Vyke VoIP

Windows based cellular phones now have another program providing VoIP service.

to be continue.

VoIP Phone Service and / or Local Phone Service

I find myself in the market for new VoIP phone service after moving around like a gypsy for the last four months. A strong advocate for VoIP digital phone service, AT&T is tempting me to go without VoIP. Why? They're going to give me local phone service for (almost) free. Technically I will pay about ten dollars for the phone line and all associated fees. Practically, I only pay a dollar or two because the price is my digital subscriber line is lowered below advertised rates when I combine both services.

Basic telephone service is not digital phone service. Heck, its barely phone service; it would only be used to receive incoming calls from my grandparents and a as a backup line in case of emergency. I will be unable to pick up the phone and call most of my contacts. I'm afraid to call those local geographically in case my connotation with local differs from AT&T's view of local. If I go with this set-up, it's certainly in my best interest to call for a clear understanding of the local calling map and place a summary on a post-it on the back of my phone--noone wants overage fees.

This is a draft / work in progress.

FCC Vote Should Grow VoIP

Did you hear about the other vote scheduled for Tuesday, November 4th? The FCC unanimously decided to allow bidding on white spaces, i.e. free portions of wireless spectrum. While most spectrum is used to broadcast television signals, this newly available spectrum is expected to bolster the functionality of wireless devices by providing for stronger Internet signals (VoIP cellular phones hello!). Its also widely understood that tech giants Google, Microsoft and Motorola will invest heavily into this new arena. New investments are certainly a friend to a slowing economy and those suffering as a result. Someone explain that to those opposed to the FCC's course of action. Opposition includes Dolly Parton (yes, that Dolly Parton), casinos and a variety of groups with a financial interest in performance, sports and entertainment broadcasts.

PC World has a good piece summarizing the issue.

iSkoot and T-Mobile's G1, A VoIP Cell Phone Breakthrough

Thanks in part to iSkoot for Skype, the VoIP cell phone movement I've longed for (along with Mark Evans) is finally here. iSkoot's app makes T-Mobile's G1 cell phone the latest hand-held that can be used to make VoIP calls. Written for Android, Google's open source mobile platform, iSkoot lets users make cell phone calls using the Skype interface.

iSkoot for Skype is available for free in the Android Market, Google's answer to Apple's App Store. There is no service fee for using iSkoot, although normal cell phone usage rates apply. Users will find this app most beneficial when making international calls with SkypeOut. Paying the low rates charged by SkypeOut essentially functions as workaround to avoid traditional, outrageous, international cellular rates.

Unlike Fring and Truphone for the IPhone, Wi-Fi isn't required to talk with iSkoot for Skype. A mobile data subscription, however, is needed to update buddy lists. Any messages sent in chat rooms are billed as text messages.

Combining Skype with the high-profile G1 could prove to be a coup for all parties involved, including: T-Mobile, Google, Skype and iSkoot. Having been publicly available for only a few days, time will tell whether users flock towards this killer app.

Vonage's Doomsday Scenario

Have you considered the impact of the current financial meltdown on VoIP service providers? What's frustrating to some is that the shares of companies with strong market share, healthy profits and lots of cash are plummeting along with the the shares of much weaker companies. What about those weaker companies? What will happen to them?

Vonage is at a critical moment in its history. As of Friday, October 10th, anyone with a desire to invest in Vonage could purchase a share for $.62. Yes, sixty-two cents...USD...less than the cost of a McDonald's cheeseburger! When Vonage had its IPO a couple of short years ago its stock debuted at $17 (The company was quickly sued by investors who felt defrauded after the share price sank within the first week). At just three percent of its original value, Vonage has yet to produce a profit. Is this is a big deal? Well, no and yes. A few years in the red is not a big deal for a well-funded company with a good product / service and strong management. Vonage posted a mere $6.88 million quarterly loss in June, approximately a tenth of its average quarterly loss in fiscal 2007. Things are different, however, in today's helter skelter markets. As nervous investors shy from (unproven) stocks in favor of safer holdings, including certificates of deposits and money market accounts, how will Vonage find the capital necessary to keep afloat?

