liGo NEWS

Skype Mobile: Can Skype Do It?

There’s SkypeIn and SkypeOut. Why can’t there by Skype Mobile? After producing so many VoIP advancements, people wonder if aside from the Skype phones, Skype will finally have something for the mobile arena.

Skype Chief Executive Niklas Zennstrom has been quoted saying that they have encountered obstacles in making Skype work with regular cellular phones. They have no timetable as of yet on when Skype enabled mobile phones will be available as well. For now, Skype Mobile stays on the drawing board.

iSkoot: Turning Your Mobile Into A VoIP Phone

The current race ongoing is the competition to get VoIP onto mobile phones. The latest company to join the fray is iSkoot which says that using their software, any dual mode phone that downloads the program will instantly become a VoIP phone as well. The software works using wifi, 3G/GPRS data and GSM/CDMA network connections.
Dual mode phones are units that support both wifi and GSM/CDMA networks. The Nokia E series is an example of compatible handsets More phones are sure to follow.

iKiosks: Public VoIP Phones

A network of touch screen information points around Aberdeen make it possible for anyone to make internet calls. The iKiosks as they are called offer free email, videomail, and internet access just to name a few of the available services aside from the free VoIP phone service. The software embedded in the iKiosks is intended to allow students, visitors and citizens to make calls to any compatible VoIP service.

One of the first sites with the iKiosk is Robert Gordon University (RGU): Sports Center. It is a trial center and is a first world wide. After a certain period, the results will be evaluated by all other iKiosk partners which include NHS Grampian, VisitScotland, Grampian Police and Traveline Scotland.

Filippo Antoniazzi, RGU’s Director of Sport is delighted at RGU: Sports involvement in the iKiosk project. He says that participation in the project enhances and emphasizes the schools commitment to customer oriented service.

Phil Mills Bishop explains that the Ikiosk uses software like Skype which is installed on a single PC or network. Anyone can make use the iKiosk to make VoIP calls and view other information at the same time. Anyone can make use the iKiosk to make VoIP calls and view other information at the same time. It will be a great way to stay in touch with loved ones anywhere in the world.

During the month of August 81,000 ‘touches’ were made on the iKiosks demonstrating the wide interest in this technology. It looks like public VoIP phones is off to a roaring start.

Interconnection of VoIP and the Rest of the Telecommunications Network

In the US congress a policy called “Interconnection has been proposed”. This piece of legislation will make it possible to link the various telephone networks. There will be better services as calls will be able to travel seamlessly from one phone carrier to another.

This policy is also about phone competition, lowering call rates and getting broadband services to communities that are currently underserved. It means more opportunities for VoIP services and better rates for everyone.

As expected the telecommunication giants are fighting this policy. They argue that there is no need to interconnect with VoIP-based services since they are not a “telecom”; rather they are an “information” service under the law because they operate over broadband, unlike the traditional TelCos.

Experts are already predicting that if enabled, VoIP phone service will sweep across the country due to its cheaper rates and superior telephone service. Its efficiency means real money saved which is a target of every individual and business. Estimates are that consumers could save a total of $100 billion dollars over the next five years simply from the VoIP services already being provided by cable companies alone.

The question now is how long before this policy will push through. Until then, VoIP forges on without the other TelCos blessing.

VoIP: Communication Tool of Choice

VoIP has been causing quite a stir in the business of telecommunications for the last decade. Everybody is happy that VoIP is giving good service at much lower costs than either the regular land lines or mobile lines. They’ve mainly been an alternative for most but it looks like they may soon be a serious contender to be the tool of choice for cost-cutting businesses.

VoIP costs much less because they bypass landline and mobile phone systems plus calls between subscribers of the same service are free within the service. An example of this is Skype. Calls from Skype to Skype are free and SkypeOut calls to  either landline or mobile numbers are mere cents.

Gotalk, formerly known as Telecorp, offers packages where VoIP calls are at half the price of landline or mobile phone charges. This Australian company today launched a VoIP phone market half price “happy hour” for international calls. The promo is applied everyday between the hours of 6pm and 7pm.

