VoIP Monitor - VoIP Providers

VoIP Providers

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 22:47:38 GMT

Ready to get started? Here are some VoIP service providers to check out in your country.

Jump to a countries VoIP Providers:

U.S.A. VoIP Providers	Ireland VoIP Providers
Canada VoIP Providers	Italy VoIP Providers
U.K. VoIP Providers	Korea VoIP Providers
Argentina VoIP Providers	Netherlands VoIP Providers
Australia VoIP Providers	Norway VoIP Providers
France VoIP Providers	Portugal VoIP Providers
Germany VoIP Providers	South Africa VoIP Providers
Greece VoIP Providers	Spain VoIP Providers

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U.S.A. VoIP Providers

VoIP Provider	VoIP Review Ranking		Price*	Activation Fee	Cancellation Fee	Special Deals**
		1TouchTone Reviews (0)	$29.99	Yes	Yes	None at this time
		Allo Reviews (1)				Closing July 31st, 2007
		AT&T Reviews (0)	$24.99	Yes	Yes	1st Month FREE
		Best2Call Reviews (0)	$19.99	N/A	N/A	None at this time
		BlueSky Reviews (15)				Company Disappeared
		Broadvox Reviews (0)
		Dadoe Reviews (0)	$19.99	No	Yes	1st Month FREE
		Efonica Reviews (0)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
		iConnectHere Reviews (2)	$6.99	No	No	$30 sign up bonus
		Joi Phone Reviews (3)	$14.95	No	Yes	30 day MBG.
		Lingo Reviews (7)	$21.95	Yes	Yes	1st Month FREE, 30 day MBG.
		MyPhoneCompany Reviews (0)	$24.99	Yes	Yes	14 day MBG
		MyVoIP.com Reviews (1)	$16.99	No	Yes	30 day MBG
		Net2Phone Reviews (0)	$29.99	No	No	1 YEAR FREE with 1 year plan.
		NetZero Voice Reviews (2)	$14.95	N/A	N/A	None at this time
		8x8 Reviews (3)	$24.99	No	Yes	Free Activation + Phone Rebates
		Skype Reviews (2)	$29.95 yr	No	No	$29.95 per yr
		SunRocket Reviews (6)				No longer accepting customers.
		Time Warner Reviews (0)	$39.95	No	No	3 months for $39.95
		Verizon VoiceWing Reviews (2)	$24.95	No	Yes	Order online and wave activation fee
		ViaTalk Reviews (4)	$199 yr	Yes	Yes	1 YEAR FREE with 1 year plan
		VoIP.com Reviews (15)	$19.95	Yes	Yes	30 day MBG
		Voipgo Reviews (5)	$16.95	No	No	30 day MBG
		Vonage Reviews (11)	$24.99	Yes	Yes	1 Month FREE
		Vonics Reviews (21)	$18.99	No	Yes	2 Months FREE
		ZingoTel Reviews (8)	$19.95	No	Yes	1 Month FREE

Canada VoIP Providers

VoIP Provider	VoIP Review Ranking		Price*	Activation Fee	Cancellation Fee	Special Deals**
		Allo Reviews (1)				Closing July 31st, 2007
		babyTEL Reviews (0)	$29.95	Yes	Yes	14 Day MBG
		SpectraVoice Reviews (0)	$29.99	No	Yes	None at this time
		Vbuzzer Reviews (2)	N/A	N/A	N/A	None at this time
		Voipgo Reviews (0)	$19.95	No	No	30 day MBG
		Yak Reviews (0)	N/A	N/A	N/A	None at this time

U.K. VoIP Providers

VoIP Provider	VoIP Review Ranking		Price*	Activation Fee	Cancellation Fee	Special Deals**
		Globe7 Reviews (0)	$4.99 mo	No	No	None at this time
		MyWebCalls Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time
		Quazzle Reviews	£9.99 mo	No	No	None at this time
		Toucan Reviews	£9.99 mo	N/A	Yes	£10 free calls

Argentina VoIP Providers

VoIP Provider	VoIP Review Ranking		Price*	Activation Fee	Cancellation Fee	Special Deals**
		Brujula Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time

Australia VoIP Providers

VoIP Provider	VoIP Review Ranking		Price*	Activation Fee	Cancellation Fee	Special Deals**
		AstraTEL Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time
		KangaTalk Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time
		PennyTel Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time
		WorldDialPoint Reviews	$12.95	Yes	N/A	30 day MBG

France VoIP Providers

VoIP Provider	VoIP Review Ranking		Price*	Activation Fee	Cancellation Fee	Special Deals**
		NetAppel Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time
		Wengo Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time

Germany VoIP Providers

VoIP Provider	VoIP Review Ranking		Price*	Activation Fee	Cancellation Fee	Special Deals**
		poivY Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time
		VoiceTrading Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time
		VoipCheap Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time
		VoipDiscount Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time

Greece VoIP Providers

VoIP Provider	VoIP Review Ranking		Price*	Activation Fee	Cancellation Fee	Special Deals**
		Webacall Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time

Ireland VoIP Providers

VoIP Provider	VoIP Review Ranking		Price*	Activation Fee	Cancellation Fee	Special Deals**
		Blueface Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time
		Broadtalk Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time
		FreeSpeech Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time

Italy VoIP Providers

VoIP Provider	VoIP Review Ranking		Price*	Activation Fee	Cancellation Fee	Special Deals**
		MyTCom Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time
		Skypho Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time

Korea VoIP Providers

VoIP Provider	VoIP Review Ranking		Price*	Activation Fee	Cancellation Fee	Special Deals**
		Cosmo070 Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time

Netherlands VoIP Providers

VoIP Provider	VoIP Review Ranking		Price*	Activation Fee	Cancellation Fee	Special Deals**
		RhinoBell Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time
		XeloQ Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time

Norway VoIP Providers

VoIP Provider	VoIP Review Ranking		Price*	Activation Fee	Cancellation Fee	Special Deals**
		Vyke Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time

Portugal VoIP Providers

VoIP Provider	VoIP Review Ranking		Price*	Activation Fee	Cancellation Fee	Special Deals**
		WebPhone Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time

South Africa VoIP Providers

VoIP Provider	VoIP Review Ranking		Price*	Activation Fee	Cancellation Fee	Special Deals**
		MyCostSavingsCall Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time
		TelFree Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time
		zero27 Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time

Spain VoIP Providers

VoIP Provider	VoIP Review Ranking		Price*	Activation Fee	Cancellation Fee	Special Deals**
		PeopleCall Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time
		TerraSip Reviews	N/A	No	No	None at this time

VoIP Information

What is VoIP?

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. VoIP, sometimes referred to as broadband phone or digital phone, is a phone service which operates using your high-speed Internet connection. There are primarily two kinds of VoIP services: phone-based and computer-based. These services allow you to make phone calls using either your regular phone or a computer headset and microphone, respectively. As opposed to a traditional landline, when you use your phone or computer to call a number, the call is sent over the Internet instead of over a traditional phone line.

How does one place or receive a VoIP phone call?

With a phone-based service you would use VoIP the same way you use a regular landline, by picking up the phone to answer it or dialing a number to place a call. With a computer-based service, you can call using a headset with a microphone plugged into your computer.

What benefits does VoIP offer?

There are many benefits. Customers often see significant cost savings of 30%-90% using a VoIP service. Additional VoIP benefits include:

Ability to be mobile (Take your phone anywhere in the world)
Voice Mail, Caller ID, Call Conferencing, Call Forwarding, Fax
Unlimited in-country long distance and often to other countries
Check voicemail via email or online
Add multiple inbound area codes to create a 'virtual presence' in other cities or provide a local number to friends and family
Value added features like integration with other PC software

What are the disadvantages of VoIP phone service?

Some VoIP services do not work during power outages and the service provider may not offer backup power. Also, some providers do not have give the option list your number amongst the white pages of your phonebook.

* Note: Prices are listed according to residential unlimited calling plans. Please check the VoIP service providers own website to insure accuracy.

** Note: Special deals and monthly charges can change frequently and the customer should rely on our VoIP providers website for the latest changes. VoIP Monitor shall not be held liable for any discrepancies. It is up to the customer to check that deals are up to date during the VoIP service provider sign-up process.

JAJAH Promises Free Global Calls from Mobile Phones

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 14:15:45 GMT

JAJAH unveiled the JAJAH Mobile Suite, which allows consumers to make free long-distance and global calls directly from their mobile phones. The service is the latest milestone in JAJAH's ongoing mission to become the first, true global communications company by providing consumers with the smartest, cheapest and most innovative communication services around the world. With 2.5 billion-plus people who use mobile phones as their primary communications device, the JAJAH Mobile Suite vastly expands the company's global footprint.

"JAJAH is one of a very few leaders in telephony providing unique solutions to the global marketplace," said IDC analyst William Stofega. "By enabling consumers to make free and cheap calls to anyone in the world -- over any mobile device -- JAJAH is helping to change the way people think about global communications."

"People around the globe have become familiar with JAJAH, the simplest and cheapest way to make long-distance and global phone calls," said JAJAH co- founder Roman Scharf. "Now you can make long-distance and global calls directly from your mobile phone without having to dial a special number, find a hotspot, use a calling card, sign a new long-term contract or even pay to register. It's not only the cheapest way to do long-distance and global calls, it's also the smartest and the easiest."

JAJAH co-founders Roman Scharf and Daniel Mattes will present the mobile suite tomorrow at DEMO, the premier conference for emerging technologies. The JAJAH Mobile Suite will allow virtually any mobile phone to make JAJAH calls. Starting with Symbian and Java-based J2ME phones and soon with innovative text messaging and smart-phone/browser solutions. Combined, JAJAH enables virtually any cell phone, regardless of carrier, manufacturer or existing agreement to make JAJAH calls. JAJAH works with customers existing mobile phones and plans -- no new number, no new agreement.

JAJAH mobile is seamlessly integrated into the JAJAH desktop solution allowing consumers to manage their account directly on the JAJAH web site. To use the service, you first need a JAJAH account, which is free and without obligation. Customers go to http://www.jajah.com/ to register and to check mobile availability details.

"We think our solutions have the potential to change the communication industry," said JAJAH co-founder Daniel Mattes. "We are not just about low- cost, we are also rapidly innovating. By combining the Internet with regular phones, we have been able to create compelling new types of solutions, like JAJAH Conference Calling, scheduled calls and 'one-click' calling directly from inside the most popular computer applications. As long as our customers continue to find our solutions useful, we see no limit to how far this can grow."

Efonica Plus Targets Frequent Travelers With Ease of Service

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 19:12:59 GMT

A href="http://www.fusiontel.com" target=_new rel=nofollow>Fusion Telecommunications International, Inc., a global VoIP service provider, added its new efoLink service to its Efonica Plus suite of paid services. efoLink is designed for those Efonica subscribers who may not have access to the Efonica softphone or a SIP-enabled device. Using a simple screen on the Efonica website, www.efonica.com, efoLink allows subscribers to enter any two phone numbers and schedule a call. At the pre-selected time, Efonica's advanced system will call both numbers and create a connection.

"efoLink is the kind of evolutionary feature that can make Efonica services convenient enough to use each and every time our subscribers want to make a call, no matter where they are, no matter what kind of device they have access to, no matter who they want to call," said Matthew Rosen, President & CEO of Fusion.

efoLink complements Fusion's recently announced efoOut service, which allows subscribers to call any landline or mobile telephone number in the world at extremely competitive prices. efoLink is automatically available to all subscribers who sign up for efoOut service.

"The introduction of efoLink reinforces our commitment to making the low cost and efficiency of VoIP available even without access to your PC. efoLink is just the beginning of many exciting and innovative new services that Efonica Plus will offer," added Roger Karam, President of Fusion's VoIP Division. Consumers can subscribe to efoOut, which automatically enables efoLink, and other Efonica Plus services at A href="http://www.efonica.com" target=_new rel=nofollow>www.efonica.com.

Efonica Plus is intended to open a new vista of VoIP functionality to subscribers of the Company's newly launched Efonica service. Using Fusion's patent-pending worldwide Internet Area Code, Efonica allows subscribers to make free calls among registered members to and from any combination of PCs, Internet phones and regular telephones (with a SIP adapter), whether they have broadband or dial-up Internet connections.

With JAJAH, Talk Isn't Cheap - It's Free!

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 27 Jun 2006 06:55:51 GMT

JAJAH announced free phone-to-phone calls on a global scale. The JAJAH Free Global Calling Plan applies to both landline and mobile phones to many of the most-called places in the world.

"JAJAH's Free Global Calling Plan is the further realization of JAJAH's vision of breaking down the barriers to global communication," said JAJAH co-founder Roman Scharf. "People have been predicting free phone calls for years, now JAJAH is the first to actually make free phone calls a reality. With JAJAH, you place a regular call and talk on your phone the way you always have; we simply ask that you dial the call from our website."

The JAJAH Free Global Calling Plan applies to land line and mobile calls to and within: the United States; Canada; China; Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. The plan also applies to landline calls to and within: Australia; UK; Germany; France, Italy and most other European nations. It applies when both call participants are registered JAJAH users. In countries where free phone calls are not available, or if someone is calling a non-JAJAH member, calls are simply subject to JAJAH's ultra-low rates, usually less than 3 cents a minute. Registration is free, and no pre-payment is required.

