VoIP Monitor - VoIP Providers|Vonage

Vonage Granted Mobile VoIP Handoff Patent

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 00:03:49 GMT

Vonage announced the grant of U.S. Pat. No. 8,223,720 titled "Systems and Methods for Handoff of Mobile Telephone Call in a VoIP Environment." This invention allows a mobile handset user who is on a voice-over-IP call to seamlessly move between multiple wireless data connections without dropping the call. The '720 patent was granted approximately 7 months after filing under the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's new Prioritized Examination Procedure.

The grant of the '720 patent reflects Vonage's ongoing innovation supporting its mobile growth initiative, including its new Vonage Mobile app for Android and iPhone smartphones which enables free high-definition calls and texts to other app users worldwide, as well as low-cost international calls to phones without the VoIP app. This is Vonage's third patent to issue in six weeks (see previous release), reflecting Vonage's commitment to develop and protect useful and innovative technologies to better serve the needs of Vonage's customers.

"Our recent success obtaining this and other patents is a result of the focused efforts of our technical teams and the sound execution of our intellectual property strategy," said Chief Legal Officer Kurt M. Rogers.

Vonage Granted Two New Patents

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 22:44:54 GMT

Vonage has been awarded two new patents.

The first patent — U.S. Pat. No. 8,213,594 — titled "Method and Apparatus for Placing a Long Distance Call Based on a Virtual Phone Number," granted on July 3, 2012, allows consumers to communicate to distant locations without incurring long distance or international calling charges. This is Vonage's third patent related to the use of virtual phone numbers. Vonage's first two patents directed to virtual phone numbers — U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,386,111 and 7,680,262 — were granted on June 10, 2008 and March 16, 2010, respectively. Virtual phone numbers allow people outside a Vonage customer's local calling area to call a Vonage customer for the price of a local call. Vonage customers can choose a virtual phone number in the calling area of a parent, relative or friend or wherever they want to establish a "virtual" presence. Vonage offers virtual phone numbers across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, and Japan, and in 12 other countries.

The second patent — U.S. Pat. No. 8,194,843 — titled "Method and Apparatus for Busy Override in an Internet Protocol Based Telephone System," granted on June 5, 2012, provides a call waiting override feature for the handling of calls that have been identified as urgent based upon the pattern of call attempts from a given caller.

"We continue to execute on our intellectual property strategy and expand the breadth and depth of our patent portfolio," said Chief Legal Officer Kurt Rogers. "The recent grants of these patents highlight Vonage's commitment to develop innovative and useful technologies to provide best-in-class service to its customers, while protecting its investments and business through patent filings in the United States and abroad."

Vonage Launches Free Extensions Apps for iPhone and Android Devices

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 23:48:27 GMT

Vonage announces the availability of a free downloadable app for iPhones that enables one-touch international dialing using the recently announced Extensions service. A free Extensions app for Android devices was launched in September. These new Vonage Extensions apps allow customers to extend Vonage's signature unlimited international calling plans to their smartphones using an easy-to-use app, providing even greater convenience.

The new apps let users dial international phone numbers directly through their existing contact list so there's no need for users to re-enter numbers or leave the app to make calls. The international calling apps are available for immediate download at the iTunes App Store and Android Marketplace.

Customers can register for up to two mobile Extensions through their online accounts at www.vonage.com.

Vonage Adds Free Mobile Extensions

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 21:51:27 GMT

Vonage is allowing customers to extend their Vonage home calling plans to any phone, including mobiles. The move allows customers to use Vonage's signature unlimited international calling plans from their mobile phones to call friends and family abroad. The new service offering -- Extensions -- is free to all Vonage customers and builds upon Vonage's history of providing unsurpassed value to customers for both domestic and international calling.

Existing customers can add any U.S. phone number as an extension by logging into their online account at www.vonage.com. The extension phone number can be a cell phone, a home phone or even an office number. Once registered, the service works like a virtual calling card. Simply dial the access number and international destination number and the call is connected over the Vonage network.

Extensions works with any mobile phone, and in the next several weeks Vonage plans to offer downloadable apps for iPhone® and Android devices, enabling one-touch dialing directly from the customer's contact list.

Customers with the Vonage World plan will now have the additional flexibility of unlimited calling to more than 60 countries from their cell phones in addition to from their home phone. Those who call internationally for as little as an hour a week will save an average of $250 a year versus the best international rates from major wireless carriers.

4.75 Million Settlement Reached with Vonage, Resolving Consumer Class Action Over

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 19 May 2011 19:10:41 GMT

Law firms Seeger Weiss LLP and Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC announced that the U.S. District Court of New Jersey has granted final approval to a proposed settlement of a consumer class action against telecom provider Vonage Holdings Corp. challenging the company’s sales and marketing practices. The final settlement of In re Vonage Marketing and Sales Practice Litigation follows a fairness hearing on May 12, 2011. The settlement will likely provide dollar-for-dollar recovery to most settlement class members.

This multi-district litigation involved Vonage’s promotional “one month free” and “money back guarantee” offers and application of certain charges (including disconnect, cancellation and termination fees), and subscription fees despite requests for cancellation, which allegedly violated the law. Seeger Weiss partner Jonathan Shub and associate Scott George served as co-lead counsel in this case, along with Andrew Friedman and Victoria Nugent of Cohen, Milstein.

Vonage agreed to pay $4.75 million to fund the settlement, which offers eligible class members reimbursements for certain payments made by Vonage subscribers. Class members includes anyone in the United States who subscribed to Vonage services on or before January 3, 2011, with certain exclusions, and who was unable to receive a full month of free service, did not receive a full money back guarantee under certain circumstances, was charged disconnection fees after cancellation, or paid for monthly service after requesting cancellation.

For more details regarding the class and also the benefits available to class members, visit www.settlementvonage.com. The settlement's claims administrator can be reached by calling toll free (877) 810-7292. Eligible class members must fill out a claim form before July 11, 2011 to qualify for reimbursement.

Vonage Launches New Plan With Unlimited Calling to Mobile Phones in More Than 40 Countries

VoIP Monitor — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 19:52:34 GMT

Vonage introduced the World Premium Unlimited calling plan. This new offering builds on the value of the popular World plan by expanding the number of countries for unlimited calling from 60 to 80, including unlimited calling to mobile phones in 42 countries.

