done, it was the fact that it only took three minutes to get the job done that was surprising.

For those of you not familiar with the WEP technology, it is an encryption scheme used on 802.11a, b and g wireless units which uses a key to scramble packets so that third parties cannot simply snatch them.  When the data reaches its destination, a computer with the same key can them unscramble the information and make sense of it.  Unfortunately any WEP encryption rating is decreased by 24 bits due to an Initialization Vector at the head of the packet.  Before last year, in order to gain access to a wireless network would take days due to the amount of packets needed to use Aircrack, a WEP cracking program, affectively.  The technique has now been perfected and leaves everyone with wireless networks at risk.

What does this have to do with VoIP you ask?  Well, in order for VoIP to hit the big times, true wireless connectivity is necessary.  I recommend the "Look Ma, No Wires" article to learn more about this.  With VoIP already being insecure on various levels, taking it off hard lines and into the air would be mere suicide.  Why not just increase the encryption rating then?  Unfortunately when you enlarge the size of the encryption then there are more packets streaming.  Wireless would not be able to support streaming voice and enlarged packets at the same time due to its small bandwidth.  According to Tom's Networking:

Millions of wireless access points are spread across the US and the world. About 70% percent of these access points are unprotected — wide open to access by anyone who happens to drive by. The other 30% are protected by WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) and a small handful are protected by the new WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) standard.

Read more at: FBI Teaches Lesson In How To Break Into Wi-Fi Networks

Hide The Women & Childern! Hackers Are Coming

We live in the digital age and with every new technology comes another way for people to exploit it for their own benefit.  With networks being hacked and viruses being produced daily, VoIP is by no means resistant to such attacks.  While the average consumer may think that they are safe behind their firewall and router, it is by no means an impenetrable fortress.  The main security issue with VoIP is that it transcends the bridge between phone and Internet which leaves a large playing field for instabilities.  These instabilities are what hackers look for to break into networks or place free phone calls at your expense.  Since VoIP is in its most infant form, many companies are moving ahead without fully knowing how secure the technology is.  However, the people of BusinessEdge Solutions are teaming up with industry experts to discover the means to increase security.  While the problems regarding security with VoIP will not be solved overnight, there will definitely be improvements as the technology grows.  Always remember, where there is profit, there will be action and by all means there is profit in tightening the bolts with VoIP connectivity.  According to EMediaWire:

“There are hackers today focused on the PSTN and the Internet, but VoIP, which unites the worlds of voice and the Internet, exacerbates the existing security vulnerabilities inherent in both,” Mr. Raps says. “Further, VoIP introduces unique security and fraud threats that never existed before.”

Read more at: You Need Carrier-Grade Mousetraps in the World of VoIP

If VoIP Was A NASDAQ Symbol, I'd Buy

In 2002 a conversation regarding VoIP would go like this: VoIP?  What’s that?  Enter 2005 and now the world can't seem to get enough.  Large cable companies such as Time Warner and Cox Communications are reporting an incredible increase in VoIP services to their customers. It was only a matter of time before companies that sell the broadband signal VoIP runs on would implement a packaged plan.  For a flat monthly fee with one company, you can get high speed internet, TV, and voice communication for cheaper than SBC, Verizon, or any other major company.  Cox and Time Warner got smart with their PR department and have almost steered clear of the VoIP and IP telephony lingo and opted for a more consumer savvy approach. Many of the internet voice services are referred to as "digital phones" which appeal to the people’s familiarities with PBX networks. Overall, the overwhelming success of these ventures point towards the next step in VoIP connectivity, wireless.  According to Manager's Journal:

Some analysts claim that the MSOs' success with VoIP also proves that they could be very successful with MVNO wireless services. Cable companies could be formidable competitors in the wireless market, leveraging the power of their service bundles and their consumer marketing machines to compete head on with carriers.

Read more at: Cable companies post impressive VoIP growth

Explain It? I Just Use It

A recent study done by SunRocket, a Virginia based VoIP provider showed that nearly 85% of the people had heard about VoIP.  More importantly, over 20% of the 2,228 respondents were already using a VoIP service of some kind.  While this figure is an example of the quick spread of Internet phone services, many did not completely understand how the technology actually worked.  For instance, only half knew that you did not have to route calls directly through a computer or could use a regular telephone to make calls.  On the other hand, consumers did know that the Internet phone service was saving them close to 500 dollars a year on their phone bill.

While saving money is great, it is highly recommended that you fully understand a technology before diving into it head first.  Always make sure that you know what you are plugging into your wall, and know what it is capable of.  Additionally, know ahead of time if the provider supports 911 forwarding and the ability to make calls in the event of a power outage.  These two emergency applications should outweigh any savings whether its 500 or 2000 dollars.

As a side note, I would like everyone to keep in mind that since a VoIP provider did a poll about VoIP in the market place, there is a chance that the numbers could be biased.  SunRocket could have made this poll in the best of faith, but evidence of VoIP’s expansion into the market helps them sell products.  Take the number for what they are worth, I don't want to mislead people.  According to PCWorld.com:

The poll "demonstrates that consumer awareness does not equate to consumer understanding," says Joyce Dorris, co-founder of SunRocket, was which founded in 2004.

