Systemax, announces a new partnership with leading VoIP and videophone communications company 8x8, Inc. to bring VoIP to the masses through an exclusive offer on select desktop personal computers. The offer bundles 8x8's Packet8 Softalk voice and video soft phone with select Systemax VoIP Desktop Personal Computers -- starting as low as $299 after rebate.

Available exclusively through TigerDirect.com, Packet8 Softalk-enabled Systemax PCs (models Venture H352V, Venture HU H531V and Venture HU B531V) enable users to make and receive voice and video calls directly from their personal computers by plugging a regular analog phone into the computer's built-in phone port. Along with traditional landlines and cell phones, Packet8 Softalk users can also call Packet8 VideoPhone subscribers and enjoy high quality video communications when traveling without needing to carry along a separate device.

Voip internet phone service provider, voip.com, introduces its new, easy-access Voicemail program, featuring locally available numbers, automatic conversion of voicemail messages to email attachments, text message notification for any incoming messages, and message storage for up to two weeks.

Perfect for those who are constantly on the go or interested in keeping their private numbers protected. Voip.com's inbound-only Voicemail is a standalone service giving users the convenience of a local number that friends, family and clients can call when they need to get in touch. Voicemail accounts keep subscribers reachable, with the flexibility of 24/7 voicemail forwarding and a message system that's easy to check.

USRobotics, announced the addition of the USR9640 USR Mini Cam for Skype to its Skype product family. The webcam joins the company’s other Skype products, including USB handsets, a speakerphone, and the cordless dual phone and accessory handset.

“With our webcam and headset, Skype users can now make free video calls to friends and family around the world, as well as share recorded video and snapshots,” says Anurag Batta, USRobotics Product Manager for VoIP. “The camera is a natural extension of our Skype product line and continues our development of easy to use, reliable, Skype certified products.”

SunRocket, announced that Thomson, Inc., will enter into an agreement to explore various promotional activities to expand the presence of SunRocket's VoIP services. The agreement also includes the development of future GE branded products that will leverage various feature capabilities available through SunRocket Internet phone service.

Yackie Telecom introduced a merger between its two corporate divisions, Yackie Mobile and Yackie. Yackie Telecom is one of the first companies to introduce this revolutionary global solution to the market. Now customers can stay in touch with the world, save money and manage their calls when calling around the world.

Yackie Telecom is now offering its customers a Yackie Mobile GSM SIM card and a Yackie VoIP account together in one package. Both accounts will have the same incoming number (you can have up to 8 phone numbers linked to one SIM card), which can be selected from 40 different countries.

This SIM card roams in over 162 countries and it works with the most powerful network.

Coms switches on its Internet Telephony network for UK public use. Unlike Skype, Coms will work on all devices that support the SIP protocol, which is recognised as the International standard for voice over IP (VoIP) networks, bringing simple, cheap internet telephone service to a wide range of PDAs, mobiles and landlines.

Coms uniquely lets each customer select their own free UK personal number from a range of two million Ofcom allocated numbers in 185 different geographic area codes. Incoming calls are free and calls between Coms users are also free. Coms charges low rates to UK phones, mobiles and international destinations and for enhanced messaging services.

There are over two million British households using the Internet to make calls, and numbers are only set to increase. Further, SIP is becoming standard in most portable devices. By 2008 most mobile phones and PDAs will be able to receive VoIP calls from the nearest wireless hotspot.

Arcosoft Inc., announced the release of VONaLink ScreenPop 1.0. ScreenPop works with any VoIP phone system based on the open SIP standard, such as Vonage or Asterisk, to provide screen pops and reject calls.

With traditional phone systems, caller ID is read by a computer using an analog modem or a proprietary product from the phone company. With the latest VoIP systems built on open, standard protocols, caller ID can be extracted by monitoring network packets.

Using the caller ID of the incoming call, ScreenPop searches for the caller in Microsoft Outlook contacts, or launches custom applications to search the web or company database. If the caller is found, the information is popped on the screen, thereby increasing the productivity of the user.

pulvermedia unveiled its speaker line-up for the inaugural VON Enterprise Conference and Expo, scheduled to take place on December 4-6, at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Georgia.