"People who make international calls to mobiles are frustrated by the huge premiums they pay to their phone company," said Mike Tempora, senior vice president of product management for Vonage. "World Premium provides these callers with the peace of mind to call any landline or mobile number in 42 countries including Brazil, Costa Rica, Japan, Australia, France, Spain and the UK for one flat price. Customers who use World Premium Unlimited to call as little as one hour a week to mobile phones in countries like Mexico and the UK will save over $400 a year versus the best pay per minute rates from major phone companies."

The World Premium Unlimited plan is $54.99/month (plus taxes and fees). The service uses a high-speed Internet connection and an existing home phone. For more details on the World Premium Unlimited calling plan, please click here.

Vonage Announces Investor Partnership Distribution

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 17:21:16 GMT

Vonage announces that New Enterprise Associates, the original venture capital investor in Vonage, has distributed 9.3 million shares of Vonage common stock to the limited partners of its funds. NEA remains a major Vonage shareholder and following the distribution retains two-thirds of its original holdings, representing 8 percent of Vonage's outstanding stock.

Commenting on the announcement, Vonage's CEO, Marc Lefar said, "Stock distributions are a standard mechanism to distribute gains to limited partners. NEA has been a loyal, long-term investor over the past eight years and we value their continued support. We are pleased that NEA remains a substantial shareholder while providing its limited partners liquidity as provided for under the terms of its partnership agreements. With this distribution, Vonage's common stock will have greater public float, providing additional access to institutional investors."

Vonage recently reported record high financial results for the full year 2010 including adjusted EBITDA of $156 million and income from operations of $95 million, up 31 percent and 66 percent over the prior year, respectively. In addition, the Company completed a comprehensive refinancing of its balance sheet which will reduce annual interest expense by $23 million, or nearly 50 percent from $49 million to $26 million (assuming constant LIBOR), resulting in significant earnings accretion in 2011. Vonage stated that neither this distribution nor any future distribution of shares by NEA will have any effect upon the total number of shares outstanding.

Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("adjusted EBITDA") is a non-GAAP financial measure. A reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA to income from operations can be found on the Vonage Investor Relations website.

Vonage Gives Facebook Users a Voice

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 22:34:51 GMT

Vonage introduced the Vonage Mobile application for Facebook. This new service allows users to make free mobile calls to all of their Facebook friends who have the app, anywhere in the world, directly from their friends list, with a single touch.

The downloadable application is free to get and free to use. The new service enhances the ability to connect with Facebook friends through the addition of voice calling. It is available for iPhone, iPod touch and Android devices. And the service works over Wi-Fi and 3G /4G networks in most countries.

The new service is easy to use. The app works with a user's existing community of Facebook friends, so there's no need to remember screen names or to input numbers. The application eliminates dialing - users can just click on a friend and start talking. When placing a call, the friend's profile picture and status update display on the screen.

How does the Vonage Mobile Application for Facebook work?

The Vonage Mobile application is simple. It's simple to download, and so simple to use that we have eliminated the need for dialing altogether. To get started, the user:

Downloads the app from the iTunes Store, Android Market, the Vonage fan page on Facebook or vonage.com/talkfree.
Enters Facebook ID and password (one time only).
Views Facebook contacts after they are automatically loaded. They'll be grouped by friends who can be called for free and friends available for instant messaging on Facebook. A Vonage logo will appear next to the names of friends who have downloaded the app.
Invites additional Facebook friends to get the app at the Vonage Fan Page on Facebook or vonage.com/talkfree.
Touches a friend's name from the Call Free list to make a free call anywhere in the world; no need to be online.
Rings the phone for incoming calls, even if the application is closed.

This new service continues Vonage's commitment to be the leader in low-cost communication services that connect individuals and social networks through any broadband device, worldwide. The application can be downloaded from the Android Market in 48 countries and from the iTunes Store in 87 countries. Users who don't have an unlimited data plan should check with their carrier to see if any charges apply.

Vonage Names Amichay Oren Vice President of Research and Development

VoIP Monitor — Mon, 24 May 2010 17:04:49 GMT

Vonage announces that Amichay Oren has been appointed Vice President, Research and Development. Mr. Oren will be responsible for driving Vonage's technology strategy, evolving the Company's IP-based communications platform and developing its next generation mobile and web-based products. He will lead technology teams in Holmdel, New Jersey and Tel Aviv, Israel. He will be located in Tel Aviv, Israel.

"Amichay has a proven track record as an innovative technologist in VoIP and mobile applications development," said Chief Executive Officer, Marc Lefar. "He will be instrumental in expanding the capabilities of our network to deliver new products to our customers.

"Our IP-based communications network differentiates us in the market, and will enable our customers, via a single 'familiar' identity such as a user name or number, to initiate and receive calls and messages from their contact book or social network while on any device. This dramatically increases the opportunity to connect people locally or around the world."

Commenting on his appointment, Mr. Oren said, "I am pleased to be joining Vonage at an exciting time for both the Company and industry. I am impressed with Vonage's vision for communications and strategy, as well as the strength of the Company's leadership. I look forward to contributing to Vonage's success as it looks to expand its product portfolio and bring new and disruptive services to market."

Mr. Oren joins Vonage after spending four years with JaJah, most recently serving as Chief Technology Officer. During that time, he was responsible for developing the company's technology platform, and managing IT and applications development across wholesale and consumer businesses. He also led development of web and mobile applications where he pioneered early VoIP mobile applications deployment. Mr. Oren brings to Vonage over fifteen years of technology leadership in both startup and established public companies. Prior to joining JaJah, Mr. Oren held technology leadership positions at SAP following SAP's acquisition of Expression Inc., a Silicon Valley technology company Mr. Oren co-founded. Mr. Oren is an active board member or advisor of several technology start-ups focused on social media and mobile applications.

Vonage Cash Back Offer Puts More Money and More Minutes in Your Pocket

VoIP Monitor — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:21:09 GMT

Vonage has utilized VoIP technology to drastically reduce the amount of overhead small companies and regular consumers are required to pay for basic communication. Now is the time to get in at the ground level, when prices are low and companies like Vonage-Promotions.com are offering attractive cash-back incentives.