In place of complicated user agreements, JAJAH has created a system that depends on the JAJAH community adhering to a "fair use" policy, which simply asks people to try to keep their calls within a reasonable amount of minutes. To this end, JAJAH will monitor the number of hours per individual user per day to assure that no single person damages the overall service.

JAJAH web-activated telephony is easy to use. You simply enter your own phone number at www.JAJAH.com, then the desired destination number, and click "Call." Your phone will then ring. Pick it up, and you will be instantly connected.

A New, Customer Oriented Model JAJAH believes it should earn its customers' business with better products and services and sees a future where traditional telephone companies take a back seat to innovative low-cost solutions.

"JAJAH's community can only thrive if our customers find our products useful," said Daniel Mattes, JAJAH's co-founder. "We believe we can trust our customers to behave in a manner that best serves the larger community, and we are counting on them using a variety of services beyond free calling."

The JAJAH services As an example of additional services, JAJAH also announced today a series of compelling business offerings such as the JAJAH Business Account. This service lets entire companies take advantage of JAJAH services by enabling them to comprehensively manage multiple users within a single account.

Also announced is an elegant "Call Me" button that lets users easily include a "toll-free" function into their own web site, providing an immediate phone connection to their customers for a fraction of the traditional cost. JAJAH also made available a series of embedded solutions, allowing "direct click through" calling from Microsoft Outlook, Macintosh Address Book and from the popular Mozilla Firefox browser.

SohoStar Combined Voice Video Data

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 04 May 2006 07:23:09 GMT

SohoStar, a local innovator in the telecommunications industry, announced the launch of its version of the highly coveted converged voice, video and data services for both consumer and business: SohoStar Digital Dialtone. This particular rendering of convergence goes far beyond what is generally available on the market and is substantially less expensive -- good news in light of the rising cost of gasoline creating high costs for commuters.

CEO David Roland's focus has been on self-intelligent telecommunications, integrating smart phones, digital services, the Internet, ISDN and DSL. SohoStar developed its own software and equipment to provide SohoStar Digital Dialtone. The results are a plethora of features new to the market. Other VoIP and ISP providers depend heavily on regular networking or telephone manufacturers, limiting VoIP customers to the "standard fare" of barely working Internet telephone service.

SohoStar Digital Dialtone is loaded with standard phone features but includes unique forwarding and custom handling services such as roll-over, simultaneous cellphone ringing, Video Conferencing and more. SohoStar's VoiceMail includes delivery of messages by phone or MP3 and faxes by PDF in e-mail.

SohoStar's DSL (and rural WiMax this summer) provides quality performance with the flexibility of multiple services on a single connection for tremendous cost savings. With the cost of driving on the rise and telecommuting becoming the choice of many, SohoStar Digital Dialtone creates a seamless experience to connect home offices to businesses as if you were "at your business desk."

Homes with teens can utilize SohoStar's FREE call by e-mail address through their PC, allowing chatty teens to conference in all of their friends without tying up the household's telephone, and yet still answer the house phone through the PC.

Business customers can expect to integrate product inventories with search engines and 4-1-1 to allow customers to find your business by products on your shelf and dial by click, tone, name, or voice.

SohoStar also provides full-screen VHS-quality video streaming for video conferencing/phone calls, on-demand news, weather and information. The quality experience continues with satellite entertainment HDTV provided through our partners.

Roland quips, "We need to put simple tools with familiar technology into all people's hands." SohoStar Digital Dialtone is exactly that.

Brix Networks Expands EMEA and Asia-Pacific Sales

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 18:56:47 GMT

Brix Networks, the leading provider of the most widely deployed converged service assurance solutions, announced it has expanded its sales teams that serve the Europe, Middle East, Africa (EMEA) and Asia-Pacific (APAC) markets.

At the same time, the growing company also announced it has boosted its North American sales coverage in response to increased demand for its award-winning solutions and services from carriers, cable companies, managed service providers, and large enterprises.

"This recent expansion of our global sales organization represents the most significant increase in sales hires in the company's history," said Charles Giambalvo, vice president, worldwide sales and services, at Brix Networks. "We continue to experience strong interest in our products across all our target markets around the world as network operators realize that service quality matters when it comes to offering next-generation VoIP, IPTV, and data services to their users."

Ihsen Fekih, based in London, and Beat Poltera, located in Shanghai, have joined the existing Brix international sales team as sales directors in the EMEA and APAC regions, respectively. Fekih has overall responsibility for managing the sales activities for Brix in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain, along with several named accounts in the United Kingdom. Poltera's areas of focus include China, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Taiwan.

"The international marketplace is experiencing rapid adoption of triple-play bundled services and IMS-based applications, such as fixed-mobile convergence and VoIP roaming," noted Giambalvo. "These services require an operationally scalable service assurance solution, like the Brix System, that not only addresses immediate deployment issues, but is also 'future-proof,' due to its open architecture and ease-of-integration with other systems."

In North America, Brix has added Jeff Allen and Steve Russo as western (Denver) and southeast (Charlotte) regional sales managers, respectively. Additionally, the company has named Karim Boutiba (managed service providers), Tim Hubbard (large enterprises), and Carey Ungvary (cable companies) as national sales managers.

Brix also recently appointed Michele McKenney as customer success manager, based out of the company's Chelmsford, Mass., U.S.A. headquarters, and Larry Byrd (Atlanta) John Purcell (Denver) as systems engineers.

Brix Networks' seamlessly integrated hardware and software products -- collectively called the Brix System -- are strategic service assurance solutions that proactively monitor IP service and application quality. Network operators use the Brix System to guarantee the successful launch and ongoing, profitable operation of their various IP services.

Pingo Now Accepting Payments via PayPal

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 19:49:52 GMT

iBasis, the global VoIP company, announced that Pingo, its online prepaid calling card service now accepts payments via PayPal, a global leader in online payment solutions. This enables consumers in 32 countries including the United States to purchase Pingo prepaid calling accounts. Previously, Pingo only accepted U.S.-based credit cards.

"Adding PayPal support is a significant step in our program to internationalize our Pingo service. It enables consumers in the 31 countries outside the U.S. where both Pingo access numbers and PayPal are available to save on their international calls with Pingo just as our U.S.-based customers do," said Ofer Gneezy, president and CEO of iBasis. "In the coming months we expect to roll out additional enhancements, including support for multiple languages, currencies, and country-specific sites and promotions that will deliver an excellent customer experience and fuel overseas customer growth for Pingo."

By offering access numbers in 35 countries Pingo has provided its U.S.-based customers convenient savings on international calls even when traveling overseas. Now, consumers residing in 31 of those countries, including all of Western Europe, China, Japan, Mexico, and Canada, can take advantage of the same convenience and cost savings as Pingo's U.S. customers by purchasing Pingo accounts directly using PayPal. Both iBasis and Pingo customers also benefit from the added assurance of PayPal's proprietary fraud protection systems. The PayPal service, which recently surpassed 100 million user accounts in 55 markets around the world, processed more than $27 billion in total payments.

VoIP Providers Using IPeerX Get an Uptime Guarantee

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 21:36:10 GMT

IPeerX, Inc.,a subsidiary of pulver.com Enterprises and provider of VoIP peering services, announced that it has signed a hosting agreement with PEER 1 Network Enterprises, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance Internet infrastructure. The agreement marks a critical milestone in the growth of IPeerX and its separation from Free World Dialup (FWD) and IPeerX's ability to provide unfailing service to VoIP providers worldwide. IPeerX chose PEER 1 for its reliability and dedication to uptime, as well as its reach and multiple locations. VoIP providers using IPeerX's peering services will now benefit from PEER 1's uptime guarantee.

"Our customers are Internet telephony providers who cannot afford downtime. Since the launch of IPeerX, we have proven our business model with key customer successes, and we continue to strengthen and commercialize our network for our customers," said Kingsley Hill, president of IPeerX. "PEER 1 is an integral part of the process, and we look forward to a successful future of very high reliability and availability."

IPeerX provides VoIP peering services to link IP communications networks and route calls around the more expensive Public Switched Telephone Network. IPeerX is now switching traffic and completing calls between more than 130 service providers in its network, representing more than 4 million end users.

"PEER 1 is happy to add IPeerX to its customer base," said Joe Cooper, general manager of PEER 1 in New York. "PEER 1 is the first Internet infrastructure provider to offer a 100 percent uptime guarantee, and we share the dedication of the IPeerX team to the Internet and performance reliability. We also believe our VoIP customers will appreciate the IPeerX peering and address resolution platform."

"While interconnection is logical, introducing extraneous services that some customers may not want can introduce unnecessary friction," added Kingsley Hill. "Therefore, we seek to do for our customers only what is necessary to help the VoIP industry and technology grow and supplant the legacy telephone network. Our agreement with PEER 1 will help the whole VoIP movement in general since guaranteed uptime means that more people will come to rely on VoIP rather than the standard phone network."

IPeerX doesn't require that its customers use layer 2 peering or interconnection by managed networks. However, for VoIP providers who wish to have a meeting place for managed networks, IPeerX recommends PEER 1.

XO Communications Expands VoIP Solutions with Service

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 21:43:11 GMT

At Spring 2006 VON, XO Communications announced an expansion of its wholesale voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solutions, introducing a new IP voice origination service that offers service providers a scalable and cost-effective means for originating voice calls nationwide.

The new service, XO VoIP Origination, provides broadband telephony providers, cable companies and other service providers with interconnection, transport and origination of local calls nationwide through a single IP connection on the XO IP network. With the ability to assign local telephone numbers from any XO market nationwide and accept local calls through a single IP connection point, service providers can eliminate the need to purchase and maintain expensive voice gateways in markets where they offer service, enter new markets more quickly and more efficiently manage voice traffic on a nationwide basis.

"XO now offers service providers end-to-end solutions for originating, terminating and transporting IP-based voice calls nationwide," said Ernie Ortega, president of carrier sales at XO Communications. "Through our extensive softswitch platform and national IP network, customers can leverage the power, scope and economics of IP to cost-effectively develop and deliver services to their end-user customers."

Broadband telephony providers, carriers and other service providers can leverage XO's full suite of wholesale VoIP services -- XO IP VoIP Origination and XO VoIP Termination -- to deliver IP-based voice services to consumer and business customers nationwide. With XO VoIP Origination, incoming calls can originate in either IP or TDM format and are routed across the XO OC-192 class-of-service enabled network at the highest level of priority. The calls are then routed directly to the service provider's network through an IP or TDM connection. With this flexible network architecture, the XO VoIP platform meets the needs of customers with legacy networks or new entrants that have more advanced network architectures.

XO VoIP Origination offers service providers the following features:

In-bound/local origination service nationwide
Reliable intercity transport
SIP or TDM interconnection to XO IP network
Local Number Portability
Directory Listing
Caller ID with name
24x7 network management and proactive network monitoring
Interconnection and usage reporting
An easy-to-use web portal for service changes and orders

XO has one of the industry's largest IP-based switching platforms, supporting both traditional circuit-switched voice traffic and packet-based VoIP traffic. XO has deployed softswitch technology from Sonus Networks, the leading provider of VoIP infrastructure solutions, across its national IP network in more than 60 metropolitan markets. Today, XO carries more than 2.2 billion minutes of VoIP traffic each quarter across its national IP network.

For more information about XO VoIP Origination and XO's full suite of wholesale voice services, goto http://www.xo.com/products/carrier or contact an XO sales representative by calling (866) 963-9696.

Hispanic Community Provided PC-to-PC Calls from PeerMe & Hola!

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 21:17:24 GMT

PeerMe Inc., a peer-to-peer voice communication technology company and Hola! Media Group, LLC, a leading independent bi- lingual publisher, announced the availability of PeerMe's free voice and instant messaging technology, which will be immediately available through the Hola! bi-lingual portals (http://www.Hola-Connect.us).

PeerMe has developed a peer-to-peer voice and instant messaging environment supporting PC-to-PC and PC-to-handheld voice communications and instant messaging over public Internet connections. PeerMe's technology can be used independently by users connecting on a peer-to-peer basis or integrated into Web communities bringing a new generation of interactive connectivity to users and is available in English, Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese. Using industry standard protocols, PeerMe's peer-to-peer voice system provides sound quality almost equal to Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), free and unlimited to any Internet connected PC user worldwide.

"We are excited to partner with Hola! Media Group to bring PeerMe's technology to the Spanish speaking Internet user, as they are the fastest growing population in the United States and in the world, with many family ties in and outside the United States. The Latin American population can easily benefit from PeerMe's free and easy to use voice services," said Tom Lasater, founder and CEO of PeerMe. "We look forward to the integration of PeerMe's technology into the Hola! portal's classified, community and advertising offerings in the near future."

Announcing the availability of the Hola! Spanish services, Maura Lozano- Yancy, founder and CEO of Hola! Media Group said, "With the availability of a true Spanish PC phone and messenger solution we can supply world-wide Spanish- dominant and bi-lingual Internet users with free PC-to-PC calling and instant messaging services. Keep in mind that multi-language options are also available, the Spanish version joins the previously available English, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese versions."

