CounterPath comments on the recent announcement made by its customer British Telecom, the leading UK-based telecommunications provider, indicating BT has reached the milestone of one million VoIP customers. BT's VoIP offerings include the BT Broadband Talk Softphone, developed by CounterPath.

Based on CounterPath's award-winning technology and using an intuitive, BT-branded user interface, the SIP-based BT Broadband Talk Softphone allows subscribers to make low cost calls over the Internet, enjoy high-quality video calls, and use IM while managing their online presence. Additional features include simplified contact management, Hi-definition Sound and three-way audio/video conference calling.

The confirmation that BT has gained more than one million registered consumer customers for its VoIP services, made ahead of its projected spring 2007 goal, demonstrates the rising trend of Internet telephony adoption among consumers in the UK, many of whom are choosing a softphone solution.

ADT Security Services announces that more than 25 IP-based telephone services providers located throughout the United States have confirmed their phone networks meet the characteristics required by ADT to be a primary method of transmitting alarm signals to ADT's Customer Monitoring Centers.

Together, the companies represent nearly all of the digital phone services markets and provide coverage to nearly every region of the United States.

ADT also announced it is expanding its Voice over Internet Protocol/Digital Phone policy to cover burglar alarm monitoring for business customers following its successful roll out to residential customers in late 2006. ADT is among the first nationwide security services companies to allow business burglar alarm monitoring using qualified VoIP/digital phone service providers as a primary method of alarm signal transmission.

I received and interesting email which included a case study of VoIP implementation at Hall-Dale Schools in Maine.

"In their VoIP system, Hall-Dale was primarily looking for connectivity and basic capabilities like auto-attendant messaging. John acknowledges that the e-mail .wav file with voicemail messages is a very nice and useful addition, as is the ease of adding new extensions. In the near future, he wishes to add new extensions dedicated for sports lines, for example, to facilitate communication and announcements for sporting teams and events. In addition, he plans to add a voicemail box to accommodate specialized messages for school attendants which would free up personnel and resources. This type of auto-attendant voicemail could allow parents to call in and easily notify the school if their child is sick and will not be attending classes. It could also contain weather-related messages and school closing announcements. He expects that the addition of these capabilities will increase productivity which will inevitably improve "customer" service."

It's a short 4 page study that describes how PingTel made it work:

• Hall-Dale Schools Background
• Business Objectives
• Approach
• Recommendation
• Implementation Challenges
• and Results

Iristel in an effort to continue to bring affordable communication services to all Canadians, has recently launched its residential Pay as you Go VoIP plan.

The new Pay-As-You-Go VoIP telephone service will revolutionize the way people subscribe to home telephone service and is exclusively offered to Iristel's Residential subscribers. Pay As You Go launches nationally on January 15, 2007 and will feature an exclusive prepaid package that enables customers to personalize their communication services.

"Iristel aims to bring cost effective communicative solutions to its end users. With packages now starting at $3.95 per month, Iristel's Broadfone Digital Telephone Service is becoming the provider of choice for Canadians," says Samer Bishay, President and CEO, Iristel Inc. "With today's busy lifestyles, the average person is not at home very often, and when they are, why pay for a telephone service they are not using. By continuing to offer the most diverse plans in the marketplace, we are able to provide our customers with a unique product geared towards them, and their lifestyles."

For further information and pricing details, please visit www.iristel.ca

Verb Exchange has announced that it is offering a package of 100 free minutes of long distance calling to anywhere in the world with the Beta release of its CoPilot Console product. CoPilot has also been integrated with HüPad, a vertical search tool that returns a more relevant and efficient search result on the Web.

CoPilot Console is Verb’s proprietary desktop based application that allows users to place phone calls over the internet without the need for any specific hardware, effectively allowing users to make cheaper long distance calls without a VoIP device (phone or gateway). CoPilot eliminates the need to carry extra devices when traveling, allowing the user to capitalize on the cost effectiveness of VoIP while still utilizing their cell phone, or any land line, anywhere in the world. CoPilot also allows the user to send SMS (Short Message Service) text messages from their desktop.