A Truly Global Solution
Vonage communications recently unveiled the Vonage World Plan, which offers free, unlimited long-distance calling to more than 60 countries world-wide. More information on the plan that is blowing away the competition can be found at Vonage-Promotions.com. Vonage-Promotions.com offers all Vonage services plans, including the wildly popular Vonage World Plan, which includes features like:

Unlimited calling internationally to countries like Canada, Mexico, India, China and many more.
Free activation and shipping for a limited time
Free phone adapter (equipment required for Vonage service)
Phone number portability, so you can retain your old phone number

Vonage-Promotions.com also includes a helpful savings analysis tool which can quickly help you identify exactly how much cash the Vonage service will save you. Those who will quickly recognize the incredible flexibility and savings Vonage offers are groups like: international businesses trying to operate across borders and open up new investment arenas, immigrants and refugees who struggle to remain connected across international borders, academics and college students who spend time abroad, and overseas deployed military personnel and their families.

Using Innovative Technology to Save Consumers Cash
Vonage-Promotions.com is quick to point out that using VoIP technology, or Voice Over Internet Protocol from providers like Vonage only gains you advantages and convenience. You don’t have to give up any of your favorite features like call-waiting, voice-mail, or caller ID. In addition, Vonage service can be utilized to enhance features you already enjoy, and give you access to features that a standard telephone company cannot provide. For example, your call forwarding with Vonage will send the call to up to five different numbers. With Vonage service, voice-mails can be forwarded as emails or text messages. And, perhaps most attractive to international businesses, Virtual Numbers can be set up, which allow a customer to dial a US number to reach an international branch or help desk.

Because VoIP technology uses a broadband internet connection to communicate, its overhead is remarkably low, allowing providers like Vonage to offer services at unbeatable prices. For example, the Vonage World Plan is currently being offered at Vonage-Promotions.com for $14.99 a month for the first 6 months, and then a mere $25.99 for continuing service, with a required one year commitment.

Cash-Back Promotion for a Limited Time
Vonage-Promotions.com is also offering a limited time $30 cash-back offer for customers who take advantage of the Vonage services, (including the Vonage World Plan) from their website. An official at Vonage-Promotions.com said earlier today, “Everyone knows that trying new things can be a little risky. What we’re hoping to achieve with this cash-back offer is a way of interesting customers in a telephone plan that is literally almost too good to be true. With this cash back offer, we’re offering to effectively pay your phone bill for two months…that’s how confident we are you will love Vonage Phone Service." The $30 Vonage cash back offer ends May 10, 2010. In a market where money talks - literally- consumers now have a lot more say.

Vonage Receives Second Virtual Phone Number Patent

VoIP Monitor — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 18:37:06 GMT

Vonage announces the grant of a virtual phone number patent. The patent -- No. 7,680,262 - titled "Method and Apparatus for Placing a Long Distance Call Based on a Virtual Phone Number," allows consumers to communicate to distant locations without incurring long distance or international calling charges. This is Vonage's second patent related to the use of virtual phone numbers. Vonage's first patent directed to the use of virtual phone numbers -- No. 7,386,111 -- was granted on June 10, 2008.

"We continue to drive innovation that translates into unique products and services for our customers," said Nick Lazzaro, senior vice president of product development and information technology. "This breakthrough takes advantage of our Session Initiation Protocol-based network and enables our customers to save significantly when they communicate with their friends and families across the country or around the world."

Virtual phone numbers allow people outside a Vonage customer's local calling area to call for the price of a local call. Vonage customers can choose a virtual phone number in the calling area of a parent, relative or friend or wherever they want to establish a "virtual" presence. Vonage offers virtual phone numbers across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and in more than 14 other countries.

Vonage UK Offers Consumers Unlimited Calls to India from the UK

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 19:28:46 GMT

Vonage UK is offering consumers unlimited calls to India from the UK, has also proven to be a big hit with businesses that have strong connections with India.

V-plan 4i – a new concept in telecommunications

Recognising the wide-ranging and extensive business and personal ties between the two countries, Vonage was the first UK phone service provider to introduce a package offering unlimited calls to India. Since its launch in November 2009, many businesses have benefited from this innovative service. D'zine Interactive, a UK-based international brand communication and digital agency, experienced immediate benefits from the package.

With offices in the UK, US and India, D’zine uses Vonage’s service to communicate between offices and with their customers. “Since we signed up with Vonage our team has been able to communicate more closely and frequently; collaboration is deeper and more creative when we’re not watching the clock,” said Vernon. “It has transformed the way D’zine does business and makes the company look more professional.”

Broadband – the new phone line for calling with or without a computer

VoIP works by using your Internet broadband connection rather than a standard landline to make international calls, but you don’t even need to use a computer to make a call – with a simple add-on to your normal landline phone, VoIP calls can be made using an ordinary telephone.

V-plan 4i is what the international business community has been waiting for.

Vonage UK Wins Best Consumer VoIP Award at 2009 ITSPA Awards

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:31:16 GMT

Held on the 10th December at the Strangers Dining Room of the House of Commons, the award acknowledges Vonage UK as setting the industry standard for VoIP services to the public. This year's award recognises the company's commitment and dedication to industry-leading standards of customer service, value for money and providing a wealth of service features to their clients across the world.

VoIP - Revolutionising the marketplace

Vonage UK's V-Plan 4i, the first unlimited call plan to India in the UK, has revolutionised how its customers communicate. "We are absolutely delighted to have won this award," says Vincent Potier, Vonage UK's managing director. "The fact that it's the consumer award means more to us than anything else. It helps underscore our commitment to providing our customers with the best possible standards, the best possible service and the best value for money," he adds.

Internet telephony is the ability to make voice calls over any Internet Protocol (IP) connection, particularly broadband, using VoIP. IP Communications also enable a rich multi-media set of advanced services, including high definition sound quality and presence. Internet telephony service providers can provide regular and enhanced phone line services - often at substantial cost reductions.