VON Enterprise will provide one-stop-shopping for companies looking to set strategic directions, evaluate the latest IP communications technologies, deploy solutions to their employees, and quantify the return-on-investment for IP voice and video.

"VON Enterprise is the Southeast's first and only IP communications event dedicated solely to the enterprise," said Bill Sell, vice president and general manager of VON events for pulvermedia. "We're looking forward to providing the VON community with an intimate event that provides unprecedented access to the information and best-practices needed to address Enterprise VoIP issues."

Polycom Inc., has donated state-of-the-art equipment to Rochester Institute of Technology's B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences. The equipment will be used in the curriculum for the college's course offering in real-time data and voice/video over Internet protocol (VOIP). The undergraduate courses will be offered to students pursuing various degrees in applied network and system administration, information technology, computer science, and software engineering.

Frost & Sullivan has selected Verizon Business to receive the 2006 North American Enterprise VoIP Services Customer Value Enhancement Award. In addition, the firm recently published a report naming Verizon Business as the leading Web conferencing reseller services provider.

"Verizon Business continues to deliver compelling IP-based solutions for the enterprise market," said Lynda Starr, senior analyst, IP communications, for Frost & Sullivan's information and communication technology services. "This sort of focus is essential for service providers to effectively compete by addressing the IP transformation under way today. Businesses benefit from working with a provider that can translate the new capabilities afforded by IP into applications that will enhance business' day-to-day operations and productivity."

Benjamin P. Sayers, the Founder, President, and CEO of VoIP Supply, has been named to Buffalo's Business First newspaper's 15th annual 40 Under Forty honor roll. The honor, launched in 1992, was created to recognize young leaders in the Buffalo Niagara region for their outstanding charitable works and professional achievements. Mr. Sayers was honored, alongside the rest of this year's class, at a luncheon this past week. The honorees were selected by an independent committee of six local business and civic leaders, including five past 40 Under Forty honorees.

"Once again, the 2006 class of 40 under Forty winners showcases the best of this community," said Jack Connors, Business First president and publisher. "It is a class whose members have excelled in the community and their professions to make Western New York a better place.

PhoneGnome, announced the new PhoneGnome Service 2.0 that offers multiple ways to make free long distance and international calls to most telephones in the world. PhoneGnome Service 2.0 requires no hardware, and gives consumers free or low priced calls using their home phone, mobile phone, or PC.

"Since its introduction, PhoneGnome has been used by people all around the world. PhoneGnome owners love the product," said TelEvolution founder David Beckemeyer. "Until now, PhoneGnome was only available for landline phones and only to those with the PhoneGnome box. With our release of PhoneGnome 2.0 today, PhoneGnome's free calling and other benefits are now accessible to practically any telephone user, including mobile phone users and those with only dial-up Internet service, and regardless of whether they have the PhoneGnome box."

Jangl, announced that its first service -- which enables mutually-anonymous communication on the phone -- is now available to all U.S. consumers.

Separately, Jangl and Match.com announced an agreement under which Jangl enables that site's new matchTalk offering, a new Match.com service that provides its members even more control by allowing them to use their mobile or landline phones to talk with other members without compromising their privacy.

Natural Convergence, announces release 3.0 of its silhouette product. The new feature set includes a range of enhancements that extends Natural Convergence’s lead in catering to the small business owner. It also provides extensions for service providers to easily deploy and sell the silhouette application suite.

For the end user, release 3.0 introduces Mobile Twinning, where silhouette enables the user complete flexibility to take a call at either a desk or mobile telephone and move within a facility or amongst multiple locations – all while maintaining one main phone number. It also allows the user, by simply pressing their desktop phone line, to transfer a cellular phone call thereby saving usage minutes. This is a new level of sophistication in features available in a hosted VoIP offering.

VendorGuru.com provides comprehensive resources for business to business executives who are considering advancing to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone systems. Using in-depth interviews with 240 companies, Infonetics studies estimate that 36 percent of large, 23 percent of medium, and 14 percent of small North American organizations interviewed were using VoIP products and services in 2005. Infonetics forecasts significant increases in the use of VoIP phone systems across all segments with small business use expected to triple by 2010. The growing interest and prevalence of VoIP shows this phone system is coming of age and a growing necessity for all companies that want to keep their competitive edge.