SpectraLink has extended its Wi-Fi telephony capabilities to third-party mobile devices by introducing the NetLink Softphone application. The NetLink SP application allows voice-enabled mobile devices to function as full-featured business telephones integrated with an enterprise telephone system. NetLink SP operates as a thin client, offering optimized performance both over the wireless LAN and on the handheld device.

NetLink SP is a simple, easy-to-use mobile application that runs on Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0 and PocketPC operating systems. It works in conjunction with SpectraLink's NetLink Telephony Gateway using SpectraLink Radio Protocol, a lightweight protocol developed specifically to provide optimal performance and voice quality over converged wireless networks. The NetLink Telephony Gateway's unique digital interface technology makes it possible to extend the advanced features and functions of a company's telephone switch, such as call transfer, conferencing and voicemail integration, to the end-user device. The NetLink SP softphone also supports text messaging through SpectraLink's Open Application Interface, integrating with applications such as customer service call boxes and inventory management systems.

Imagine having a phone line with all the bells and whistles at $9.95 a month plus e-voicemail – where you can now receive and manage your voicemail through email and save up to 50% savings in your home phone line and feature cost. Instead of bundling services that you may not want such as unlimited long distance service for a fixed monthly fee, Times Telecom allows its subscribers to choose the plans that fit their budget and needs such as – unlimited long distance to many countries, virtual phone numbers (the ability to add on phone numbers of many countries whereby from Vancouver you can receive local calls from anyone in selected cities such as London, Hong Kong, etc). In addition to the above, Times Telecom ‘Tag Along’ capability allows users the capability to bring along their equipment with them when they are on the road so that they are able to continue to make and receive calls. Welcome to the Century of VoIP.

uControl launched its next-generation home security service that provides redundant connectivity and better security at a lower price for the more than 26 million U.S. homeowners who want more from their existing, installed alarm system.

The Austin-based company is the first to offer an enhanced home security service that connects to existing, installed alarm systems and communicates over three redundant connections - broadband, cellular and phone lines. In addition to delivering always-on connectivity and real-time security, uControl enables people to control and monitor their alarm system from the Web or from their cell phones - anywhere, anytime.

Allworx has partnered with Bandwidth.com, to provide resellers that service small and medium businesses with the first all-inclusive VoIP solution that delivers significant cost savings, extensive feature sets, and exceptional customer service.

Bandwidth.com is a complete nationwide communications provider, offering business-class VoIP services that include SIP Trunk connectivity across IP-PBX/Key systems, T1 or T3 data circuits, network monitoring, management and security. The company’s services are delivered over the most reliable and diverse network of top tier fiber providers in the country, including ATT, Verizon, Qwest, Sprint and Level3.

Allworx’s family of IP-PBX/Key systems include the award winning Allworx 6x, 10x, & 24x offerings, which are designed for businesses from 30 to 100 employees per site. Allworx’s VoIP phones and systems bring the power of extensive PBX, and key-based systems to small businesses at a fraction of the cost of other offerings, and provide numerous differentiators, such as:

• the industry’s lowest installed cost of any full-featured VoIP PBX/Key-system
• the richest SMB feature set available anywhere including true key-system operation
• superior flexibility to help SMBs transition to VoIP risk-free, and at their own pace
• and the simplest system to install, use and administer

The AiGuru S2 is a cordless USB Internet phone offering support for Skype software, Windows Vista SideShow, and both Apple iTunes and Windows Media Player for wireless music play. The AiGuru S2 remains true to ASUS' three main product design concepts – style, ease of use and seamless integration with PC applications that users are no longer tied down to their PCs or laptops. The premium slim design, brilliant color display and backlit keypad make the AiGuru S2 comfortable to use around the house or office, regardless of where the computer is located. Access to broadband Internet is required.

The AiGuru S2's simplified menu structure and user-friendly interface make it easy to leverage all of Skype's capabilities. Besides Skype's basic features, the AiGuru S2 also provides the ability for users to manage their personal information and contact lists. Users can also see callers' photos or avatars and Skype ID when receiving an incoming call.