VoIP has changed the way people communicate, using a broadband Internet connection to place calls around the world, rather than relying on a traditional landline. The award recognises Vonage's innovations in providing an unlimited call plan to India and 35 other countries around the world, connecting both families and businesses across continents.

"Our top priority is creating the right products for consumers -- the products they most want today," explains Vincent Potier. "V-plan 4i unlimited call plan to India is a very good example of the way to do it. We listened to what our customers wanted and innovated with the first call plan of its kind in the UK. This award is an acknowledgement by the industry that we're getting it right," he adds.

"What we've shown is that for a fair price, customers can receive a service that offers exceptional quality and clarity - and that's a service they're willing to pay for."

Vonage Mobile Comes to the iPhone, BlackBerry and iPod Touch

VoIP Monitor — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:47:52 GMT

Vonage launches Vonage Mobile, its first mobile calling application for smartphones. Vonage Mobile is a free downloadable application that provides seamless, low-cost international calling while on Wi-Fi or cellular networks. Once downloaded, the service saves customers more than 50% on calls to dozens of countries versus the rates charged by wireless carriers while providing far more convenience than calling cards. Vonage Mobile will be available for download on the iPhone, BlackBerry and iPod touch at www.vonage.com and the iTunes App Store later today.

With Vonage Mobile you can call around the world from home, a Wi-Fi hotspot, or while traveling around the country. Vonage Mobile is easy to use. There are no access numbers or new phone numbers to give to friends and family. Simply enter an international number or select a contact from the existing contacts on your iPhone or Blackberry and hit send. Vonage does the rest.

This app will give customers exceptional per-minute rates to any country they want to dial. In the fourth quarter 2009, we will enhance the app to include the popular Vonage World plan that was introduced for home service in August. This enhancement extends the ability to make unlimited calls to over 60 countries for one flat monthly fee to mobile users, giving customers the choice to pick the plan that fits them best.

Vonage Mobile beats the competition on value, convenience and ease-of-use

Rates are better than traditional wireless and landline carrier rates
Lets you make calls while on Wi-Fi or cellular networks, providing full mobility
Uses your existing contact list - just click and dial - no extra steps
Utilizes your existing cell phone number so the people you call will recognize who is calling
Real-time balance updates and the ability to automatically replenish funds in your account
No more trips to the store to buy calling cards, no 800 numbers or access codes, and no connection charges

Vonage Introduces Unlimited Flat Rate Calling Around the World and Readable Voicemail

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:29:56 GMT

Vonage introduces two new services that dramatically improve the value of its core offering. "Vonage World," provides unlimited calling around the world to more than 60 countries, including India, Mexico and China for the current flat monthly rate of $24.99.

In addition, the new Vonage Visual Voicemail service extends the company's presence onto other devices by providing unlimited "readable voicemail" delivered via email or SMS text message. Vonage is the only U.S. home phone service provider to offer voice-to-text conversion at no additional charge. Both services will become basic features of the core Vonage offering.

Vonage World includes unlimited calling to countries representing approximately 65% of the world's population (4.5 billion people). The international calling plans of most competitors are limited to certain locations within a country. However, the countries included in Vonage World are covered completely.

In response to customer demand for an improved way to access voicemail, Vonage is providing Vonage Visual Voicemail at no additional charge for Vonage World customers. This service makes voicemail readable by converting each message to text, giving customers the flexibility of viewing their voicemail as an email or SMS message on their computer or mobile device. Customers still have the option to listen to their voicemail over the phone if they choose.

Vonage World details are available at www.vonage.com or by calling (800) 590-1266. To follow Vonage on Twitter, please visit www.twitter.com/vonage_voice. Become a fan of Vonage on Facebook by going to www.facebook.com/vonage.

VoIP Provider Vonage Reports Third Quarter 2008 Results

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:26:35 GMT

Vonage announces results for the quarter ended September 30, 2008.

For the third quarter of 2008, adjusted operating income was $15 million, an increase from an adjusted operating loss excluding certain charges of $1 million in the year-ago quarter and adjusted operating income of $12 million sequentially. The Company reported a GAAP net loss of $8 million or $0.05 per share, compared to a net loss excluding certain charges of $12 million or $0.08 per share reported in the third quarter 2007.

Revenue for the third quarter 2008 grew to $226 million, up 7% from $211 million in the third quarter 2007 driven by an increase in average revenue per line and subscriber lines. Revenue declined 1% sequentially from $228 million.

Vonage added 9,500 net subscriber lines in the third quarter 2008 and finished the quarter with more than 2.6 million lines in service.

Vonage Receives Continued Listing Standards Notice from the NYSE

VoIP Monitor — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:09:08 GMT

Vonage announced on October 24, 2008 the Company received notification from the New York Stock Exchange that the Company had fallen below the continued listing standard, which requires a minimum average closing price of $1.00 per share over 30 consecutive trading days.

The Company has a period of six months, subject to possible extension, to bring its average share price back above $1.00. Under the NYSE rules, the Company's common stock will continue to be listed on the NYSE during the cure period, subject to the Company's compliance with other NYSE continued listing requirements. The Company plans to notify the NYSE that it intends to cure the deficiency.

The Company's business operations, Securities and Exchange Commission reporting requirements, credit agreements and other debt obligations are unaffected by this notification.

Vonage Expands Its VoIP Portfolio with New Patent

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:52:17 GMT

Vonage was recently granted approval by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for an internally developed patent, called "Method and Apparatus for Enhanced Internet Telephony." The invention, which was filed for patent in 2003, makes it less likely for customers to encounter dropped calls, incomplete attempted calls or other communication problems resulting from typical router function and behavior.

The patent -- No. 7,417,981 -- pertains to improvements in Internet telephony where NAT is required. The patent addresses the issue of a router losing an outbound port during an Internet telephone connection. To avoid the router timing out and closing the outbound port, the patent causes the media terminal adapter to send an outbound message to the Internet telephony regional data center.

VoIP Provider Vonage Names Marc Lefar as new CEO

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 19:26:38 GMT

Vonage has appointed Marc Lefar Chief Executive Officer of Vonage. Lefar replaces Interim CEO Jeffrey Citron, who had assumed the additional role in April of 2007. Citron will assume the role of non-executive Chairman of the Board and serve as a consultant on long-term strategy.