Vonage faces potentially fatal blows from investors and large competitors. First, large shareholders (hedge funds and mutual funds) could short the stock then sell it en masse, further depressing stock values and causing additional sell-offs. This could make Vonage an attractive take-over candidate. There is also the issue of a $253 million survival loan reportedly needed to continue operations. Vonage better hope Paulson forces banks to lend bailout / rescue money that's meant for distribution throughout the economy.

Second, larger competitors could decide they've had enough and start a price war. If Vonage refuses to decrease its VoIP service prices it would likely lose many price conscious customers (Isn't that just about all of us these days?). Matching a price cut would probably prevent the exodus of a significant percentage of customers to competition, but would also present its own problems. Vonage cannot afford to lower its VoIP telephone service revenue as long as Comcast, which could rely on a diverse group of services to maintain normal business operations and profitability (in June Comcast posted quarterly net income of $632 million).

Vonage's focus on one specific service also presents a challenge when compared to competitors who can fulfill more than one customer desire. Competitors like Verizon and Comcast bundle VoIP phone service along with cable / satellite television, Internet access, and cellular phone service. Starting at $99, these packages are especially attractive tempting since telephone and cable can easily cost more than $99 per month.

Vonage must deliver strong service and innovation if it wants survive...let alone thrive. What should it do? Come back later to find out.

note - I do not own a financial interest in individual stocks of Vonage or any other VoIP service providers.

Tech Mash-Up

No more Seinfeld?

The New York Times published an article today surrounding the Microsoft response to the Apple ads. Apparently the folks at Microsoft and their ad agency is going to step up their efforts to portray PCs in a better light. They will do so by featuring everyday people speaking about themselves and how they enjoy using a PC. Producer Pharrell Williams is one of a handful of celebrities who will make appearances, in addition to the "normal people." As talented as he is, I just hope the commercial doesn't feature a new Pharrell beat that I have heard ten times before...from other Pharrell work. I am interested in whether these ads will take a negative note and throw a few jabs at Apple.

The New, New, New Blackberry

Research in Motion (RIM) has created a new BlackBerry device, the BlackBerry Pearl Flip 8220, that is different and unique from probably every Blackberry available in today's market. How different can it be? How about a flip phone. The RIM flip has a large screen, and a stylish granite-like base. Similar to its BlackBerry Pearl cousins, users get a Qwerty keypad with each button holding two letters, instead of three. Blackberry has been king of email devices for a long time. A sign of class, the unit display looks like a digitalized analog watch when closed. Apple, Sprint and Palm work on touch phones to help grow their market share, RIM is working to grow its own share by reaching out to those tired of the same old new BlackBerry units.

More to come tomorrow. Thanks to Beck who inspired this mixed post by sharing his idea of musical mash-ups as performed by his band.

Microsoft Advertising Response to Apple is Confusing

I do not understand Microsoft's approach to its new advertising campaign. I certainly understand the need for new a response, given Apple's creative, light, fun and effective campaign. Apple has made fun of Window's problems with Vista bugs, confusion over which Vista system is appropriate, resetting issues, problems connecting peripherals, viruses, lack of innovation, customer frustration questioning, etc.

Why hire Jerry Seinfeld who isn't quite as popular as he was a dozen years ago And who is known for anything tech? Why does not say something good about a specific attribute of Windows? A computer that you can eat like cake as you use it? Huh?

I respect Microsoft not getting sucked into a need to smear, compare itself to, or even mention Apple...but I do not understand what they hope to achieve with this ad campaign. After purchasing my iMac I felt better and better about my purchase when I watched silly PC and his antics in the Mac ads. Do any Windows users feel the same with these ads?

View the Mac ads here.