"Similar to the impact of mobile telephones, the software available at http://www.PeerMe.com/Hola allows computer users to communicate with their network of friends, family and colleagues anywhere, anytime -- free 'en Espanol.' PeerMe designed the Hola! Spanish download web site http://www.PeerMe.com/Hola with our community in mind, it can be a purely Spanish or purely bilingual language experience," said Maura Lozano-Yancy.

"This launch is a significant step in our communications expansion plan. In conjunction with the launch of the Hola! Spanish portal we are looking forward to the integration of PeerMe's technology into the Hola! portals as a voice tag for classified and advertising," said Michael Yancy, Hola! Arkansas Hispanic Media & Publishing Co., LLC, VP of Business Development.

Over 4 Million Calls with Junction Networks VoIP for Business

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 03:58:25 GMT

Junction Networks, the business class VOIP provider announced stunning growth in the adoption of VOIP among small and medium-sized businesses. In just over the first two months of 2006, the company has more than doubled its entire 2005 call volume. To date, Junction Networks has handled over 4 million calls by customers using its SIP and IAX2 trunking service for business. Junction Networks’ trunking service was made available in January, 2005.

Today, over 1000 business customers rely on Junction Networks for their critical VOIP communication needs. "It took us nearly a year to reach 2 million calls but just over two months to achieve another 2 million," stated CEO Michael Oeth. "There is no question; our service offering is compelling to small and medium sized businesses looking for IP communications services based on SIP and other open protocols."

Junction Networks provides business class VOIP service to companies without the hassle presented by traditional telephone providers or residential-focused VOIP providers. With any SIP or IAX2 compliant PBX, application or user agent, customers can connect to Junction Networks with as little as $10 to start. There are no minimums or commitments and customers can grow into as many simultaneous calls as needed with no expensive surcharges or channel fees.

Company executives credit their commitment to open standards as the key to success. "The breadth and depth of customers signing up and using our service is remarkable," states Robert Wolpov, Director of Marketing. "From small businesses with a couple of lines to call centers with hundreds of operators, our customers share one thing in common, a commitment to open SIP and IAX2 standards-based platforms."

This commitment to open standards has allowed Junction Networks to reach customers using a wide array of user agents. Customers are connecting with popular user agents including Cisco Call Manager, Asterisk, Fonality, Switchvox, Zultys, Asterisk@Home, Polycom, Sipura, and many more.

IPeerX Partners with PhoneGnome

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 02:32:43 GMT

IPeerX, Inc., a subsidiary of Pulver.com Enterprises, announced that it has completed a VoIP interconnection and peering agreement with TelEvolution, developer of PhoneGnome the plug-and-play appliance that adds free Internet calling and advanced VoIP features to existing telephone service. This agreement expands PhoneGnome's free calling beyond other PhoneGnome users to an additional four million VoIP users who are part of the IPeerX extended network.

"The partnership with IPeerX gives PhoneGnome owners the ability to tap into a global network of VoIP service providers by connecting them with IPeerX customers, enabling them to make free phone calls worldwide," said David Beckemeyer, CEO and founder of TelEvolution. "PhoneGnome enables owners to make phone calls over the Internet without additional costs, just like email. The IPeerX relationship brings our vision is one step closer to reality."

IPeerX provides VoIP peering services, linking IP Communications networks together to route calls around the more expensive Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). IPeerX switches traffic and completes calls with over 130 service providers in the IPeerX network of more than four million end users. IPeerX end users will now be able to call PhoneGnome customers without having calls handed off to the traditional telephone network, thus avoiding PSTN access or toll charges.

"The more calls that can be completed without utilizing the traditional telephone service, the faster VoIP will grow, and the sooner customers can realize the benefits of large scale VoIP use," said Kingsley Hill, president of IPeerX. "Our agreement with TelEvolution is very significant to the overall marketplace. IPeerX is proud to be partnering with TelEvolution, the company that makes the revolutionary voice technology product PhoneGnome."

PhoneGnome is a fully plug and play VoIP appliance, available for a one time purchase price, with no monthly fees, no subscription fees, and no activation charges. PhoneGnome works with the existing telephone service. 911 is not affected and the telephone still works when the power goes out or the Internet is down.

Small Business VoIP Service Unveiled by RNKVoIP

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 00:27:27 GMT

RNKVoIP, an award-winning VoIP wholesaler, today unveiled its RNKVoIP for Small Business plan, a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service with features and pricing designed for the burgeoning small business sector. RNKVoIP also announced that it will be a participating service provider in the Linksys Voice System 9000 (LVS9000) Program. RNK supports the Linksys LVS9000, a full featured IP-based PBX business phone system for small businesses.

RNKVoIP for Small Business is sold exclusively through RNKVoIP's Resellers.

"Our RNKVoIP Resellers wanted a low-cost telephony solution that not only dramatically cuts their small business customers' long distance bills, but improves their business performance," said Richard N. Koch, president of RNK Telecom. "RNKVoIP for Small Business, when combined with the Linksys LVS9000, lets our Resellers offer their small business customers a high end, total telephone solution at an affordable price."

With the Linksys IP-PBX (LVS9000) and RNKVoIP for Small Business Plan, RNKVoIP Resellers can instantly set up small business customers with a full-featured phone system, an integrated router, web-based configuration, automatic telephone provisioning, vanity toll free numbers, up to 16 extensions, unlimited local and long distance calling at affordable rates, and all the independence and flexibility that RNK's residential VoIP users have been enjoying to date.

This total VoIP solution means RNKVoIP Resellers can offer their small business customers:

An entire office phone system running on just one broadband line
All the "big business" phone system features -- including voicemail, auto attendant, 3-way conference calling, "Find Me, Follow Me" -- at a fraction of the cost.
Award-winning VoIP service by RNK
Fast installation -- within minutes in most cases
Low $9.95 per line MRC (monthly recurring charge)
1.9c per minute outbound calls to all US, Canada, and 22 International destinations
Free 411 Directory Assistance

NeuStar's Global SIP-IX to Enable IP Multimedia Services and VoIP

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 00:21:55 GMT

NeuStar, Inc., a leading provider of essential communications services to the global communications and Internet industry, announced it has entered into relationships with Hong Kong Internet Exchange and Japan Internet Exchange Co. Ltd., to offer SIP-IX, the first comprehensive suite of services designed to enable direct network-to-network peering between trading partners for voice, video and content services using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-based technologies such as IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and that initial SIP-IX components are currently in trial.

NeuStar also announced that it has completed deployment of SIP-IX infrastructure in facilities operated by its previously announced partners, Equinix and TELEHOUSE. In addition, as part of ongoing trials and broader vendor interoperability testing efforts, NeuStar successfully tested the provisioning interfaces for its SIP-IX service with Ceon, Incognito, NetNumber, and Nominum. The SIP-IX provisioning interface is a standards- based mechanism which enables numbering and IP routing information to be uploaded into the SIP-IX registry infrastructure, where it is synchronized with the SIP-IX global query infrastructure, or downloaded to the network operator's own service infrastructure to facilitate SIP interoperability and call routing.

The new IXP relationships -- in combination with the progress made with existing partners and interface testing -- dramatically enhance NeuStar's existing SIP-IX platform, both by extending the scope of the global IP network infrastructure and by engaging with service providers who will ultimately utilize SIP-IX as part of their service delivery. Today, the five IXPs related to the NeuStar SIP-IX service collectively interconnect more than 800 global IP networks, representing the significant majority of the IP network traffic for all of Asia, North America and Europe.

IXPs offer neutral public and private IP network layer peering services, (where virtually all IP networks directly or indirectly interconnect), enabling the global IP network infrastructure. SIP-IX will build on the existing IP network-level peering foundation provided by global IXP partners, providing a higher layer of services essential to enable network operators to exchange SIP traffic for advanced services. With SIP-IX, network operators offering SIP-based applications -- including VoIP, IMS, Multimedia Instant Messaging, video calls and content, and Push-to-Talk over Cellular -- will be able to utilize existing IP network peering facilities to originate, terminate and share calls or sessions for mobile, fixed and broadband communications.

AMS-IX, Equinix, HKIX, JPIX, and TELEHOUSE will each integrate SIP-IX with their IP peering infrastructures, creating a service delivery platform at the IXP locations that enable network operators to peer SIP-based traffic, in addition to existing peering and collocation services that the providers will continue to offer using current infrastructure and technologies.

"In the global context, HKIX, being a neutral exchange, collaborates with our counterparts on standards while our members compete locally and internationally on quality of service. On the verge of full-scale launch of IP telephony in Hong Kong, our partnership is certainly timely and could facilitate our members in deploying not only voice, but also innovative multi- media services like messaging and video over the global IP-based networks," said Philip Leung, Managing Director of HKIX.

Tetsuo Okimatsu, President and CEO of JPIX added, "JPIX is the first commercially-based IX provider in Japan. We operate the largest peering fabric in Japan and provide complete neutrality as a fundamental core of our business. JPIX has the largest number of customers and connected ports of all IXPs in Japan. Collaborating with NeuStar on the SIP-IX initiative, JPIX has opportunities to research and offer more valuable exchange services to its customers, and all of JPIX's connected customers will benefit."

In announcing this new alliance, NeuStar Chief Technology Officer Mark Foster stated that, "The addition of HKIX and JPIX further enhances the community of neutral infrastructure providers who together with NeuStar will deliver SIP-IX. NeuStar has unmatched expertise in key technologies such as SIP and ENUM, essential to enabling SIP peering, which makes us a natural partner with IXPs to provide a total solution to the global marketplace. Our customers have asked us to build on what already works, and together, we are deploying the next evolution in global IP network services."

FreeCalls365.com No-Cost Telephone Calls from Any Computer

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 01:12:46 GMT

Southern California Telecom Company, FreeCalls365.com is shaking up the growing VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) industry.

While major companies, like Vonage, are spending millions promoting their alternative telephone service for $30-$40 per month, FreeCalls365.com is supported only by advertisers on its system.

Their users make high quality, unlimited calls -- including long distance -- to anyone, any phone, anywhere, and anytime. The key factor is that current technology provides for a clear, high-quality audio with undetectable white noise or interference. The signal is clear.

According to President and CEO Ronald Jordan, individuals and companies are thrilled with the cost, but especially the quality of this service. And there is no limit on the number of calls one can make. How is this possible?

FreeCalls365.com, and its partner, AdCalls, Inc, provide an attractive, easy to use, easy to read desktop dialer, similar in size to a Blackberry or other cell phone or PDA. From this attractive interface, users may call any phone they choose, land phones, or cell phones.

What makes the company’s service possible are advertisements that appear on the dialer during the user’s call, and do not interfere with the call. No action is required on the part of the user. Callers simply talk and watch as they wish. According to Jordan, "It is no different than talking on the phone and watching television, except for the cost."

Many companies, large and small, are signing up for obvious reasons. Mr. Jordan’s company has made the signup process very simple. Users signup at their web site, and can be making calls within hours.

The VOIP industry is a growing one. As the technology improves even more, use of the computer for telephony is expected to continue to erode conventional telephone communication methods. Mr. Jordan says he plans to keep freeCalls365.com in the forefront of that development.

Joint Solution to Develop E911 Solution for VoIP Service Providers

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 01:02:56 GMT

Covergence, Inc. and RedSky Technologies, Inc. announced a collaborative effort to develop a standardized E911 solution for VoIP service providers (VSPs) of all sizes that will enable them to quickly and easily meet the FCC's mandate requiring interconnected VSPs to offer customers "wireline equivalent" E911 services over existing E911 infrastructure.

The joint Covergence/RedSky solution will help VSPs meet these regulatory requirements while also making it possible for them to provide an E911 solution that meets the needs of all their users, both static and nomadic. Based on Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and standard web services data interfaces, the solution will enable service providers to know who is on their network and where they are located, plus give providers the ability to route 911 calls nationally to support end users.

The companies will integrate Covergence's Eclipse solution with RedSky's Location Information Services, which features technology from the company's award-winning E911 Manager, to deliver an end-to-end E911 solution for SIP and IP endpoints on a service provider's network. The solution will be simple to deploy, easy to use and will help streamline operations while helping VSPs differentiate their solutions in the marketplace.

"By integrating our two products, we'll have a standardized E911 solution that can be implemented quickly by service providers and meets the FCC mandate," said Tony Maier, president and CEO of RedSky. "In developing this solution, we are leveraging our core RedSky Location Information Services (LIS) that are already being used by more than 250 customers nationwide."

"Together, Covergence and RedSky can provide service providers with a comprehensive and cost effective VoIP E911 solution that meets their specific operational requirements," said Kenneth Kuenzel, founder and chief technology officer, Covergence. "Covergence is leading the way in the deployment of SIP networks and is committed to partnering with best of breed partners."

Covergence is the leading provider of unified security and management solutions for applications and services based on the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) protocol while RedSky is the leading provider of automated E911 location information management solutions.

TelTel to Expand IP Telephony Solution

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 21:44:11 GMT

TelTel, a provider of SIP-based global Internet telephony services with presence-enabled features, announced that it has secured $8.8 million in Series A venture capital. Purple Communications Ltd., Acorn Angels and Parawin Venture Capital participated in the funding. The investors selected TelTel because it is the first to offer an immediate turnkey VoIP solution that enables service providers and enterprises to rapidly deploy VoIP and multimedia solutions to their customers. With over 1.5 million registered users and partnerships with service providers worldwide, TelTel hosts the world's largest SIP-based Internet telephony user community.

