ooma unveils its next generation phone – Telo – the premier phone system that offers unlimited US calling for free, with no monthly fees, and huge savings on international calls. Packed with new features, Telo offers an unparalleled telephone experience at a significant cost savings to consumers.

New, with ooma Telo, is a powerful cordless handset featuring DECT 6.0 technology, High-Definition voice, connected phonebook, mobile transfer, speaker phone, and musical ring tones. Customers can expand to six handsets, enough for each room in the house.

Skype released Skype 2.8 Beta for Mac, the latest version of its internet communications software for Mac users. This new release, which was first demonstrated during ShowStoppers at the Macworld Conference & Expo in San Francisco, contains a number of new Skype features, including Skype Access and screen sharing. Both of these features will be built into versions of Skype for other operating systems sometime in 2009.

Truphone debutes the ability to make and receive Skype calls and instant messaging to the entire Skype user base from its iPhone and iPod touch applications. The service is scheduled to be available to all customers during the week of Jan. 12.

The introduction was made at “ShowStoppers @ Macworld 2009” and will be showcased at the Truphone stand (#3228) at Macworld for the remainder of the week.

This represents one more step toward making Truphone the open “all-in-one conversations hub” for iPhone and iPod touch users.

Truphone customers on both Apple devices can now reach their Skype friends via their Skype IDs. This further expands the universe of people with whom Truphone customers can stay in touch.

Boingo Wireless and Skype announce agreement that will allow Skype users to access more than 100,000 Boingo Wi-Fi hotspots worldwide, and pay using Skype Credit. The feature, called Skype Access, will be embedded into Skype as a core feature, first in the Skype for Mac 2.8 Beta software released today and then in versions of Skype for other operating systems sometime in 2009.

The new application lets users connect to a Boingo Wi-Fi hotspot with a single click and to pay per minute only for what they use. Skype Access actively scans for available Boingo hotspots and presents a pop-up dialogue box displaying the price per minute to use the Boingo network using Skype Credit. Boingo’s Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy apply and access to all Internet services will be provided on a simple, per minute billing basis.

MetroCast has deployed Cedar Point's SAFARI C3 Multimedia Switching System for VoIP services as part of MetroCast's digital cable and Internet triple play services in the state of Mississippi. Cedar Point is replacing Metaswitch, and is the exclusive switching vendor throughout the MetroCast service footprint.

MetroCast recently entered the Mississippi market through an acquisition and is planning to install a fiber optic network to bridge North and South Mississippi enabling them to deliver enhanced digital services to Mississippi customers. MetroCast deployed Cedar Point's packet-based SAFARI C3 Multimedia Switching System for part of a bundle of services that includes voice to approximately 50,000 total subscribers.

Consumers looking to cut costs without sacrificing satisfaction for Internet, television, and telephone service should consider bundling with Verizon FiOS or AT&T U-verse. In Consumer Reports' latest survey of major telecom providers and bundled services, featured in the February issue, Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-verse, whose networks are fiber-optic based, were the most consistently satisfying providers for their Internet, television, and telephone services.

ESS Technology announces the ES9701 as the newest member of its VoIP product line. First in the industry to embed two Subscriber Line Interface Circuits (SLICs) and an Ethernet switch, the ES9701 brings the highest integration and lowest bill of materials to consumer VoIP adapters and IP phone applications.

SimpleSignal and Wesbell Technologies have entered into a distribution agreement to market SimpleSignal's SIP Trunking solution to Wesbell's AastraLink Response Point resellers. SimpleSignal's SimpleSIP solution gives SMBs and large enterprises advanced VoIP calling features and works with any PBX and IP-PBX phone system. SimpleSIP Trunking delivers productivity enhancing features, such as simultaneous ring, unified messaging and disaster recovery capabilities. Under the agreement, Wesbell resellers of AastraLink Response Point will be able to offer SimpleSIP to their business customers in the U.S. and Canada.