Read more at: VoIP Awareness Outpaces Understanding, Poll Finds

Google and VoIP?

While there hasn't been anything specific coming from the Google camp in regards to VoIP, many market analysts see the benefit of Google joining the market.  With more than 110 million PBX users in the country, the base for VoIP business is quite large and in order to draw new customers, ingenuity will be an essential part of corporate goals.  As we all know, if you want to find ingenuity in a company, you need to look no farther than Google.  Because of their name, they only have to make a footprint in the market to slowly grab customers away from other VoIP providers.  While this is all left to speculation, it seems like a good idea on this side of the fence. According to The Motley Fool:

Features such as voice mail sent as email attachments would give Google another option when promoting its Gmail service. Plus the Web-based accounts where users can track calls, change service options, or add calling features would be another advertising billboard.

Read more at:Should Google Enter the VoIP Race

VoIP Explosion

The Colorado based VoIP telecom company New Global, boasted an increase in their customer base by two fold.  The quality of their product and customer satisfaction seems to be at the forefront of this growth. Proof of these can be found on their website labeling their "Product of the Year" award in 2004 and their customer case studies. In regards to how financial sound the company is however is another matter. It is hard to put numbers behind their growth because I could not find a financial statement on their website.  Until I get a hold of the numbers I'm just going to say they their market is improving and they appear sound. Whether or not they are investing a great deal into the VoIP market and not getting a sound return on their investment is something to decide once I get an email back from them.  After I hear back from New Global about the financial statement I will keep you the reader informed.

(2:00 PM : NewGlobal is privately held - there is no fiancial statement.  If they're growing, they're doing just fine.  Contact Julie Buchanan for more information)

“Our accelerating growth coincides with the explosion in VoIP market adoption”,   said Rich Grange, President and CEO of New Global Telecom. “But, our growth   in revenue-producing seats, together with our extremely robust sales pipeline   is also a reflection of NGT’s market leadership position. We are excited   to be regarded by a wide spectrum of service providers as the premier brand   in managed wholesale VoIP services.

Read more at: NewGlobal Telecom

VoIP Testing Is Essential

Anyone who has had experience with networking would tell you that it is always best to test things before fully implementing them.  If you don't test your hardware or software configurations, you may just end up with a lot of machines connected by wires that aren't talking and a major headache.  This mentality is something that needs to be taken into account with VoIP as well.  Unfortunately, many companies are finding out the hard way that their standing network can't control the live streaming packets that VoIP creates.  If the network becomes too laden with traffic, not only will the voice transfer be lost, but most information sent between machines will be terminated.  Lost information means lost revenue, and then a backlash to the VoIP machinery for destroying their peaceful network.

In fear of backlash from unhappy customers, Cisco systems, a major manufacture of VoIP equipment is pushing the idea of testing before implementing. Although Cisco can only do so much to promote the test phase, they are beginning to hold their distributors accountable.  While there hasn't been any refusal of services to distributors for not following Cisco's marching orders, the notice is meant to be taken seriously.  It seems like good business because both Cisco and the distributors have an equal share in the VoIP market.  Both can not exist without one another, and neither can last without consumers.  According to itBuisness:

”I wouldn’t let them do it,” said Zeus Kerravala, vice-president of enterprise infrastructure at the Boston-based Yankee Group. If users are having problems with the quality of the voice service, they will blame the manufacturer of the IP telephony equipment, he added.

Read more at: Cisco urges channel to do VoIP homework

MSN Joins The VoIP Family

With the latest version of MSN Messenger 7.0, Microsoft has followed suit with most other instant messaging services and added VoIP connectivity along with a few other features.  Microsoft's took interest in Skype and how people made use of their VoIP service before implementing it themselves.  Some future plans for the messenger were allowing people using VoIP services to connect to PSTN telephone Networks.  While Microsoft has made the right move to allow MSN users access to VoIP, it may be a little too late.  With AOL already offering a full phone service, and many upstart companies on the rise, Gates and Company may surely miss out.  According to Internet News:

"From our initial research, the main driver for people is really PC to PC audio, but obviously we're definitely investigating PSTN termination," Holden said. "We don't have any short term plans at the moment but its definitely on the investigation path."

Read more at: MS Adds VoIP, Video Calls to Messenger

AOL Grabs Hold Of VoIP Market

Corporate Conglomerate AOL Time Warner announced early today that they too would be jumping onto the VoIP bandwagon.  Although they already offer VoIP connectivity through Instant Messages, this will be a fully functioning phone service.  AOL's VoIP works in a slightly different fashion than Vonage mainly because the PC plays an integral part in the process.  When a call comes through, the user has the option to route it too an actual phone, answer it through the computer, or have it forwarded to a mobile phone.  The system even lets you keep call logs and a complete contact list. More importantly, if you have an AOL address book, it will transfer directly over.  The biggest difference between AOL and Vonage is the automatic 911 coverage that AOL provides. This was a smart addition to the AOL service, because they side step a large portion of regulation compliance regarding the 911 issues.  Like most VoIP providers, there is a vast amount of costing plans to each different individuals needs.  In the future, AOL is planning to partner with Linksys and Netgear to offer an expanded home routing system.  According to EWeek:

"It really does act as a universal controller for all my communications, and you have the choice of dealing across the realm of traditional telephony or other Internet communications," Tobin said.