"This funding is a proof point for TelTel as one of the premier VoIP solution providers in the market today," said IDC Research Manager Will Stofega. "They have strong products and solutions available today."

TelTel will use the funding to further meet the demands of a rapidly growing market looking to deploy VoIP services, IP handsets and softphones. Service providers, ISPs and e-businesses want to immediately offer a branded VoIP solution to their customer base with minimum lead-time and upfront investment. The new financing enables TelTel to expand its global network infrastructure and rapidly rollout new services for its service provider partners.

TelTel's solution takes advantage of a managed SIP-based backbone, providing better routing and quality than typical peer-to-peer telephony. TelTel recently was awarded the 2005 Internet Telephony Best SIP-based Peer-to-Peer Solution and VoIP Service Provider award as well as named Top 50 Vendor from Service Provider Weekly.

"This funding from both US and overseas investors is a vote of confidence in TelTel's delivery of next-generation VoIP services," said Jack Chang, President and Chief Operating Officer of TelTel. "We are proud to be the only company offering a rapidly deployable and branded end-to-end solution for IP telephony."

The management team at TelTel brings together the considerable entrepreneurial experience of CEO Sherman Tuan and President and COO Jack Chang. Tuan's accomplishments include successfully founding several high technology companies, including AboveNet Communications, which went public on NASDAQ, and was purchased by Metromedia Fiber Networks in a multi-billion dollar transaction. Prior to joining TelTel, Chang founded several companies including Blue Silicon, a leading provider of hosted unified and multimedia messaging solutions for service providers and enterprises worldwide.

CommuniGate Systems Announces 99.999% Uptime

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 15:25:31 GMT

CommuniGate Systems, the leader in scalable carrier-class Internet Communications solutions, announced the immediate availability of CommuniGate Pro (CGP) All Active Dynamic Cluster, which holds the SPECmail world record and supplies the largest Internet Service Providers (ISPs) with a scalable infrastructure for Internet Communications. The solution comes in a new Micro Dynamic Cluster offering, designed specifically for SMBs looking to deploy voice communications. The consolidated, all-in-one server assures SMBs of 99.999% uptime for email, IM, SIP-based applications and VoIP.

The CGP Cluster provides companies with two all-active backend servers for true resiliency and expansion capability, without service interruption. When needed, additional frontend servers (for VoIP, SIP) or backend servers could be added and updates to software or hardware can be done with the "Rolling Updates" feature. The CGP Micro Dynamic Cluster can be easily installed, supports multiple operating systems and can link to existing shared storage, such as Network Attached Storage (NAS)/Network File System (NFS) or the corporate Storage Area Network (SAN).

Besides reliability and security, the standards-based CGP Micro Dynamic Cluster provides all functionality of CommuniGate Pro, such as collaboration, email, VoIP, IM, SIP-based PBX, audio conferencing and the CommuniGate Pro Programming Language (CG/PL) development environment for extending or building new applications.

"CommuniGate Pro is widely used in large carrier and ISP environments, but since its inception, we have had a strong customer base in the small- and medium-sized business sector, using our 'Core Server' product. It is quite difficult to provide a scalable product, but even more challenging is to scale down and make the product reliable and easy-to-use. With the Micro Dynamic Cluster, CommuniGate brings the proven scalability and reliability of the unique Dynamic Cluster technology from the carrier-class market to SMBs who require dependability from voice and data Internet Communications, and gain a competitive advantage," said Jon R. Doyle, VP, Business Development at CommuniGate Systems.

CommuniGate Pro is recognized as the clear leader in providing carriers with rich, packaged features that increase the user-base value potential and subscriber retention. The all-active dynamic clustering provides multi-million user sites 99.999% uptime and a rolling update capability that no other platform is able to maintain. CommuniGate Pro is the first real-time Internet Communications server to utilize multiple operating systems in the same cluster, thus providing carriers with the flexibility to mix and match legacy or new architectures while reducing total cost of ownership (TCO).

Pricing and availability

Current CommuniGate Pro customers in their maintenance and support period will be able to upgrade to the CGP Micro Dynamic Cluster at 35% of the list price. The new CGP Micro Dynamic Cluster will start for a limited introductory period at $7,999 for 100 users with two backend servers (software licenses). CommuniGate Pro is available for purchase through more than 175 partners worldwide. CommuniGate Pro trials are available for download at: www.communigate.com.

Intrado Teams with Vendors for VoIP E911 Delivery

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 01:05:09 GMT

Intrado Inc., a global provider of integrated data and telecommunications solutions and leading provider of VoIP 9-1-1 services, announced agreements with three leading location determination technology vendors, Rosum Corporation, S5 Wireless, Inc. and Skyhook Wireless Inc. The agreements reflect the growing importance of location determination in VoIP E9-1-1 service delivery. Intrado will work with these companies to demonstrate a range of location determination solutions and their ability to integrate into Intrado V9-1-1 Services.

"As VoIP moves towards fixed mobile convergence, location determination will become a fundamental component within the IP-enabled communications market," said Stephen Meer, Intrado chief technology officer and co-founder. "Intrado continues to anticipate the needs of the VoIP E9-1-1 market and to make sure that we have the necessary solutions in place. The framework we are developing supports the continued progression of a more mobile-oriented VoIP solution that can be deployed with any device, in any location at any time."

Intrado V9-1-1 Services is a proven and comprehensive E9-1-1 solution that allows VoIP service providers to support their increasingly mobile subscribers. By establishing these relationships, Intrado is leading early efforts to transcend the need for subscribers to self provision their location information and instead create an environment where communication devices can automatically determine their location for 9-1-1 call routing purposes.

Yak VoIP Plan Now Available for Users Outside of North America

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 22:09:34 GMT

Yak Communications Inc., a provider of telecommunications services to residential and business customers, announced the launch of a yakUnlimited Calling Plan to international customers. This product offering is in addition to the other VoIP services offered by Yak, including yakForFree peer-to-peer Virtual Videophone, and yakToAnyone PC-to PSTN Calling.

This international yakUnlimited product allows international customers to choose a local North American number to associate with their account, in order to make and receive calls to and from analog or cell phones anywhere in the world. International customers can have a US local number, receive inbound calls on their US number, make calls from their US number, to and from anywhere in the US and the rest of the world, all with VideoCalling capabilities. yakUnlimited also provides numerous features including; voice mail, unified messaging, caller ID, call waiting, conference calling, etc. all for $19.99USD.

yakUnlimited international subscribers using our Virtual VideoPhone will have access to Yak's global search and directory, the ability to manage "presence" across different locations, and the ability to make and receive member-to-member video calls and up to 5 person video conferences.

"The international availability of yakUnlimited furthers our commitment to providing users with greater access to its growing community and services around the world," said Charles Zwebner, Chief Executive Officer of Yak Communications. "This application offers international subscribers access to a high quality and very inexpensive North American dial-tone, enabling subscribers to benefit from our extensive features and functionality, and ultra competitive international rates with more than 40 countries priced at $.03 or less. This product is truly revolutionary for many parts of the world and we believe it sets a new value proposition for our customers.

Yak is also developing the capability of creating a web-enabled plug-in for its PC softphone that will be able to reside within its partners' websites, allowing partner members to seamlessly chat and voice and videocall as part of their partner experience. "Allowing web administrators to easily integrate Yak's PC softphone into their websites enabling all site visitors to IM, talk and video talk freely over the internet, will better position Yak to tap into existing social networks," stated David Hurwitz, President of Yak's WorldCity VoIP business unit. We are also developing a new and more flexible softphone skin and interface to facilitate private branding of our software client so it can more easily take on the look and feel of our partners brand. We anticipate releasing these products within the next 60 days thus enabling Yak the opportunity to accelerate and scale up customers to Yak's VoIP products and services".

IBC Wireless Launchs VoIP Service Offering

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 21:54:07 GMT

IVI Communications, Inc. is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary, Internet Business Consulting (www.ibconsulting.com) has launched a feature rich VoIP (Internet Telephony) service (www.ibcvoip.com). Residences and business with a high-speed Internet connection can place unlimited local and domestic long distance phone calls in a variety of domestic and international locations for one flat rate.

Charlie Roodenburg, IVCM's CFO stated, "ISPs wishing to resell IBC's VoIP product and service offerings can do so immediately. There is no capital expense required. We offer free customer equipment with setup. This program has significant promise as a revenue generator and profit center for the overall company."

Nyhl Henson, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company stated, "We see VoIP as an important component of our overall service offering. We finally are bringing to the Company and it's shareholders the growth and expansion that we have all envisioned. I can only see great things in the immediate and long term future."

Jim Hollis, President of IBC Wireless stated, "We are excited about this latest addition to our growing list of services and see great potential in marketing this program to Internet Service Providers across the country to increase their revenue potential from the broadband systems we install and support. There is no capital expense required to add this VoIP product to the ISPs list of service offerings. While VoIP is a great service for residential customers, it also has strong appeal to business customers that wish to reduce their telecommunications costs and deploy a phone system that easily scales with growth."

VIPGift Redeems Employee Gift Cards via Phone and Internet

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 19:01:12 GMT

BellSouth announced that it is providing a complete voice and data communications solution to support the operations of VIPGift, a Chattanooga-based service company that provides simplified employee incentive programs for companies around the world.

VIPGift's incentive program is unique because customers' employees are issued a redemption card or electronic number that can be instantly redeemed for millions of gifts, including catalog products, movie tickets, phone cards, charitable donations and pre-paid Visa and MasterCard gift cards. The redemption process is IP-based, but can be executed online or through an automated process over the phone.

Scalability was a primary consideration when choosing a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solution from BellSouth, due to consistent triple digit company growth and the majority of VIPGift's sales and service call center workforce utilizing the telecommunications system.

"IP technology is the foundation of our redemption process and BellSouth VoIP is now delivering the voicemail automation, call center support, scalability and the back-up capabilities that we require for our headquarters communications," said Hamid Andalib, founder and CEO of VIPGift. "With this system in place, we are better equipped to handle the triple digit annual volume increases experienced over the last six years as employers seek to reward positive performance."

VIPGift has four remote offices and uses VoIP calls between these locations to more efficiently utilize the data network in place. A new dedicated data circuit also links the Chattanooga and Atlanta locations as part of the total solution.

In addition to VoIP, VIPGift uses BellSouth business services to provide 100 percent of their telecommunication needs including local and long distance voice, dedicated Internet access, point-to-point, frame relay and DSL data services, on-demand conferencing services and Cingular Wireless solutions. VIPGift also uses BellSouth Long Distance calling cards as a redemption option for its gift card solutions.

"VIPGift has built a business around flexibility and service for its customers which is exactly what BellSouth provides through innovative communication solutions," said Dick Anderson, vice chairman and president, business markets - BellSouth. "BellSouth's goal is always to design solutions that help businesses grow and succeed."

BellSouth offers a full portfolio of voice and data solutions and has delivered enterprise VoIP solutions since 2001. To learn more about BellSouth's communications solutions for businesses, visit http://largebusiness.bellsouth.com.

SIPphone Announces $6 Million Venture Capital Investment

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 19:55:26 GMT

SIPphone Inc., developers of the popular VOIP software Gizmo Project have secured $6.0 million in funding to expand their SIP standard service to non-PC devices such as adapters, routers, WiFi handsets and dual mode mobile phones.

"The release of Gizmo Project has driven over 400,000 registered users to our PC-based service, but our goals go beyond free calls between PCs," says SIPphone CEO, Michael Robertson. "We want to seamlessly link the internet and the traditional calling world of landlines and mobile phones and that's becoming possible as low cost SIP-based devices such as dual-mode mobile phones and WiFi phones become a reality."

SIPphone will use the investment to expand their VOIP platform to portable devices that do not require PCs to make or receive calls and promote adoption of the open standard auto-provisioning system plug-n-dial. (see: www.plugndial.com) The San Diego-based headquarters is expected to triple in size over the next year with hiring primarily in business development and engineering.

The financing round was lead by New York based venture firm Dawntreader Ventures and is the first external funding for SIPphone. Joining the board of SIPphone is Dawntreader managing director Edward G. Sim. Private investors from Michael Robertson's previous digital music startup MP3.com Inc. also participated in the funding.

Area775 Service is First to Link VoIP and Traditional Phone System

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 19:18:56 GMT

SIPphone announced Area775, a new VOIP service where one personal phone number can ring a landline, mobile phone or any computer connected to the Internet, so incoming calls can be answered from anywhere. With the service, available immediately from www.area775.com, users can sign up for a free U.S. telephone number that, when dialed, will ring both their computer and any U.S. mobile phone or landline. Incoming calls can be screened from any phone or computer by listening to voicemail messages callers leave while they are speaking. Desired calls can be answered and unwanted calls can be ignored with resulting voicemail messages sent to an email account as an audio attachment.

"VOIP has been all about free PC-to-PC calls," said Michael Robertson, CEO of SIPphone. "Area775 is the first service that links VOIP to the traditional phone world and gives users unprecedented power to manage their voice communications by screening and answering calls on any SIP device, computer or regular phone, as well as transferring calls between their devices."

Area775 offers unique calling features that give consumers the ability to easily manage calls in a sophisticated manner. Users can take advantage of a free U.S. telephone number in the 775 area code or pay $3.95 per month and select a different U.S. area code.