"I believe there is no better person than Marc to lead Vonage at this time. He possesses a wealth of telecom experience and a strong mix of strategy, finance and operating skills. His marketing expertise is second to none," said Citron. "The Board believes he will bring a fresh perspective to addressing the opportunities and challenges ahead and will help the Company to realize future growth and profitability."

"Jeffrey and the talented Vonage team have helped to change the way people think about communication," said Lefar, commenting on his appointment. "Moving forward, we will continue to improve the customer experience from end to end. A friendly user experience combined with meaningful, intuitive features will accelerate growth and improve loyalty."

For more than four years, Lefar served as Chief Marketing Officer of Cingular Wireless, (now AT&T Mobility). During his tenure, the company's customer base more than tripled and subscriber churn declined by nearly 50%. He played a critical role in the successful integration of AT&T Wireless, launched the award-winning "Raising the Bar" advertising campaign and drove product initiatives that yielded several billion dollars in new revenues. After leaving Cingular, Lefar founded Marketing Insights, a technology and media consultancy.

Prior to joining Cingular, Lefar was Executive Vice President, Marketing and Value-Added Services at Cable & Wireless Global. He also held senior leadership roles at Verizon Wireless and GTE Wireless. Lefar started his career at Procter & Gamble.

Vonage also announced last week that it entered into a commitment letter to raise up to $215 million in a private debt refinancing. The company will use those proceeds along with some cash on hand to repay its existing debt which could come due on December 16, 2008.

"We believe this arrangement will eliminate much of the uncertainty surrounding our financial prospects and demonstrates our commitment to enhancing the long-term value of our business," said Jeffrey Citron.

Vonage this week also unveiled its Vonage Pro bundled service targeted to digital-savvy customers referred to as prosumers -- short for professional consumers. Vonage Pro will allow users to stay connected whether using their main phone or via their PC using Vonage's SoftPhone client, called Vonage Companion. Among other features, Vonage Pro includes 25 Vonage Visual Voicemail messages -- transcriptions of voicemails sent to a user's email or cell phone.

"By combining the much-talked-about Vonage Companion with a user's home phone, Vonage is empowering customers to connect in a personal way, without boundaries," said Lefar.

Vonage Pro to Keep Customers Connected to Their Home Phone on the Go

VoIP Monitor — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 16:18:03 GMT

Vonage launched its Vonage Pro, a digital voice offering featuring five innovative components that keep you connected to your home life while on the go, including the ability for customers to use their home phone number virtually anywhere they have access to a high speed Internet connection. Vonage Pro is the next step in the MyVonage product strategy, which is focused on developing products and services based on the requests of customers who have a wide variety of lifestyles and communication needs.

Vonage Pro features five components that specifically accommodate the lifestyle of "prosumers," or professional consumers who are comfortable with and understand the benefits of using technology to improve their personal and professional lives.

With Vonage Pro, You are Home ... Away from Home

The offering includes a next generation Vonage SoftPhone client, Vonage Companion, that allows the residential or home office user to access their home number from any desktop or laptop PC connected to a high speed Internet connection, enabling them to communicate as if they are at home.

Incoming calls ring both the customer's home phone and their Companion, and customers can make outgoing calls on both devices simultaneously -- essentially providing a second phone line.
Vonage Companion also offers customer requested features such as selective call block, conference calling, personalized ringtones and call recording.
Customers can use their PC's built-in microphone and speakers or plug in a headset with microphone to make and receive calls.
Vonage Companion automatically synchronizes with Vonage Contact Center
Home office users will never miss an important call when away on vacation or on a business trip.

Vonage Pro also includes Unlimited Vonage Residential Digital Voice service, 25 Vonage Visual Voicemail messages, 25 411 Directory Assistance calls, and automatic integration of Vonage Contact Center -- all for one monthly rate. Vonage Visual Voicemail automatically transcribes voicemails to email or SMS text so customers can read, store, search, and respond to their voicemail messages on their phone, laptop or mobile device wherever and however they choose. Contact Center provides customers with the ability to synchronize all contacts from their home, desktop and mobile address books while providing additional features such as Voice Activated Dialing and Speed Dial.

Vonage Pro, which comes together with Vonage's Residential Premium Unlimited Plan, will be offered to new customers for a plan fee of $34.99 per month (plus taxes and fees), and the plan fee for the first month will be waived as part of an initial promotion of this plan. Existing customers on the Residential Premium Unlimited Plan can add Vonage Pro for an additional $10 per month and they will also have their first month's Vonage Pro fee waived as part of the initial promotion.

Vonage's First Technology Patent Receives Approval

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 20:45:05 GMT

Vonage has recently received approval of its first internally developed patent, called "Method and Apparatus for Placing a Long Distance Call Based on a Virtual Phone Number." The invention allows customers to use a virtual number to contact parties at distant locations without incurring long distance charges.

"This is a major milestone for Vonage as we continue to keep innovation at the heart of our corporate value system," said Jeffrey Citron, Vonage Chairman, Chief Strategist and Interim CEO. "We are pleased to have secured this patent, and the depth of talent and creativity here at Vonage that it reflects."

The patent -- No. 7,386,111 -- covers a process for a system that connects calls by converting virtual numbers at an originating point to a physical number associated with a destination point.

A virtual number allows a Vonage customer to have a secondary number where they can be reached. For example, a Vonage customer can get a secondary phone number with the same area code as his mother, so when his mother tries to contact him, she can as a local call even if he lives across the country.

Comcast and Vonage Form Collaboration for Internet Services

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 19:07:52 GMT

Comcast and Vonage announce a collaborative agreement to address the reasonable network management of Internet services. Comcast committed to work together with Vonage to ensure that network management techniques are chosen that effectively balance the need to avoid network congestion with the need to ensure that over-the-top VoIP services like Vonage work well for consumers.

This is the latest in a series of announcements related to Comcast’s network management practices that demonstrate the company’s commitment to ensure that its customers’ ability to use any application or access any content they choose while avoiding network congestion situations that could affect the consumer experience. In March, Comcast announced it would move to a protocol-agnostic network management approach by the end of 2008, and tests on this approach have already begun. Comcast has announced other collaborations with BitTorrent, Inc. and Pando Networks, as well as participation in the P4P Working Group organized by the Distributed Computing Industry Association. Comcast has also participated in the IETF Workshop on P2P Infrastructure, and will continue to collaborate in the IETF with other ISPs, P2P providers, and others on technologies related to network management and P2P application development.