For portable music enjoyment, the AiGuru S2 comes equipped with a high quality speaker and five EQ voice modes to support streaming music from a PC using Wi-Fi technology. Through Windows Vista SideShow support, users can also use the AiGuru S2 handset to access their e-mail information on their PC.

Asus AiGuru S2 Product Specifications

"Many imitators are likely to crib the style and innovative features of Philips's DECT ID9371B, announced at CES. Designed like a cell phone, this slim cordless handset has a 65,000-color screen and stores 250 names and numbers in its phone book."

"Hidden inside the device is an answering machine that holds 15 minutes of voicemail messages. Users can export phone book entries from a cell phone's SIM card to the cordless handset. The phone is slated to ship with a $180 price tag in the second quarter of the year."






"Also notable for its svelte design is Philips's new VoIP841 cordless handset, which can make both land-line and Internet calls via Skype's Voice-over-IP service without requiring a PC. You plug the ethernet cable into the base station at one end and your router at the other, and voila--the device is ready to make Skype calls."

"The VoIP841 doesn't support Wi-Fi; instead, it uses DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) wireless technology, which cordless phones in Europe commonly use, to communicate with the base station. It stores 500 Skype contacts and supports free Skype-to-Skype calls. Another snazzy feature is the handset's ability to emit different ringtones to signal whether a call is coming from a land line or from Skype. Like the DECT ID9371B, the VoIP841 has a 65,000-color display. Philips says that the phone should become available for $199."

Source: http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,128506-c,tradeshows/article.html

High Res Images courtesy of http://www.ces.philips.com/:

• DECT Phone ID9371
• VoIP Phone VoIP841

Better late than never, I've been wanting to write about Alec Saunders "The ultimate VoIP bloggers ranking" for sometime now.

We're very pleased and would like to thank Alec Saunders for his article that ranked us #57 as an Ultimate VoIP blogger and we realize that our blog juice rating could be better. So this year, I'm recommending that Barry Bonds be hired on to write for VoIPMonitor.net to help us hit the ball out of the park in 2007.

China VoIP & Digital Telecom announced it has acquired Hangzhou Zhongfang a Voice-over Internet Protocol Services provider based in the Zhejiang Province. The acquisition will expand the Company’s reach into Zhejiang and other southern provinces in the People’s Republic of China.

Under the terms of the agreement, Jinan will acquire existing VoIP infrastructure from Zhongfang to facilitate future VoIP sales and services in the Province. The acquisition will also provide a platform for Jinan Yinquan to develop and expand its VoIP business in adjacent southern provinces.

Jinan Yinquan, is a rapidly growing technology company that offers VoIP services in the People’s Republic of China.

Woize announces it will expand its services to all 50 US states and introduce US numbers for its digital communication service offerings during February 2007.

The introduction of telephone numbers in 50 American states will expand the current Woize service offering by giving consumers and branding partners the opportunity to benefit from Woize's low cost calling plans, and an expanding number of destinations. American resident users and individuals or companies with frequent American contact, will be given the opportunity to test a new national IP telephony provider. Woize's introduction of U.S. numbers creates healthy competition and provides an effective alternative to other providers like Skype and Vonage. This competition is ultimately best for consumers.

EarthLink is in the spirit of giving! Today, the ISP is kicking off a service that will give Philadelphia residents, workers and visitors an opportunity to try on its EarthLink Wi-Fi product free-of-charge through January 21, 2007.

Available to consumers who live, work or visit EarthLink's 15-square-mile proof-of-concept (POC) area, which extends east of Broad Street and north of the Vine Street Expressway (http://www.emnwifi.net/cities/philadelphia/), EarthLink Wi-Fi offers down-and-upload speeds up to 1Mbps.

"Our goal is clear: build a state-of-the-art wireless network across Philadelphia's 135 square miles. A key to doing this is gathering valuable feedback and insights from users of the network as construction continues," said Donald Berryman, executive vice president of EarthLink and president of the ISP's municipal networks unit. "Further, we are happy to launch this service at this time, and hope residents and visitors enjoy Wi-Fi access, free-of-charge."