Consumers and small businesses now have access to a sophisticated phone system without the expense or complexity of setting up a PBX. In just seconds, multiple accounts can be set up, linking together remote offices, mobile phones and landlines using in a cost effective but advanced VOIP-based system.

A complete set of call-management features are included with each Area775 account, which are easily managed from the Web site, including:

Dual Ring -- Incoming calls simultaneously ring computer and a designated landline or mobile phone. Calls can be answered at either location.
Call Screening -- Much like a traditional home answering machine, callers can be routed to a voicemail greeting where they can leave a message. As callers speak, their message can be heard on either the computer or mobile phone, at which time the call can be answered by pushing the number 2 or left in voicemail.
Call Transfer -- Calls answered at the computer can be transferred mid-call to a landline or mobile phone by pressing the number 1. Similarly, calls answered on a mobile phone or landline can be transferred to a computer phone.
Voicemail -- Voicemail is provided including the ability to create a customized greeting and receive audio calls via an email attachment. A SMS notification system can be configured to send an alert that a voicemail has been received.

Additional information as well as an instructional movie describing this innovative service can be found at: http://area775.com.

More comments from Michael Robertson about the impact of this service can be found at: http://michaelrobertson.com.

When Shopping for a Internet Phone Service try VoipReview.org

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 19:01:49 GMT

VoipReview.org, the first and most complete comparison shopping and information source for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) or broadband phone service, has launched an interactive online search tool for consumers shopping for VoIP service. The site helps consumers and businesses find, compare and purchase VoIP phone service based on price, features, local availability and VoIP plan ratings. More than 100,000 consumers visit VoipReview.org each month to gather information and purchase VoIP service from the industry's leading providers, including MyPhoneCompany, Packet8, SunRocket, Voip.net and Vonage.

"An estimated 22 million households will switch to VoIP by 2010, and these consumers need good information about providers and plans to make smart buying decisions," said Eric Laughlin, chief operating officer of VoipReview.org. "VoipReview.org is an objective, easy-to-use resource for people at any stage of the VoIP purchasing process, from those who are learning the basics of VoIP and how it works to existing users looking for a new provider or plan. The site offers straightforward, independent information to help consumers get the best deal on VoIP service, every time."

Visitors to VoipReview.org can learn the basics of VoIP technology and how it works, who benefits most from using VoIP phone service, what equipment they will need, how calls are placed and received along with answers to dozens of the most frequently asked questions about VoIP. Site visitors can also search for VoIP providers and plans in their area, post questions for other users, read actual user reviews and click through to VoIP provider Web sites to order service.

"Consumers come to VoipReview.org for access to reliable, independent information," said Laughlin. "Visitors can interact with other VoIP users, read and post reviews, and find out which provider is best suited for them, based on their individual needs and location."

VoipReview.org was originally launched in 2003, when tech savvy, early adopter consumers needed reliable, independent information to navigate emerging VoIP technology. Now, as the number of VoIP users in the United States nears 4 million, VoipReview.org is leading the effort to educate all consumers about the features and benefits of VoIP. For more information, visit VoipReview.org.

Verizon Improves VoIP Suite of Services

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 21:18:38 GMT

Verizon Business, a premier provider of advanced global communications and information technology (IT) solutions, announced it is extending its next-generation suite of Internet telephony services to provide new Internet protocol capabilities for business and government customers.

The introduction of the new offerings -- IP Flexible T-1, new customer equipment choices, Dedicated Toll-Free over IP and advanced fraud protection for Managed IP Telephony -- reinforces the position of Verizon Business' IP telephony portfolio as one of the most comprehensive available today.

"We're making IP work harder and smarter for our customers, and we're lowering the barrier to entry for new adopters" said Nancy Gofus, vice president of product management for Verizon Business. "By adding even more choice and flexibility to our IP Telephony portfolio, Verizon Business is helping businesses more effectively achieve the promise of IP, including both new capabilities and cost-savings made possible by IP networking."

IP Flexible T-1

Verizon Business is introducing IP Flexible T-1 to make IP networking more simple and cost-effective for remote corporate office locations taking a first step toward using VoIP. The new IP Flexible T-1 complements Verizon Business' IP Integrated Access solution by enabling company sites with fewer than 24 phone lines to maintain their existing analog key systems and calling features while upgrading to a converged environment that can carry voice and data over a single connection. By moving traffic from a traditional voice network to IP, companies can achieve both cost-savings and improved opportunities, including increased data transmission, utilizing voice compression and enhanced network performance.

CPE Customer Choice

The addition of a complete suite of new Polycom SoundPoint IP and SoundStation IP phones for Hosted IP Centrex customers enables Verizon Business to continue to deliver one of the widest range of choices for IP telephony available to customers today, featuring both network and premises- based solutions. The Polycom phones are competitively priced for lease or for purchase and afford additional cost benefits for IP networks. Verizon Business plans to continue to introduce new CPE customer choices during 2006.

Dedicated Toll-Free Integration with VoIP Portfolio

Verizon Business has integrated Dedicated Toll-Free Service with its VoIP portfolio, enabling customers with both Dedicated Toll-Free and VoIP at the same location to use a single connection for both their incoming toll-free calls and their outbound VoIP traffic.

Verizon Business will translate the toll-free traffic to VoIP, routing the voice call over an IP network to terminate over a customer's IP connection. As a result, companies now can consolidate more traffic more cost-effectively over shared, integrated IP trunks, rather than reserving large dedicated public-switched-network circuits for incoming toll-free calls. Companies can use the same advanced features commonly associated with Enhanced Call Routing (ECR) with IP Integrated Access, Hosted IP Centrex or IP Trunking.

Advanced Fraud Protection

Verizon Business is expanding its patented Sheriff anti-fraud expert system to help protect Verizon Business Managed IP Telephony customers from illegitimate use of their IP PBX phone systems. Available only from Verizon Business, Sheriff's round-the-clock proactive monitoring enables early detection and customer notification of suspect or fraudulent calling. Verizon Business now safeguards all Managed IP PBX customers with Sheriff and its experienced Fraud Control Team, while also offering a custom version that lets customers specifically tailor Sheriff to recognize and report irregular activities targeted at a customer's particular business.

Businesses can take advantage of a wide array of Verizon Business VoIP solutions, featuring Hosted IP Centrex, IP Integrated Access, IP Trunking and Managed IP PBX services. By combining Verizon Business VoIP solutions with the company's flagship IP networking service, Private IP, businesses can enhance their IP communications opportunities. Private IP's advanced MPLS platform helps businesses gain better control over their networks and enhances efficiency by employing the inherent security and traffic management capabilities of MPLS along with Quality of Service (QoS) to deliver an ideal environment for carrying voice traffic.

Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications, is a leading provider of advanced communications and information technology (IT) solutions to large business and government customers worldwide. Combining unsurpassed global network reach with advanced technology and professional service capabilities, Verizon Business delivers innovative and seamless business solutions to customers around the world. For more information, visit http://www.verizonbusiness.com.

Global VoIP Network Expanded by Cordia

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 21:07:08 GMT

Cordia Corporation, a global communications service provider, announced that it has successfully added phone numbers from over thirty countries to its VoIP network. The additional countries are an important part of Cordia's new service offerings allowing customers to select phone numbers from as many as thirty-six (36) countries.

The international telecommunications market reached US$1.3 trillion in 2004 and is expected to continue to grow to approximately US$1.6 trillion by 2009. Nearly all of the projected growth is expected to be generated from developing markets worldwide. Globalization of world markets has also stimulated increased global migration. At the end of 2005, there will be an estimated 200 million foreign born individuals living and working in countries other than their birth countries. In the United States alone there are an estimated 40 million foreign born individuals. We believe this trend will continue to drive increased demand for efficient and low cost means of communicating across international borders.

"The rapid global deployment of VoIP services allows us to leverage global wholesale DID access to create a new telecommunications business model that takes advantage of high international calling prices and VoIP technology" said Joel Dupre, Cordia's Chairman and CEO. "We believe the trend in migration, our addition of thirty-six country numbers to our network, and the blending of VoIP technology, DID access and the large disparity between wholesale costs and retail rates gives us the opportunity to seize a significant share of the international communications market".

VoIP Universities a Target of NetWolves Corp.

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 20:52:41 GMT

NetWolves Corp., a global managed network and security provider, announced that it has successfully deployed a VOIP Pilot with one of its existing large University customers, and has solidified and presented an extensive offering to its vertical market ranging from providing hosted PBX solutions, to a virtually unlimited VOIP solution for students on-campus.

The existing Pilot is designed to replace an aging PBX with a state of the art hosted VOIP PBX solution. This solution is driven by many factors: the primary need is to work with a single solutions provider to design, deliver, support, and manage an end-to-end solution. Other factors include: aging PBX's, disaster recovery, desire to minimize physical layer equipment managed by the University, and cost reductions. The Pilot has multiple phases: needs assessment, equipment testing on premise, and final design and requirements. Currently NetWolves has equipment on site and is moving quickly to the final design phase. NetWolves is also working with the customer to develop comprehensive financial requirements, which are projected to reduce the current operating costs, and install the solution with limited or no capital expenditure.

Additionally, NetWolves has presented like solutions to as many as ten of its existing higher education institutions including a solution to offer their students a virtually unlimited VOIP solution. Many of NetWolves customers are now in the planning and budgeting phase for their next calendar schools' year, and it is anticipated that a number of these customers will adopt the new set of managed voice and data services.

"With these new initiatives, we expect to further realize the benefits of our strong position in this vertical market," said Walter M. Groteke, chairman and chief executive officer for NetWolves.

New Web-Based Telephony Service Introduced by JAJAH

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 19:41:10 GMT

JAJAH Inc. introduces web-activated telephony. So far existing VoIP solutions were only popular with technically skilled users on broadband Internet connections: With JAJAH Web, the international VoIP provider breaks down hard- and software barriers and introduces Internet-telephony to the common computer user.

Simple as ordinary phone calls

JAJAH Web establishes phone-to-phone connections through the Internet for cheap calls. The process is simple: Callers type in their own number (landline or mobile) on www.jajah.com, then insert the desired destination number. JAJAH connects the callers, and the actual call is not different to any other normal phone conversation, only significantly cheaper.

User benefits

"The simple approach of JAJAH Web opens the world of Internet telephony to practically everyone!", explains JAJAH co-founder Roman Scharf. Effectively, no cumbersome software downloads and installations are necessary, JAJAH Web can be accessed from any computer connected to the Internet and works with any phone, landline or cellular. "Placing a call via JAJAH has already been likened to the simplicity of typing in a search keyword at Google.", explains Scharf.

Simplicity

Based on the experience with JAJAH's Webphone, founders Daniel Mattes and Roman Scharf are assured that the crucial point of success of a VoIP service is simplicity. "For the basic Internet user you need a simple-as-can-be solution. JAJAH Web is the easiest access to VoIP", says JAJAH co-founder and VoIP pioneer Daniel Mattes.

The existing webphone client is said to be relaunched as a desktop application, to fully integrate VoIP into the daily work processes.

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More VoIP Providers Using DSL Platform

VoIP Monitor — Mon, 06 Feb 2006 21:44:32 GMT

Mammoth Networks has announced a fivefold increase in wholesale DSL demand by VoIP providers. The company allows VoIP providers to provision standalone DSL, or DSL without a phone line, enabling VoIP providers to deliver a telephone-like product to their End User.

In the last half of 2005, Mammoth signed an increased number of VoIP providers to its wholesale DSL platform. The company cites its ability to deliver a standalone DSL over a private network as the reason for this increased demand. Because standalone DSL enters a home or business on its own telephone pair, VoIP can be delivered without the need for an expensive traditional telephone line.

"We've embraced standalone DSL, and have given VoIP providers the exact product they need to sell their service," says Brian Worthen, who oversees product development at Mammoth.

VoIP, which stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, operates over a broadband internet connection such as DSL. VoIP allows an End User to make and receive calls from a standard phone, which is then plugged into an adapter that sends the phone call over the internet, and ultimately another regular telephone.

Mammoth allows VoIP providers to provision standalone DSL loops to its network, allowing the provider to control the process from order to service delivery. The company then implements a private connection from the End User's VoIP adapter to the VoIP provider's voice gateway, bypassing the internet. Because traffic over the internet is a best effort service, latency can result in a low-quality VoIP connection. Creating private paths allows Mammoth to control the latency for the entire VoIP link, effectively improving the quality of the service.

"You can save money with Vonage or Packet8, but their services still have a hurdle to overcome - the performance of the internet," Worthen says. "Our VoIP partners can improve the quality of the call by using our network."

Worthen stated that there is a trend for users of telephone service to drop their traditional telephone line and go to a VoIP service. This service is typically provided at a lower rate than traditional telephone service. He refers to VoIP as a disruptive technology, indicating the demand for the product will force the telephone industry to adapt to the new technology or change their business model.

Mammoth Networks is an aggregator of data services serving nine Western states. Mammoth enables its Partners by erasing the invisible lines of the telecommunications structure, and leveling the playing field for service providers. The privately-held company is based in Gillette, Wyoming.