Read more at: AOL Rolls Out VOIP Service

VoIP Shows Market Potential

According to the technology analysis firm IDC, the amount of VoIP customers could increase dramatically from its current 3 million to close to 27 million. The belief behind increase is the reduced cost to the consumer for long distance telecommunications that VoIP offers. Although the the technology offered by each VoIP is fairly standard across the board, IDC believes that ingenuity and flexibility will bring VoIP to the forefront of the communication market. If they are in fact correct about their estimate figures, then there may be a big enough market to invest in extensive wireless technologies considering that it will be the next hurtle for VoIP to overcome. Although wireless may have the largest investment, the possible return is endless. According to IDC:

VOIP must prove that it is more than just a cheap replacement for POTs service," said William Stofega, senior analyst in IDC's VOIP Services Research program. "To do this, carriers will need to offer services that are compelling and affordable.”

Read more at: IDC Press Release

Canada Cracks Down On 911 Service

It seems that the free ride of VoIP providers has come to an end in regards to emergency services.  While this means higher operating costs for the companies, it is good news for you because you the consumer will be provided the necessary information about the amount of emergency coverage that is provide.  However, this new customer protection is for Canada and Canada alone. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has recently ruled that VoIP service providers have 90 days and 90 days only to comply with their new regulations.  The United States on the other hand is moving more slowly towards regulating VoIP. The US is expected to shortly follow suit considering the widely publicized story of the man calling 911 only to find a recorded message asking him to sign up for the 911 service when he called the emergency hotline when an armed gunman entered his home.  According to Converge:

The state of Texassaid the dangers posed by Vonage’s failure "to clearly disclose the lack of traditional 9-1-1 access" have resulted in tragedy. On its website, Vonage says it offers 911 Dialing to all customers. 911 calls are routed from the Vonage network to the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) for the physical area that the subscriber designates. However, 911 dialing is not automatically set-up for use and subscribers have the option to decline 911 dialing.

Read more at: Canada Requires VoIP Providers to Support 9-1-1 in 90 Days

Look Ma, No Wires

With the way the VoIP is going, your secretary may in fact be out of a job within in the next 5 to 10 years.  Recently, corporations have been replacing their outdated PBX analog systems with new VoIP ones and are saving thousands of dollars on their phone bills.  Even though VoIP is a relatively new technology, it’s already signed up for a face lift.  As it seems, the good people at IEEE stand down and thought, "Hey, VoIP runs on LANs, don't we have WLANS too?".  And thus, wireless VoIP was born.  The essence behind the technology in laments terms is that it piggy backs on a wireless network and connects through a broadband signal like any other VoIP system.  The benefit to a wireless system however, is that your business office could be portable to wherever you could connect to the corporate network.  That corporate cell phone that you don’t see the bill for would be replaced by a VoIP activated one.  Many mobile companies such as hospitals and warehouses already have mobile systems emplaced inside of their building.

While this may seem too good to be true, there are several draw backs to this new system.  For instance, as it is well known, the distance allowed through SpeedBoosted Wireless G routers are around 1/4 of a mile.  In order to create an all encompassing infrastructure would be a huge undertaking for any company wishing to pus the limits of their own property.  Additionally, if you were walking around outside on a VoIP phone, you would have to connect every time you passed from one nod to the other.  Although the connection time would be around three seconds, the conversation would be lost due to the reconnection.  The reason for this reconnection would be to authenticate the user, and insure that they belong on the network.  Although current WEP standards would elevate this connection problem, any hacker with a brain and keyboard could hack the connection and wire into the conversation.  Thus, a streaming encryption would be necessary; do I smell RFID?  Maybe so.

Although the promise of Wireless VoIP is too much to overlook, the implication of it will be a true test of networking ingenuity and corporate might.  Until the connectivity issues are taken care of, wireless VoIP is just going to be a good idea.  My advice until then is to stay plugged in behind that 128-bit encryption, and keep that cell phone close at hand.  According to the WirelessNewsNetwork:

Gartner analyst Keene doesn't expect voice over wireless to move into the mainstream for at least five years but recommends that businesses prepare for its arrival. They can do so by choosingnetwork infrastructure such as switches and routers that will support IP telephony in both wired and wireless environments, as well as provide the redundancy required for IP telephony (analog phone lines work when the power goes out or the network crashes, but IP telephony won't). "That's cheaper than ripping it all out later," Keene notes.

Read more at: VoIP Without Wires