Vonage Applauds Congress for Passing the New 911 Improvement Act of 2008

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:13:05 GMT

Vonage hails the United States House of Representatives' passage of the New and Emerging Technologies 911 Improvement Act of 2008. This new act grants long awaited rights and protection to VoIP service providers to interconnect to the traditional 911 network operated by incumbent telephone providers.

"Vonage is grateful for the many efforts in Congress to make this legislation a priority. It helps consumers, Public Safety and Vonage support the best possible emergency solution," said Jeffrey Citron, Chairman, Chief Strategist, and Interim CEO of Vonage. "With over 98% of our subscriber's lines with access to E911, Congress has provided additional tools, leadership and encouragement to get all parties to work together."

Vonage's E911 solution enables a customer's call to be automatically routed to the appropriate 911 center, with the caller's registered street address and telephone number appearing on the dispatcher's screen -- regardless of where or what exchange they are calling from.

The bill having passed both the Senate and House now awaits President Bush's signature.

VoIP Provider Vonage Selects Five9 for Marketing Campaigns

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 21 May 2008 17:09:26 GMT

Five9 announces that VoIP provider Vonage deployed its Virtual Call Center offering in several divisions to manage marketing campaigns. With a history of subscriber growth and nearly 2.6 million lines in service, Vonage continually evaluates and employs new tools for customer retention and satisfaction initiatives. Five9’s predictive dialing and outbound solutions were deployed quickly and flexibly to align with the telecommunications provider‘s aggressive goals for customer outreach.

Five9> delivers world-class virtual call centers spanning five continents in many industry sectors. Based on a solid record of reliability, Five9 offers business customers a portfolio of contact center solutions for outbound, inbound, and blended operations. Customers benefit from a technology platform built from the ground up with VoIP, enhanced call center functionality, and a dedicated implementation team. “We collaborate with our customers during initial implementation and throughout their use of our service, including the ongoing introduction of new features and capabilities. We are proud that Vonage is getting great results and using the Five9 solution in innovative ways,” said Marissa Ramsey, Vice President of Customer Success at Five9.

Vonage Reports Q1 2008 Results; Announces Vonage Broadband

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 08 May 2008 18:54:01 GMT

Vonage announces results for the quarter ended March 31, 2008. Revenue for the first quarter 2008 grew to a record $225 million, up 15% from $196 million in the first quarter 2007 and up 4% sequentially, driven by an increase in subscriber lines and higher average revenue per user.

For the first quarter of 2008, the Company reported a GAAP net loss of $9 million or $0.06 per share, down from a loss of $72 million or $0.47 per share reported in the first quarter 2007. Adjusted operating income was $8 million in the quarter, a significant improvement from an adjusted operating loss of $58 million in the year-ago quarter and adjusted operating income of $3 million sequentially.

Jeffrey Citron, Vonage Chairman, said, "We are pleased with our results this quarter, as we further strengthened relationships with existing customers and captured new subscribers through targeted marketing. Our business fundamentals are improving and for the second consecutive quarter we reported positive adjusted operating income. Additionally, we have taken a significant step toward restructuring our convertible debt.

"We remain confident in our ability to grow the business profitably and deliver innovative products and services which enable customers to control the way they communicate. Today's announcement of a strategic relationship with Covad to deliver Vonage Broadband is an exciting step in that direction."

First Quarter 2008 Financial and Operating Highlights

Average monthly revenue per line in the first quarter 2008 was $28.85, up from $28.31 in the year-ago quarter and $28.19 reported in the fourth quarter 2007. Average monthly telephony services revenue per line for the quarter increased to $27.87, up from $27.36 reported a year ago and up from $27.42 sequentially.

In the first quarter 2008, direct cost of telephony services was $56 million, flat versus last year and up slightly from $54 million in the fourth quarter 2007. On a per line basis, average direct cost of telephony services was $7.26, down from $8.03 in the year ago quarter and up from $7.11 sequentially.

Direct cost of goods sold was $22 million, up from $13 million in the year-ago quarter and $17 million in the prior quarter as the Company utilized a large portion of its remaining inventory of higher cost CPE devices. Direct margin remained flat year-over-year at 65% and fell 200 basis points from 67% in the fourth quarter 2007 driven by the increase in the CPE subsidy. The Company expects direct margin to improve in the second quarter as it fully exhausts the remaining inventory.

Selling, general and administrative ("SG&A") expense was $79 million, down from $91 million in the year-ago quarter, and flat sequentially.

Pre-marketing operating income(1) ("PMOI"), which represents the cash generated from the existing customer base, increased to $83 million, from $39 million in the year-ago quarter and $78 million sequentially. On a per line basis, PMOI increased to $10.66 in the first quarter 2008, up from $5.68 in the year-ago quarter and $10.23 sequentially.

Marketing expense for the quarter was $61 million, or 27% of revenue, down sharply from $91 million, or 46% of revenue, a year ago, and down from $63 million, or 29% of revenue, sequentially. Marketing cost per gross subscriber line addition ("SLAC") was $216 in the first quarter 2008, down from $273 in the year-ago quarter and $223 sequentially. The Company expects SLAC to increase in the second quarter, consistent with prior year seasonal trends. Vonage expects to gradually increase marketing expenditures in the second half of 2008 to accelerate growth but continues to expect the cost of acquisition to fall within $225-$250 for the full year 2008.

Vonage added 30,000 net subscriber lines in the first quarter 2008 and finished the quarter with more than 2.6 million lines in service. The Company is taking steps to strengthen and grow its customer base. To expand Vonage's competitive position in the marketplace and offer customers control over how they communicate, Vonage today announced a relationship with Covad whereby Vonage will offer a DSL service to both residential and small business customers. The Company expects this new service, called Vonage Broadband, to be available to customers by the end of the year.