Intrado and RedSky Partner to Market VoIP E911 Solution

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 02 Feb 2006 22:18:41 GMT

Intrado Inc., a global provider of integrated data and telecommunications solutions and leading provider of VoIP 9-1-1 services, announced an agreement with RedSky Technologies, a leading provider of E9-1-1 location information management solutions, to market VoIP E9-1-1 services. Under terms of the agreement, RedSky will market Intrado V9-1-1 for Enterprise to Fortune 500 and mid-cap enterprises.

The introduction of IP technology in the PBX environment enables enterprises to support a host of new applications and capabilities, including providing employees with the flexibility to work in remote locations or in nomadic environments as well as establishing branch locations that are networked with a central HUB location. However, as these users often switch locations or move away from the enterprise premises, the technology also creates a challenge if the employee is to call 9-1-1 for an emergency. Locations and phone numbers of the 9-1-1 caller can no longer be easily identified and this can result in complications to get the 9-1-1 call to the geographically correct public safety answering point (PSAP).

Intrado V9-1-1 for Enterprise provides comprehensive E9-1-1 coverage in an IP-based environment. The solution helps ensure that even with such a diverse and complex population, the enterprise is given the highest level of quality and reliable emergency service for its employees. As part of the solution, RedSky will use its award-winning E911 Manager application to track the physical location of phone users inside and outside the enterprise and provide Location Information Services (LIS) to the Intrado V9-1-1 for Enterprise. With the integration of Intrado V9-1-1 for Enterprise and RedSky's E911 Manager application, employees who are either traveling and using a soft phone to access their company's private network, are telecommuters using company assigned IP phone equipment, or are located in remote locations that are networked to the main site for off net calling, can now gain critical E9-1-1 support.

"By combining the two products, enterprise customers will have access to a single-source solution to support both mobile and stationary IP users inside and outside the enterprise," said Tony Maier, CEO of RedSky. "RedSky's E911 Manager can deliver real-time location data which will enable Intrado to route the 9-1-1 call to the local PSAP serving the caller's location."

The comprehensive solution manages all aspects of 9-1-1 support, automatically interfacing with the enterprise network to provision the caller's current location, detecting phone moves, adds and changes. It then provides call routing and delivery to the geographically correct PSAP with the requisite automatic location information (ALI) for each 9-1-1 call.

"Together, Intrado and RedSky can provide enterprises with a comprehensive and cost-effective VoIP E9-1-1 solution that meets their specific operational requirements," said Stephen Meer, Intrado chief technology officer and co-founder. "As IP technology becomes more prevalent in the workplace, we can help enterprise customers address critical employee safety issues."

InfoTelis Launches Business Solutions in Cleveland Markets

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 21:16:09 GMT

InfoTelis, sister company of Broadvox a leading VoIP services provider, announced the debut of an exciting new service offering in the Greater Cleveland area for small-to- medium size businesses. The offering is a powerful array of Broadband Business Solutions, premiering Hosted Telephony Services, which are uniquely identified and designed to meet the specific needs of the businesses they serve. The owners of InfoTelis and Broadvox believe the offering to be the most compelling yet in the Service Provider arena of Hosted Telephony and Broadband Business Solutions.

As a well-established and reliable wholesale Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) provider, InfoTelis's sister company currently offers VoIP termination and local call origination from over 1300 municipalities in USA and Canada to more than 200 domestic carriers, voice over cable/DSL operators, VOIP-enabled call centers, and international carriers, as well as ISP/ASP and multimedia content delivery providers. The company operates its own facilities-based network, and markets a full suite of commercial VoIP services including Hosted Automated Attendant and PBX, Find Me/Follow Me, Click-to-Call, online and Email based voicemail retrieval, and other valuable features for small-to- medium businesses.

InfoTelis's new hosted solution presents a richer more robust feature set with a lower total cost of ownership, a higher return on investment, increased flexibility and scalability, and faster deployment. InfoTelis's hosted solution offers Northeast Ohio businesses the opportunity to revolutionize the way they do business with a truly customizable and scalable service platform.

InfoTelis partners with industry leaders to assure premier quality and platforms. Sylantro Systems provides the premier application platform for hosted communications services for business, residential, wireless and other applications. InfoTelis offers small-to-medium enterprises additional cutting edge resources from hardware and delivery options with uniquely structured financial options.

For more information about InfoTelis, call 1-216-373-4800 or email info@infotelis.com.

Cable Companies are to race toward VoIP

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 01 Feb 2006 20:38:52 GMT

After sauntering out of the gate, cable companies are finally ready to hit stride as they race toward VoIP and associated next-generation services, unencumbered by the back-breaking weight of legacy-based TDM networks. This 'run for the roses' presents tremendous opportunity for softswitch suppliers that recognize the cable market as one of the most important segments for VoIP-based softswitch sales.

According to IDC, the U.S. market for cable-based VoIP will grow from 2.2 million subscribers in 2005 to 19.8 million by 2009. However, to truly compete with incumbent carriers, cable operators must extend bundled offerings that will allow them to provide voice, mobile voice, and multimedia capabilities. "Convergence has created some fierce competition between cable companies and ILECS as both strive to capitalize on the opportunities presented by triple play and quadruple play," said Tom Valovic, program director of IDC's VoIP Infrastructure service.

The rapidly evolving PacketCable architecture and standard, developed by CableLabs, is at the heart of these efforts. However, one potential obstacle that threatens to slow down cable companies is the emergence of IP multimedia subsystems (IMS), a rapidly advancing standard slated for the development of SIP-based multimedia services. If cable companies can't overcome potential IMS hurdles, which include meshing the standard with PacketCable specs to take full advantage of the multimedia capabilities offered by SIP, they may find themselves behind the IMS power curve over the next 2-3 years. On a more positive note, progress in this area will bring with it some distinct advantages. "Over the long term, if PacketCable successfully adopts IMS, this will open up the market to a broader range of softswitch and call session control function (CSCF) providers," said Valovic.

Other key findings from this report include:

U.S. operators are leading the charge in terms of softswitch deployment.
Nortel, Siemens, and Cisco (early movers in the specialized PacketCable-compliant market) will likely maintain traction and market share.
Cisco has become a major force as a cable equipment supplier based on the acquisition of Scientific-Atlanta
Alcatel is becoming increasingly involved in the emerging cable equipment market

This new report from IDC, Softswitch Suppliers: The Battle for VoIP (and IMS) in the Cable Market (IDC #34706), examines the current market profile for softswitches and media gateways specifically as it pertains to cable operators.

To purchase this research, call IDC Sales at 508-988-7988 or email sales@idc.com.

Spanish Language VoIP Service - VOZSIP Launched

VoIP Monitor — Mon, 30 Jan 2006 19:07:36 GMT

Cordia Corporation, a global communications service provider, announced that it has successfully launched VOZSIP a fully integrated Spanish language VoIP service. As an integral part of Cordia's plans to expand its addressable market globally, VOZSIP will provide the approximately 330 million Spanish speaking people in the world with the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of Cordia's VoIP service offerings in their native language.

"We have designed VOZSIP, since inception, to be a purely Spanish language experience," said Cordia's Director of Latin Markets, Gabriel Wajner. "Spanish speaking people are a rapidly growing segment of the global population. Users of telecommunications services in Spanish speaking countries are highly mobile with an international focus making them valuable customers. VOZSIP was created to serve this market by offering quality services and ease of use that Spanish speaking people expect to receive."

"The launch of VOZSIP is a significant step in our global expansion plans," added Joel Dupre, Cordia's Chairman and CEO. "In conjunction with the launch of VOZSIP, we are introducing over 20 targeted country plans providing additional value to customers communicating within and without specific countries. We are in the process of designing additional sites to serve specific needs of additional customers around the world. As we enter new markets, it is critical for us to deliver our services in a manner providing our global customers with a valuable and comfortable experience."

Venali Launches Branded Internet Fax Services

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 21:30:51 GMT

Venali, Inc. announced the launch of their Branded Internet Fax Service that makes it easy for VoIP and Telecom providers to offer fax services to their clients while increasing their recurring revenues and profits. The company announced that VoIP provider Kancharla will be the first branding partner to profit from the new service.

"VoIP providers have had to overcome a significant problem with their services because traditional fax machines often do not work well or at all on VoIP networks and traditional telecom company clients must grapple with the high costs and administrative hassles of fax servers," said Pasquale Giordano CEO of Venali, Inc. "Our Branded Internet Fax Service provides a robust, secure, and high quality method of fax transmittal thereby eliminating a barrier to adoption of VoIP services and increasing the profit potential of any company that would like to offer Internet Fax Services to their clientele."

"This branded model fits perfectly with our business strategy, because we will offer this service to our direct customers as well as to our carrier partners for their customers to utilize. Venali's integrated solution will reduce customer costs and administrative headaches," said Kancharla's Director of Operations Kevin Breault.

Venali's Branded Internet Fax Service is available to any business wanting to increase their recurring revenue base. Partners can provide basic desktop fax (email-to-fax & fax-to-email) services to their clientele or full integration with business applications and web sites via Venali's Web Services APIs. Direct integration with Microsoft Office and Windows, Notes, SAP, Great Plains, and numerous other software applications are available via existing plug-ins.

Branded Internet Fax Services will be made available to ISPs, CLECS, hosting companies, network providers and other B2B providers.

VoIP Services Bundled to Businesses in Colorado Springs

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 00:53:39 GMT

XO Communications, Inc. announced the launch of its industry-leading Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services bundle, XOptions Flex, in Colorado Springs.

XOptions Flex is an integrated VoIP services solution designed for small and medium-sized businesses, combining voice and Internet services in one simple package. XOptions Flex offers unlimited local and long distance calling, dedicated Internet access and web hosting services all for a flat monthly price. Customers benefit from significant savings, the convenience of using one provider and receiving one monthly invoice for their business communications services. To date, more than 2,500 businesses in over 50 metropolitan markets nationwide have deployed XOptions Flex.

"XOptions Flex gives Colorado Springs businesses the most comprehensive and flexible VoIP services bundle available in the market today," said Mark Saffell, general manager of the Colorado market for XO Communications. "VoIP is truly revolutionizing the telecommunications industry, and XOptions Flex provides a high quality and reliable communications solution that integrates voice and data over a single broadband connection with valuable features for small and medium-sized businesses that save them time and money."

XOptions Flex leverages the latest in VoIP technology to provide customers with a range of special communications capabilities, such as unlimited voice calling, dynamic bandwidth allocation, voice virtual private networking (VPN), and a simple Administrative Web Portal. Businesses can take full advantage of all of these IP-enabled capabilities and features without having to replace their existing analog phone systems. XOptions Flex utilizes the XO national IP network and softswitch technology to carry customers' voice calls more efficiently and cost-effectively than traditional services that rely on the public switched telephone network. As a business-class VoIP solution, XOptions Flex also provides customers with full access to E911 emergency services.

"XOptions Flex enables businesses to get a better return on their telecommunications budget. In contrast to traditional offerings that waste voice lines when they are idle, XOptions Flex can maximize the speed of data by making use of capacity dedicated to unused voice lines. When there are calls, voice traffic will always have priority. In this way, businesses get maximum utilization and value from their integrated access circuit while ensuring the highest quality of service for voice calls," added Saffell.

Features

XOptions Flex includes more than twenty standard voice features for each phone line including call forward, three-way calling, and voice mail. Key features of the service include:

Dedicated Internet Access up to 3 Mbps
Dynamic bandwidth allocation
Unlimited local calling
Unlimited inbound and outbound domestic long distance calling
An easy-to-use Administrative Web Portal for making real-time changes to services
Web Hosting Package
Additional voice lines, hosting and other applications can also be added on an a la carte basis.

Local Market Availability XOptions Flex is now available across the Colorado Springs metropolitan area, including:

Air Force Academy
Black Forest
Downtown Colorado Springs
Fountain
Green Mountain Falls
Manitou Springs
Security
Stratmoor

XOptions Flex is available in other major metropolitan areas across the United States, including Akron, Allentown, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Worth, Harrisburg, Houston, Jersey City, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Memphis, Minneapolis, Nashville, New York, Newark, Oakland, Orange County, CA, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Sacramento, St. Louis, St. Paul, St. Petersburg, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Scranton, Seattle, Spokane, Tampa, Trenton, Washington, DC, West Palm Beach, and Wilmington, DE.

For more information about XOptions Flex visit www.xo.com/flex or contact an XO sales representative by calling (866) 963-9696.

U.S. Phone Rate Comparison Site Rategate.com Launches

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 24 Jan 2006 23:18:00 GMT

Rategate.com, a phone rate comparison website for the U.S., was launched by Rategate LLC on December 29, 2005. Rategate.com will provide visitors with unique comparison tools to lower their telephone bill through the use of cheap 10-10 dialaround providers.

"Most people are paying way too much for their telecommunication services, especially phone bills. They are often twice as much as they should be," says Mike Harris, Rategate.com's CEO. "We created Rategate.com so that people can lower their phone bill by comparing different providers with our unique tools."