Gotalk’s CEO Steve Picton says he thought that small to medium enterprises would be the first of the business community to switch to VoIP services since these smaller companies are usually interested in keeping their costs at a minimum. They are also usually tech savvy and prepared to try new technology. Their services include porting over original phone numbers and providing 1300 and 1800 numbers for businesses at lower costs.

There are more companies following suit. It will be no surprise to find more offices and homes with integrated handsets or VoIP phones in place of the standard models currently in use.

Plantronics Works With Google Talk

If GoogleTalk is your preferred way of making calls, a wireless headset like those manufactured by Plantronics will come in handy. The service is free and the voice calls are crystal clear. You also get free voicemail messages which s great for those times when you are offline. If you have a Blackberry you can send instant messages from there as well.

Signing up for the service is free and easy. It is not even a necessity to sign up for gmail in order to avail of Google Talk. Simply visit http://www.google.com/talk, download the software, register and get started.

Bluetooth Wireless Headsets

Bluetooth wireless technology has been around for a couple of years yet it is still not as widely used as expected. This surprises many since Bluetooth is a very useful tool. For example a Bluetooth wireless headset that works with your cordless phone, mobile phone, MP3 player and PC is a great tool and saves you money.

It is wise to test a device before buying it to be sure that it will work with your favorite gadget. Unlike wi-fi technology where devices are automatically made compatible with each other (irregardless of whether the technology of the device is old or new), Bluetooth devices require that the unit have the necessary profile in order to work with certain gadgets.

One way to know if a Bluetooth device may suit your purposes is by checking the icons on the packaging or catalog for the device. A headset logo means that the device will work for making hands free calls. A mouse icon means that it can be used to input data into a computer or phone. Two arrows signify the ability to transfer photos, contacts and music to another device.

VoIP in Business and Government

The internet has changed the way communication is done. Beginning with electronic mail followed by instant messaging and now with VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol). The creation of a way to have audio conferencing as well as video conferences with almost anyone, anywhere on the globe has created quite a stir among businesses.

VoIP is helping many companies cut down on their expenses. Thanks to the increasing number of hardware manufacturers who are producing VoIP phones, more and more corporations are beginning to utilize VoIP. The process can be as simple as installing Skype in the company computers and having wireless headsets or VoIP phones.

The government is also adopting VoIP for their use as well. It is being utilized for increased public information in Aberdeen and is currently being negotiated for Orlando, Florida’s government. A budget is set at $ 1.7 billion dollars to replace their 10 year old system.

Netgear’s New Skype Phone

Thanks to the obvious popularity of Skype, hardware manufacturers have begun to create more Skype phones that untether users of the VoIP software from their PC. Netgear has created a Skype phone that is stylish and cordless at the same time. The model is called SPH101.

It weighs a mere 4 ounces and measures 4.33×1.81x.83 inches. Its size though does not detract from the quality of the sound it produces. It has superb audio quality on both sides of the conversation. It only has a two hour talktime and a 20 hour standby time though. Fortunately, the phone charges using a USB connector from the bottom of the phone so it is possible to charge from any available PC’s USB port.

The SPH101 is a Skype certified device and is ready for use once the phone is switched on. The colored display shows the contact list once the Skype ID is logged in.

Fixed Mobile Convergence: Brand New Breed of Cordless Phones

Japan’s Jupiter Telecommunications will be beginning trials this October for Fixed mobile convergence (FMC). This new telephone service, if successful their customers will need only one number for both their mobile and landline at home. With FMC an existing mobile phone serves as an extension of the traditional landline by utilizing an internal wi-fi local area network to transmit a landline telephone signal. The mobile unit will act as a cordless phone for the landline.

While the trial is intended for Japan only at this time, the FMC results may well pave the way for more phones of a similar breed, and not just in Japan; just as BT’s Fusion has inspired changes in the United Kingdom.

The trial environment will be created at Jupiter Telecommunication utilizing a FMC-compatible SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) application server fully adapted to the IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) framework created by US manufacturing company, Longboard.