In addition, the Company is focused on increasing the quality of its customer base by targeting customers with low acquisition costs and high lifetime value. This effort, which involves evaluating media channel investments and returns, will lead to lower gross line additions in the second quarter, with an expectation for accelerating growth the remainder of the year. The Company expects this will increase profitability over time.

Average monthly customer churn increased to 3.3% in the first quarter 2008 from 3.0% in the fourth quarter 2007. The Company believes it has implemented process improvements in customer care that will result in an improved user experience and lower churn. As such, the Company expects churn in the second quarter to be below first quarter levels.

Cash and marketable securities and restricted cash on March 31, 2008 was $190 million. This includes $42 million in restricted cash used as collateral for routine business operations. The change in cash from the prior quarter was driven by cash provided from operations of $11 million, capital expenditures of $10 million, and an increase in restricted cash of $2 million.

Convertible Debt Refinancing Update

On April 25th, the Company announced that it had signed a non-binding letter of intent with a third party financing source to provide $215 million in a private debt financing. The letter of intent is a proposal that will be used as a basis for financing and does not constitute a commitment. The Company expects that approximately two-thirds of the financing will be provided through a senior secured credit facility and approximately one-third will be provided through issuance of convertible secured notes.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from this financing, plus cash on hand, to repay, tender for or redeem its existing convertible notes, which can be put to the Company on December 16, 2008 and have a principal amount due of approximately $253 million.

Negotiations regarding a financing commitment are ongoing but there can be no assurance that the financing will be successful. The Company will provide additional details once a commitment letter is signed.

    (1) This is a non-GAAP financial measure.  Refer below to Table 3 for a
        reconciliation to GAAP loss from operations.
    (2) Direct margin is defined as operating revenues less direct cost of
        telephony services and direct cost of goods sold.



                            VONAGE HOLDINGS CORP.
                 TABLE 1. SUMMARY CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA
               (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)


                                                     Three Months Ended
                                                           March 31,
                                                     2008            2007
                                                          (unaudited)
    Statement of Operations Data:
    Operating Revenues:
      Telephony services                           $216,980        $189,367
      Customer equipment and shipping                 7,637           6,573
                                                    224,617         195,940
    Operating Expenses:
      Direct cost of telephony services
       (excluding depreciation and amortization
       of $4,701 and $4,113, respectively)           56,498          55,566
      Royalty                                             -          10,415
        Total direct cost of telephony services      56,498          65,981
      Direct cost of goods sold                      22,072          13,333
      Selling, general and administrative            79,392          90,992
      Marketing                                      60,899          90,850
      Depreciation and amortization                  10,209           7,859
                                                    229,070         269,015
    Loss from operations                             (4,453)        (73,075)

    Other income (expense), net
      Interest income                                 1,400           6,067
      Interest expense                               (5,571)         (5,149)
      Other, net                                       (164)             17
                                                     (4,335)            935
    Loss before income tax expense                   (8,788)        (72,140)

    Income tax expense                                 (173)           (194)

    Net loss                                        $(8,961)       $(72,334)

    Net loss per common share:
      Basic and diluted                              $(0.06)         $(0.47)

    Weighted-average common shares outstanding:
      Basic and diluted                             156,034         155,151



                            VONAGE HOLDINGS CORP.
          TABLE 1. SUMMARY CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA - (Continued)
               (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)


                                                       Three Months Ended
                                                            March 31,
                                                      2008            2007
                                                           (unaudited)
    Statement of Cash Flow Data:
    Net cash provided by (used in) operating
     activities                                     $10,522        $(58,719)
    Net cash provided by (used in) investing
     activities                                      25,021           3,877
    Net cash provided by (used in) financing
     activities                                        (201)            227


                                                   March 31,     December 31,
                                                     2008            2007
                                                  (unaudited)
    Balance Sheet Data (at period end):
    Cash, cash equivalents and marketable
     securities                                    $148,278        $151,484
    Restricted cash                                  41,501          38,928
    Property and equipment, net of accumulated
     depreciation                                   114,072         118,666
    Total assets                                    458,365         462,297
    Convertible notes, net                          253,331         253,320
    Capital lease obligations                        22,994          23,235
    Total liabilities                               540,597         537,424
    Total stockholders' equity (deficit)            (82,232)        (75,127)



                            VONAGE HOLDINGS CORP.
                 TABLE 2. SUMMARY CONSOLIDATED OPERATING DATA
                                 (unaudited)

                                               Three Months Ended
                                      March 31,    December 31,    March 31,
                                         2008          2007          2007
    Gross subscriber line additions    281,329       283,907       332,493
    Net subscriber line additions       30,133        56,016       165,646
    Subscriber lines (at period end) 2,610,360     2,580,227     2,389,757
    Average monthly customer churn        3.3%          3.0%          2.4%
    Average monthly revenue per line    $28.85        $28.19        $28.31
    Average monthly telephony
     services revenue per line          $27.87        $27.42        $27.36
    Average monthly direct cost of
     telephony services per line         $7.26         $7.11         $8.03
    Marketing costs per gross
     subscriber line addition          $216.47       $223.06       $273.24
    Employees (excluding temporary
     help) (at period end)               1,722         1,543         1,729
    CPE subsidy                         $51.31        $40.83        $20.33
    Direct margin as a % of total
     revenue                             65.0%         66.7%         64.8%



                            VONAGE HOLDINGS CORP.
TABLE 3. RECONCILIATION OF GAAP LOSS FROM OPERATIONS TO ADJUSTED INCOME (LOSS)
              FROM OPERATIONS AND PRE-MARKETING OPERATING INCOME
                            (Dollars in thousands)
                                 (unaudited)

                                                Three Months Ended
                                      March 31,    December 31,    March 31,
                                         2008          2007          2007
    Income (loss) from operations      $(4,453)      $(9,366)     $(73,075)
      Depreciation and amortization     10,209        11,105         7,859
      Non-cash stock compensation        1,886         1,663         6,914
    Adjusted income (loss) from
     operations                          7,642         3,402       (58,302)
      Marketing                         60,899        63,327        90,850
      Customer equipment and shipping   (7,637)       (5,891)       (6,573)
      Direct cost of goods sold         22,072        17,484        13,333
    Pre-marketing operating income     $82,976       $78,322       $39,308
      As a % of telephony services
       revenue                           38.2%         37.3%         20.8%

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release includes the following measures defined as non-GAAP financial measures by the Securities and Exchange Commission: adjusted income (loss) from operations, pre-marketing operating income.