Rategate.com lists all facts and information in a straightforward manner, with nothing hidden or exaggerated. Then Rategate.com objectively ranks each plan based on its per-minute rates and other criteria like connection fees or surcharges. Rategate.com only features companies that meet their strict quality requirements:

Unparalleled saving values
Full-Service Support
Honest, No-Nonsense Plans that are free of hidden fees and extra charges that are not fully disclosed

Starting with advanced 10-10 rate comparisons, customers will also benefit from a complete database that includes all kinds of telecommunication products like dialaround, fixed line & wireless rate plans, calling card rates and DSL & VOIP products. Rategate.com explains all telecom terms and helps customers to understand their phone bill. All of these services are provided free of charge and require no registration.

Rategate.com also offers content syndication. Webmasters can integrate a dynamic toolbox with the lowest phone rates of specific countries and/or regions within their website for free.

E911 Service Provider Selects Sonus

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 24 Jan 2006 21:43:19 GMT

Sonus Networks, Inc., a leading supplier of service provider voice over IP (VoIP) infrastructure solutions, announced that Intrado Inc., a global provider of integrated data and telecommunications solutions, has tapped Sonus to provide key elements of its IMS-ready architecture to support Intrado's nationwide expansion of its VoIP E9-1-1 solution, V9-1-1 Services.

Intrado is leveraging Sonus' industry-leading network architecture to deliver VoIP E9-1-1 service to public safety answering points. Building on the success of Intrado's initial deployments in major markets like New York City that utilize Sonus technology, Intrado will be expanding the Sonus footprint in its nationwide network rollout. Intrado presently provides emergency calling functionality to more than 30 of the nation's leading VoIP service providers (VSPs).

"With many VoIP service providers relying on Intrado for emergency services, having a highly reliable, carrier-grade solution at the core of the Intrado network is essential. Sonus offers the industry's most field-tested and proven technology to support connectivity to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), which is instrumental in the delivery of E9-1-1," said Hassan Ahmed, chairman and CEO of Sonus Networks. "Further, spurred by recent decisions by the FCC that mandate VoIP service providers to supply E9-1-1 emergency calling capabilities to their customers as a mandatory feature of the service, the demand for emergency services is expected to rise. The flexibility of the Sonus infrastructure allows Intrado to expand its network quickly and efficiently."

With the expansion of the Sonus network architecture to the Intrado VoIP 9-1-1 product suite, E9-1-1 calls can be routed within the existing 9-1-1 network and the static or mobile caller's address and location information delivered to the appropriate Public Safety Answering Point.

"Sonus' solutions offer Intrado the security and responsiveness functionality that are critical to delivering reliable, public safety class emergency services," said Stephen Meer, Intrado co-founder and chief technology officer. "Throughout 2006, we will be aggressively building out our network on a national level. We have chosen to extend our partnership with Sonus as we continue to build a robust and reliable network for our VSP customers."

Top 100 VoIP Service Providers announced for 2005

VoIP Monitor — Mon, 23 Jan 2006 20:23:52 GMT

BinFone Telecom, a fast-growing provider of VoIP for call centers worldwide, recently received the "Top 100 VoIP Service Providers" Award from Internet Telephony Magazine and the International Packet Computing Consortium (IPCC). Awards were announced and presented at the Fall 2005 Internet Telephony Conference and EXPO in Los Angeles. The complete list of award-winners can be found at: http://www.tmcnet.com/awards/service-provider-winners-2005/service-provider-winners-2005.htm

C.J. Cummins, Chief Operating Office of BinFone Telecom, said: “We are extremely honored to receive the ‘Top 100 VoIP Service Providers’ Award and to be included with such well-respected companies of excellence—including MCI, Sprint, Bell Canada, Broadwing and many others. We have worked extremely hard to provide our customers with affordable, high-quality VoIP service and customer support, and we are so appreciative to be recognized for our efforts.”

BinFone Telecom recently launched www.binfone.com — a web site serving the growing global call center and teleservice industries. BinFone.com provides VoIP news and information for call centers—including information concerning VoIP’s increasing quality, capabilities, reliability and cost effectiveness, as well as opportunities for obtaining service and support. The launch of BinFone.com coincided with a recent expansion of BinFone Telecom’s service to Asia, Australia and Europe.

According to Cummins, “Our company’s ‘high tech, high touch’ approach to our customers and their needs has always been our primary focus, and our goal has been to keep their telecom costs down without compromising call quality. Now that we have been honored with the ‘Top 100 VoIP Service Providers’ Award, we feel even more passionate about giving our customers the absolute best service possible, so that we can continue to be worthy of such an honor.”

BinFone Telecom is a privately held company focusing on the call center and teleservice industries. BinFone’s product suites includes call origination from the US, including local and toll free service, as well as domestic and international A to Z termination. The company supports both the Inter-Asterisk™ Exchange (IAX2) and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) technologies. BinFone supports customers using the Asterisk PBX as well as the ViciDial predictive dialer.

Call Union Pays Customers to Refer Friends to Their VoIP Service

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 23:09:16 GMT

The Call Union “Collective” is a 10% ongoing rebate incentive plan just launched by Call Union, an Internet Telephone Service Provider promoting free calls to VoIP and low cost calls to traditional phones.

Like most VoIP service providers Call Union provides free calls to other VoIP phones and discounted calls to normal phones anywhere, but now when customers introduce others to the service they can make additional calls for free to any phone using any credits gained through the ongoing Call Union 10% Collective rebate plan.

Customers register online for the service and then have immediate access to Call Union’s clear-quality calling and advanced features (including call forwarding and voice mail) anywhere in the world where they have access to wired or WiFi broadband internet.

Using either the free PC-Phone, a dedicated IP phone, or a normal telephone connected to the internet using a VoIP Adapter to make and receive phone calls as normal, from anywhere to anywhere at a fraction of what the telephone company charges.

“The Collective is spreading like wildfire” said Samantha Smith, customer service representative for Call Union. “It’s really caught the imagination of our customers. They now have an ongoing benefit for recommending the service and can make even more free calls to any destination they like.”

For additional information on the subject of this release, contact David Cargill or visit www.callunion.com

Survey Finds Providers Rely On Subscriber Complaints to Identify Service Problems

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 22:32:33 GMT

Empirix Inc., which helps organizations adopt complex communication solutions with confidence, announced the results of a survey conducted during Dec. 2005 on the topic of "Service Provider VoIP Deployment and Service Delivery Challenges." Highlights of the survey, which garnered 148 responses, include:

Only one-fifth (20 percent) of respondents report using VoIP application monitoring systems to ensure service quality; and
When asked how their network engineers most often initially find out about problems in the VoIP network, the dominant response (36 percent) was, "Subscriber complaints."

Overall conclusion: VoIP service providers can do more to ensure quality of service

Jessy F. Cavazos, Manager of the Communication Test Program at research firm Frost & Sullivan, found the survey results startling. "Waiting for subscribers to complain about service quality is clearly not a sustainable operations model for VoIP service providers," noted Cavazos. "To be successful, as service providers transition from service introduction to ramp to full deployment, they need to proactively monitor live traffic to gain insight into service quality and network behavior. We believe this will be a major growth area for the industry in 2006."

Media problems perceived to be more threatening than signaling problems

The survey also found VoIP service providers believe media quality problems pose the biggest threat to service quality today, and that threat will grow over the next two years. Further, respondents believed that signaling problems are lessening in severity and impact and will continue to do so over the next two years. Media quality refers to the quality of the media being conveyed over an IP pipe - for instance, audio quality for a voice call. Signaling quality refers to the efficiency, reliability and availability of call connections - for instance, call-completion rates and time to connect.

"The increasing concern with media quality is no surprise," says Empirix Vice President Phil Odence, who leads the company's VoIP monitoring business. "Any service provider offering VoIP is experiencing dramatic growth in their subscriber base which eventually stresses network bandwidth constraints."

Hammer XMS helps service providers rollout and manage VoIP services with confidence

To date, most VoIP monitoring solutions have focused on signaling quality. Only Empirix offers a solution that measures both media and signaling quality for live VoIP traffic.

Empirix's Hammer XMS is also the only monitoring system capable of directly measuring voice stream quality at carrier-class volumes. It is designed to deliver the diagnostic, analytic and reporting capabilities that large-scale VoIP deployments require, enabling service providers to confidently deliver the quality of service customers demand. Hammer XMS enables service providers to deploy new services faster, at lower cost and with higher quality. It also enables them to reduce customer churn by detecting and resolving problems faster, often before customers are affected. Hammer XMS provides objective data that can be used to track SLA compliance, and can help optimize network utilization.

Empirix has won numerous awards for Hammer XMS since its introduction, including the 2006 VoIP Product of the Year Award from Frost & Sullivan and a Product of the Year Award from Internet Telephony magazine. Three of the top six cable companies, including Cox Communications, are Hammer XMS customers.

Free survey summary available online

To download a free executive summary of the Empirix survey, visit www.empirix.com/spvoipsurvey. For more information on Empirix, visit www.empirix.com, call 1-866-EMPIRIX or email info@empirix.com.

Yak Unlimited VoIP Calling Plan for $19.99/Month

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 18 Jan 2006 22:24:18 GMT

Yak Communications Inc., a provider of telecommunications services to residential and business customers, announced the launch of its yakUnlimited Calling Plan for $19.99U.S. a month. This product offering is in addition to the other VoIP services offered by Yak, including yakForFree peer-to-peer Virtual VideoPhone and yakToAnyone PC-to-PSTN Calling.

The yakUnlimited Calling Plan offers subscribers a U.S. (where 911 service is available) or Canadian local phone number to facilitate unlimited outbound and inbound calling with "full feature" functionality for only $19.99USD/$24.99CAD per month.

"Our product roster presents a unique approach to marketing VoIP services to the consumer," said Charles Zwebner, Chief Executive Officer of Yak Communications. "We offer consumer-based products on both ends of the spectrum, whether a Skype or Vonage-type offering or a crossover hybrid in between, with an easy migration process. Everything from free member-to-member calling, purchasing prepaid PC-to-PSTN calling, to North American based local line replacement."

"We have built a very compelling value proposition for our customers," said David Hurwitz, President of Yak WorldCity VoIP. "Residential consumers looking to maximize the benefits of their IP communications will see real value in using both a yak Virtual VideoPhone and Phone Adapter tied to a single account. Yak's WorldCity VoIP service combines both of these critical access device components tied to a very competitive rate."

Yak WorldCity VoIP Services

yakForFree (www.yakforfree.com) is a software telephone with video and instant messaging capabilities, with all of the features of modern telephones, including hold, and conferencing. Instead of making calls over traditional copper, fiber-optic, cellular, or satellite telephone networks, calls made using yakForFree are routed over the Internet using high speed Internet connectivity (DSL or cable modem). yakForFree members can make and receive free calls from any other yakForFree member on their Virtual VideoPhone.
yakToAnyone (www.yaktoanyone.com) is a prepaid add-on feature allowing outbound PC-to-PSTN calling to anyone, anywhere, anytime. Subscribers can buy prepaid minutes for outbound long distance to the U.S.A. and Canada at $.02 per minute. Calls placed to international numbers using this service are extremely competitively priced.
yakUnlimited (www.worldcity.com) is a pre-subscribed service offering unlimited inbound and outbound USA and Canada calling for $19.99USD/$24.99CAD. yakUnlimited provides a local North American phone number for incoming calls (where 911 is available) and numerous features, some of which include: voice mail, unified messaging, caller ID, call waiting, and conference calling.

"We are very pleased with the recent product launches. During the past month we have experienced over 15,000 downloads of our free PC-to-PC product with over 1,000 consumers upgrading to a paying service. Our marketing efforts are planned to increase substantially over the next few months and now, with our Unlimited product offering available, we believe the value proposition to our consumer is really attractive," added Zwebner.

Cordia Corp. Successful in Deployment of Nationwide E911

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 22:59:34 GMT

Cordia Corporation, a global communications service provider, announced that it had successfully deployed nationwide E911 emergency calling services on its VoIP network for Cordia's United States based customers. The company now believes that is has complied with the FCC's E911 mandate for VoIP in the United States and expects to begin marketing domestic VoIP services immediately.

"We are pleased to report that our IP Services development group has been able to successfully integrate E911 calling capabilities into Cordia's VoIP network," said Cordia's Chairman and CEO Joel Dupre. "With today's deployment of E911, we can focus our efforts on the rapid and profitable growth of our VoIP service offerings in the United States. In the coming days and weeks, we expect to announce exciting IP based communications offerings that will leverage the capabilities of our proprietary VoIP network to deliver new and valuable services to customers based in the U.S. and around the world."

XConnect to Share Expertise in VoIP Peering at Conferences

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 21:31:39 GMT

XConnect, the largest neutral VoIP peering provider worldwide servicing more than 75 VoIP service providers in 20 countries, announced participation in the following upcoming events in the first quarter 2006.

VoIP peering allows operators to "identify" VoIP calls and exchange them end-to-end across IP networks, facilitating zero-cost settlement while preserving value-added services and advanced features for the benefit of subscribers.

