Voice communications technology company PeerMe, Inc. launched its free service designed to allow users of Sprint EVDO mobile phones to make free unlimited calls. PeerMe CEO Tom Lasater says, "Sprint has the best EVDO network in the U.S., but at the same time they have the highest churn in the industry and they signed up fewer new users than any of their competitors this year. We are giving them the ability to use their technological edge to become the leader in the U.S. wireless market."

With laptop sales up 37 percent(1) in 2005 and more than 30 million U.S. households expected to use VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) by 2009(2), consumers are demanding new solutions for richer communications experiences, even when they are on the go. Microsoft Hardware meets these needs with its expanded digital communications line, which consists of the Microsoft LifeCam NX-6000 (the company's first webcam designed exclusively for laptop use), the LifeCam VX-1000, and two new digital headsets -- LifeChat ZX-6000 and LifeChat LX-3000 -- all optimized for use with Windows Live Messenger, the world's largest instant messaging network(3), providing a simple and natural communications experience.

Intrado Inc., a global provider of integrated data and telecommunications solutions and leading provider of VoIP E9-1-1 services, today announced that it has deployed Intrado V9-1-1 Services in Los Angeles County. With this deployment, Intrado becomes the first VoIP E9-1-1 services provider to meet Los Angeles County's stringent operational requirements for VoIP E9-1-1 service delivery.

8x8, Inc., provider of Packet8 residential, business and video Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone services, announced the availability of an upgraded version of the Packet8 Softalk voice and video softphone service with enhanced video quality and a more robust feature and user interface platform.

CableLabs and EuroCableLabs have announced that 10 companies will participate in the EuroCableNET Pavilion that is part of the 2006 Broadband World Forum Europe conference and exhibition to be held 9-12 October in Paris at the CNIT La Defense.

Global Crossing and SunRocket, one of the nation's leading Internet phone service providers, have implemented an industry-changing VoIP peering solution that will give customers high-performing, end-to-end IP connectivity for IP services, while bypassing the usage fees associated with completing calls via the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c41993) has announced the addition of "VoIP Report - 2nd Edition" to their offering.

In this second edition of the VoIP Report, we look at how carriers are deploying VoIP technology and beginning to offer services.

Published in May of 2005, the VoIP Report - 2nd Edition investigates 61 carriers offering or starting to offer such services. Each profile contains revenue and VoIP access line totals, as well as forecasts, business models and technology discussions. The report also looks at VoIP service pricing.

Mitel and Bandwidth.com announced an agreement that bundles the native SIP capabilities of the Mitel 3300 IP Communications Platform (ICP) with Bandwidth.com's nationwide SIP Trunking services. Existing and new 3300 ICP customers that sign up to Bandwidth.com's SIP Trunking voice over IP (VoIP) service bypass costly traditional circuits and extend the capabilities of their own IP network beyond the enterprise with a single, secure, reliable connection to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

Global IP Sound (GIPS) announced the availability of version 2.0 of its iSAC codec. The market leading adaptive codec for developers of Voice over IP (VoIP) communications, iSAC 2.0 is now optimized for use in hardware devices. This solution allows the makers of IP phones, gateways and chipsets to deliver products that offer the same high quality voice experience that users of PC-based Internet calling services have come to expect.

8x8, Inc., provider of Packet8 residential, business and video Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone services, announced the launch of a new, high performance T.38-based business-quality fax over IP service. Packet8 fax service can be immediately provisioned on the 2nd line of any Packet8 Virtual Office BPA-410 business phone adapter. No additional hardware is required, other than the business' existing fax machine(s).

Vapps is extending its free conference calling platform to Yahoo! Messenger with Voice's 80 million users worldwide*, the global infrastructure supplier of VoIP conference calling solutions announced today.

Yahoo! Messenger with Voice users will now be able to engage in free conference calling with their friends and family through ConFreeCall, provided by Vapps. The announcement further demonstrates Vapps' ability to enable large scale social networking portals to offer premium conference calling services to their users, increasing the value of their service offering.

The SIP Forum announced the completion of a new initiative to streamline how service providers and their enterprise customers leverage interactive IP communications services and solutions. Developed by The SIP Forum's Technical Work Group, this new industry recommendation, termed SIPconnect, is designed to directly tie enterprise customers to VoIP service providers using an end-to-end IP connection.

SIPconnect provides detailed instructions and architecture specifications to deliver direct SIP connectivity with VoIP service providers to ensure consistent quality-of-service, low cost and full-featured telephony for SIP-based VoIP calls.

iBasis, the global VoIP company, announced that SunRocket, one of the nation's fastest-growing Internet phone service providers, has interconnected to iBasis' global Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network to connect international calls. The deal further cements iBasis as the leading international telecommunications provider for the rapidly growing consumer VoIP industry. iBasis will be exhibiting at VON in booth #1561.

360networks, the premier regional service provider in the western United States, will debut a new wholesale VoIP service offering ("VoIP360") at the Fall VON tradeshow. VoIP360 is designed to enable cable operators, ISP's, CLEC's, wireless broadband and other service providers to quickly and cost effectively enter the VoIP market and provide IP-based voice services to their residential and business subscribers.

Polycom, Inc., the world's leading provider of unified collaborative communications solutions, unveiled Polycom HD Voice, a revolutionary technology that advances the most important communication tool in business, the telephone, with unprecedented, lifelike, high-fidelity voice quality. In conjunction, Polycom unveiled the world's first VoIP desktop phone to feature Polycom HD Voice, the SoundPoint IP 650, which raises the bar for business communications with quality, clarity and richness well beyond the capabilities of existing traditional and VoIP phones. Polycom is demonstrating the SoundPoint IP 650 with Polycom HD Voice at the VON Conference Sept. 12-14, 2006 at the Boston Convention Center (VON booth #729).