Interested parties can view details of these events at www.xconnect.net

January 15-18, 2006. Hugh Goldstein, Business Development Consultant, will present at the Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC) in Honolulu, HI.
January 24-26, 2006. Gary McDonald, VP, Sales, EMEA, will speak at Marcus Evans' Wholesale Interconnection Forum in London, UK.
January 24-27, 2006. Eli Katz, Founder & CEO, will present about VoIP Peering on two separate panels throughout at the Internet Telephony Expo in Fort Lauderdale, FL. XConnect will also be exhibiting at the show.
January 25-27. Gary McDonald, VP, Sales, EMEA, will speak at Marcus Evans' Strategic Pricing for Telecom Services and Content in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
February 9, 2006. Eli Katz, Founder & CEO, will present at the IP Voice Meeting in Lisbon, Portugal.
March 13-16. Eli Katz, Founder & CEO, will speak about ENUM at Pulvermedia's Spring VON conference in San Jose, CA. XConnect will also be exhibiting at the show.
March 21, 2006. Eli Katz, Founder & CEO, will present at the VentureOne Summit, a Dow Jones Conference, in San Francisco, CA.

IGONET is Affordable and Easy-to-Use VoIP Service

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 20:39:10 GMT

Since deregulation of the Bell companies, long-distance and phone communications have become highly competitive -- and now a new method of making calls is taking over.

"Becoming an IGONET VoIP customer gets me the best values in digital phone services, and enables me to call anywhere in the world for free," said Kelley Burry, an IGONET representative. "I can't help but be excited about making calls on the Internet. This is the trend in communications, and I'm excited to be a part of it."

Anyone with a high speed Internet connection can use that connection to make and receive phone calls using a regular telephone.

"By using a technology called VoIP ( Voice over Internet Protocol ), IGONET uses your high-speed Internet connection to send all calls to and from you through the service adapter. It then routes calls over the Internet, instead of using traditional phone lines," said Burry.

Customers get unlimited calling to the United States, Canada, and over 20 other countries worldwide. VoIP service includes all the traditional calling features, like caller ID, call waiting, and many new ones as well. VoIP services also provide a local phone number, enabling anyone with a regular phone to call that number.

"You use your VoIP phone just the same as your traditional phone. The only real difference is your total cost for the month. The flat monthly fee is less than the monthly cost for a traditional phone, and there are no other costs because all calls using VoIP are free.

IGONET is also one of only two VoIP companies to achieve full compliance with 911 services. "Other VoIP companies have a problem. When one of their customers uses a VoIP phone to call 911 the emergency call does not always get routed to the right 911 dispatch center. You could get stuck talking to someone thousands of miles away from where your emergency is taking place," explained Burry.

IGONET customers do not have that problem.

"When you have IGONET you can know that 911 is as near as your VoIP phone. So far, about 40 percent of all IGONET customers have a local phone number, and when they dial 911 they will get the local dispatcher," said Burry. "All of North America will be able to have 911 services with IGONET VOIP by mid-January -- 100 percent!"

IGONET is an affordable, easy-to-use broadband telephone service. The company provides additional information on the web at http://IGONET.net/YourFutureIsYours/.

Interoute's ARENA Announced 'Product Of The Year' Award from Internet Telephony

VoIP Monitor — Mon, 09 Jan 2006 21:32:26 GMT

Technology Marketing Corporation INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine (www.itmag.com) has named Interoute's ARENA as a recipient of its 2005 Product of the Year Award. Interoute, one of the world's fastest growing communications services providers, introduced the innovative VoIP trading exchange less than a year ago and already has attracted more than 100 global customers -- including British Telecom, Belgacom, Czech Telecom, AllStream, MCI and India's VSNL - by making voice trading easier and eroding the traditional barriers to market entry.

"We are delighted that ARENA has been recognized as 'Product of the Year' by Internet Telephony," said James Kinsella, executive chairman of Interoute. "It is the world's most significant VoIP peering platform as evidenced by the industry heavyweights it has attracted who use it to strategically outsource connectivity rather than building it. PTTs and mobile operators are choosing ARENA for the best open and direct routing of VoIP, which allows them to transform and grow their business. And it's our advanced and scalable IP network that makes it all possible."

"Each year INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine bestows its Product of the Year awards on companies that have demonstrated excellence in technological advancement and application refinements. Interoute has demonstrated to the editors of INTERNET TELEPHONY that its ARENA VoIP Exchange is committed to quality and innovation while addressing the real needs in the marketplace," said Rich Tehrani, Group Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of INTERNET TELEPHONY.

ARENA is the latest service on Interoute's Virtual Voice Network (VVN), based on softswitch technology that enables operators to enter the voice market quickly without costly infrastructure investment. By logging-on to the ARENA web portal, customers can seamlessly open routes to each other, regardless of their location or the protocol they are using. The service also provides for full route management and reporting via the desktop.

Unlike traditional providers, Interoute ARENA is commission-free and customers are only charged for utilizing ports to access Interoute's VVN. It also offers far lower combined port and circuit prices than conventional interconnection services. A viable solution to carriers searching for better ways to negotiate international call termination agreements, the VoIP trading exchange also provides a predictable and manageable cost structure. Plus, it eliminates the need for operators to establish multiple interconnection agreements, which are time intensive and require on-going management of circuits.

Interoute is benefiting greatly from the international expansion of U.S. based carriers, ISPs, resellers and enterprises as they try to generate incremental revenue through new markets, especially Europe, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa and beyond. Through its innovative technologies like ARENA, U.S. based carriers and enterprises can extend their capabilities throughout all of Europe without the hefty CapEx of building their own network or quilting one together. Plus, the Interoute one-stop solution versus dealing with multiple networks and contracts saves critical time in negotiations and managing.

The Product of the Year Award winners for 2005 will be highlighted in the January and February 2006 issues of INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine. INTERNET TELEPHONY has been the VoIP Authority Since 1998.

Cbeyond Reaches 20,000 Customers and Four Billionth VoIP Minute

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 21 Dec 2005 20:41:02 GMT

Cbeyond Inc., a managed service provider of VoIP communications, reached two important milestones today, installing its 20,000th small business customer and processing the four billionth minute of VoIP traffic since the network went live in early 2001. Cbeyond operates one of the largest fully-managed VoIP networks for delivering integrated local, long-distance and broadband services.

Because Cbeyond manages the broadband connection, customers receive the same level of voice quality that traditional telephone companies provide. Many other VoIP companies deliver voice as an application over the public Internet where quality is "best efforts" and highly dependent on the Internet connection.

Cbeyond provides small businesses with high-speed Internet, local and long-distance phone service, and a variety of managed services that simplify communications for busy entrepreneurs. In addition to basic voice and data services, small business owners rely on Cbeyond for email, data backup and filesharing, fax to email, Web hosting and more, and only have to deal with one provider, one bill, one online account management tool and one customer support number. The company serves more than 20,000 customers in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Denver and Houston. Its 100 percent, Cisco-based VoIP network has now processed four billion minutes of traffic in service to business customers.

"We built our entire business model and service offering to satisfy the communication needs of entrepreneurs," said Jim Geiger, founder and CEO of Cbeyond. "Our integrated communication packages make it easy for busy entrepreneurs to select the communication services they need, and manage those services quickly and easily--without the need for a dedicated IT staff."

That's what attracted Aspen Medical Monitoring, the 20,000th customer. Prior to using Cbeyond, the company had multiple providers for its local phone service, long distance and Internet.

"We chose Cbeyond because its integrated package simplifies our service and saves us money--$500 a month at least", said Denise Ery, the owner of Aspen Medical Monitoring. "Before, I had three different providers for local phone, long distance and Internet service. It's much simpler for me to deal with only one provider and receive a consolidated bill. With Cbeyond, I still have all the services I need, including a toll-free number and Web hosting."

Cbeyond's laser-like focus on small business has been a cornerstone for its success, as evidenced by the more than 30 percent of new customers each month that are referrals from existing customers and partners.

TelTel-Out High-Quality PC-to-Any Phone

VoIP Monitor — Mon, 19 Dec 2005 21:30:36 GMT

TelTel, a provider of SIP-based global Internet telephony, announced the launch of TelTel-Out, which delivers high-quality PC to any phone, anywhere calling, and TelTel Call-Forwarding, a new call forwarding service that allows forwarding of incoming calls to any PSTN number or SIP URL. TelTel-Out and TelTel Call-Forwarding are both now available to TelTel's over 1.3 million users and through service providers via its popular SIP Virtual Network Operator (SVNO) program.

TelTel-Out provides better quality calls than traditional PSTN line calls. The new services use TelTel's managed SIP-based peer-to-peer backbone to optimize call routing and deliver crystal clear calls to virtually anywhere in the world.

In addition to high quality, TelTel-Out provides price competitive calls to 200 plus countries in the world. Frequently called cities worldwide are included as part of a "One-Rate, 2 cents per minute" calling plan. TelTel Call-Forwarding enables TelTel users to forward their incoming TelTel calls to any regular phone numbers. Pricing for TelTel Call-Forwarding is based on the same rates as TelTel-Out.

TelTel Call-Forwarding and TelTel-Out are available via "TelTel Credits," which are online credits that come in various denominations and can be purchased via the TelTel website. With TelTel credits, there is no need to purchase service subscriptions or pay separately for TelTel Call-Forwarding or TelTel-Out.

TelTel's popular SIP Virtual Network Operator (SVNO) program allows service providers and enterprises to immediately offer VoIP services like TelTel-Out and TelTel Call-Forwarding that are second to none in quality of service. This program has been successfully deployed worldwide and has proven to be a strong revenue generator for both enterprises and service providers.

"TelTel enters a new phase of delivering premium quality pay services to its users while maintaining its existing free PC-to-PC phone services," says Jack Chang, COO of TelTel. "In the coming year, TelTel will rollout additional value-added pay services to satisfy its increasing customer demands from different market segments worldwide."

Covad Named Market Leader Among Hosted VoIP Providers by In-Stat

VoIP Monitor — Fri, 16 Dec 2005 23:02:30 GMT

Covad Communications Group, Inc., a leading national provider of integrated voice and data communications, was named the market leader among hosted VoIP providers for business by In-Stat, an independent research group, in a just-released report entitled, "Steady Growth Ahead for Hosted VoIP Solutions." Covad's 28 percent market share led all providers targeting business customers, including MCI, SBC, PingTone, M5 and others.

"This report demonstrates the tremendous potential of the hosted VoIP market," said David Lemelin, In-Stat senior analyst and the author of the report. "The primary drivers for this growing demand are both cost savings and the enhanced feature sets available from VoIP applications."

"Covad's number one ranking is a clear indication that our innovative, business-class VoIP solutions are hitting a sweet spot for Covad's target market of small and medium-sized businesses," said Tim Gaines, Covad senior vice president, Field Sales. "The value proposition delivered by our hosted VoIP service allows these companies to slash their telecom costs, reduce the hassles of maintaining their own systems, and improve employee productivity."

In the hosted VoIP model, the customer does not have to purchase and maintain an on-site PBX. Instead, the provider "hosts" the equipment and offers high-speed Internet access, local and long-distance calling, and many advanced calling features like "find me, follow me" and "visual voice mail."

"The net effect is a much more comprehensive voice and data solution than a typical small or medium sized business would otherwise be able to afford or use. They get the benefits of big company communications capabilities without the cost and complexity," said Gaines.

Covad offers two hosted VoIP alternatives. Covad VoIP vPBX voice service delivers feature-rich, integrated local, long distance, and high-speed Internet access communications all over one fully managed network connection. Covad VoIP PBXi Voice Service offers the benefits of VoIP to businesses that want to retain their existing on-premise phone systems.

In-Stat's report projects that the market for hosted VoIP services will grow more than ten-fold over the next four years to $1.27 billion by 2009.

"Covad was one of the earliest entrants in the hosted VoIP market and our aggressive expansion has laid the foundation for Covad's continued success," said Gaines.

Yak Communications Launches VideoPhone for Macintosh Users

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 14 Dec 2005 23:10:17 GMT

Yak Communications Inc., a provider of telecommunications services to residential and business customers, announced the launch of a Macintosh OS X download for its yakForFree Virtual VideoPhone software www.yakforfree.com. By downloading the free Virtual VideoPhone, which takes less than a minute, users can make free member-to-member voice and video calls over the Internet using a high-speed connection.

In addition to video and Instant Messaging capabilities, yakForFree has all of the features of traditional telephones, including: Audio Conference for 10, Unlimited Distributed Conferencing, Quad User Video Conference, Audio and Video Call Recording, Speaker Phone Mode, Call Transfer, Call Logs & Missed Call Indicator, Auto Answer & Conference and Do Not Disturb.

Users can search the Yak Community directory listing www.yakcommunity.com for friends and, with the Buddy List feature, see which contacts are online at any given time. For even more features and functionality, users can upgrade to one of Yak's WorldCity VoIP www.worldcity.com paid services to make voice calls to traditional landline and cellular telephones worldwide at exceptionally low rates.

"We are delighted by the early popularity of the yakForFree service offering and are excited to deliver the Mac download of the Virtual VideoPhone to this user community," said Charles Zwebner, Chief Executive Officer of Yak. "Mac users are recognized as early adopters of cutting edge technology, and we believe they will quickly see the value of yakForFree and we expect them to lead the way in the mass adoption of the technology."

"In addition to supporting Macintosh OS X, in the near future we plan to roll out a yakUnlimited service upgrade that offers local line replacement including unlimited local and long distance calling in North America for only $19.99 USD," said David Hurwitz, President of Yak's VoIP Initiatives. "Additional new features that yakForFree users can look forward to include a download for Mobile Pocket PC, a version that runs on Linux, as well as the development of an Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP)."