Vonage uses adjusted income (loss) from operations and pre-marketing operating income as principal indicators of the operating performance of its business.

We believe that adjusted income (loss) from operations permits a comparative assessment of our operating performance, relative to our performance based on our GAAP results, while isolating the effects of depreciation and amortization, which may vary from period to period without any correlation to underlying operating performance, and of non-cash stock compensation expense, which is a non-cash expense that also varies from period to period.

Given that our strategy currently results in operating losses, we believe that pre-marketing operating income is an important metric to evaluate the profitability of the existing customer base to justify the level of continued investment in growing that customer base. In addition, as we are currently growing both our revenue and customer base, we have chosen to invest significant amounts on our marketing activities to acquire and replace subscribers. We provide information relating to our adjusted income (loss) from operations and pre-marketing operating income so that investors have the same data that we employ in assessing our overall operations. We believe that trends in our adjusted income (loss) from operations and pre-marketing operating income are valuable indicators of the operating performance of our company on a consolidated basis and of our ability to produce operating cash flow to fund working capital needs, to service debt obligations and to fund capital expenditures.

The non-GAAP financial measures used by us may not be directly comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies due to differences in accounting policies and items excluded or included in the adjustments, which limits its usefulness as a comparative measure. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with GAAP, but should not be considered a substitute for, or superior to, GAAP results.

Vonage defines adjusted income (loss) from operations as GAAP loss from operations excluding depreciation and amortization and non-cash stock compensation expense.

Vonage defines pre-marketing operating income as GAAP loss from operations excluding customer equipment and shipping revenue, direct cost of goods sold, depreciation and amortization, marketing and non-cash stock compensation expense.

Conference Call and Webcast

Management will host a webcast discussion of the quarter's results on Thursday, May 8, 2008 at 10:00 AM Eastern Time. To participate, please dial (877) 419-6594 approximately ten minutes prior to the call. International callers should dial (719) 325-4932. A replay will be available approximately two hours after the conclusion of the call until midnight May 23, 2008, and may be accessed by dialing (888) 203-1112. International callers should dial (719) 457-0820. The replay passcode is: 5532664

The webcast will be broadcast live through Vonage's Investor Relations website at http://ir.vonage.com. Windows Media Player or RealPlayer is required to listen to this webcast. A replay will be available shortly after the live webcast.

Vonage Wins Court Battle in Nebraska

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:43:44 GMT

A judge ruled in Vonage's favor barring the Nebraska Public Service Commissions from collecting a state service fee. This court order is the latest victory for Vonage in its fight to keep its customers from having to pay into state Universal Service Funds. The funds would help help subsidize phone and Internet services to poor and rural areas, schools and libraries.

In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court, Vonage said other courts have sided with them in allowing Vonage to not pay regulations and fees.

U.S. District Court Judge Laurie Smith Camp of Lincoln agreed and ruled that the Public Service Commission cannot collect the fees from Vonage.

Vonage Sues Nebraska Commission Over Telephone Fee

VoIP Monitor — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 22:31:51 GMT

Vonage has asked a federal court to prevent the state from forcing it and its customers to pay a state telephone fee.

In a lawsuit recently filed in U.S. District Court, Vonage says the Nebraska Public Service Commission and its officials should not force it to pay into the state's Universal Service Fund.

"These defendants know that Vonage's service is subject to exclusive federal regulatory jurisdiction, yet they are attempting to compel Vonage to pay a state-law surcharge for the Nebraska Service Fund in violation of the United States Constitution, the Communications Act of 1934 and the Telecommunications Act of 1996," the complaint reads.

Traditional phone companies pay into a Universal Service Fund. But VoIP providers say they provide an information service rather than a telecommunications service.

So what's your take--should Vonage have to pay into the Universal Service Fund just as traditional telephone companies do?

And even more to the root of the issue, is Vonage an information service or telecommunications service?

Vonage Chairman and Chief Strategist to Speak at Conference

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 19:27:34 GMT

As previously announced on January 7, 2008, Jeffrey A. Citron, Chairman and Chief Strategist of Vonage will participate in the Citi 18th Annual Global Entertainment, Media & Telecommunications Conference being held today. At the conference, Mr. Citron will announce the following preliminary unaudited financial and operating information about Vonage's recently completed quarter and year ended December 31, 2007:

Vonage's 2007 revenue will be more than $800 million
Fourth quarter 2007 churn will show no meaningful change over the 3.0% reported the prior quarter
Excluding payments made in connection with the settlement of intellectual property litigation which Vonage believes is not indicative of its core operating results for the quarter, Vonage expects to generate positive operating cash for the quarter ended December 31, 2007(1)
Vonage's cash position at December 31, 2007 was $190 million, which includes $40 million in restricted cash

In addition, Mr. Citron will provide the following expectation for the Company:

Vonage expects to generate positive adjusted income for 2008

(1) Including the payments made in connection with the settlement of the intellectual property litigation, operating cash for the fourth quarter is expected to be negative.

Vonage and Verizon Resolve Patent Dispute

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 21:37:40 GMT

In June 2006, Verizon brought a lawsuit against Vonage to enforce several Verizon patents relating to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services.

In March 2007, a jury held that Vonage is infringing three valid Verizon patents. The jury awarded $58 million in damages. The trial judge subsequently issued an injunction which was stayed pending Vonage's appeal.

In September 2007, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld the trial court's decisions on infringement, validity, and injunction as to two of the Verizon patents (the '574 and '711) and remanded as to the third patent (the '880). Vonage filed a petition for rehearing which is pending in the Court of Appeals.

Today the parties have agreed to resolve the patent lawsuit. The terms of the resolution depend on how the Court of Appeals decides Vonage's pending petition for rehearing regarding two of the Verizon patents (the '574 and '711). If Vonage wins rehearing on either the '574 or '711 patent or if the injunction is vacated as to the '574 or '711 patent, Vonage will pay Verizon $80 million. If Vonage does not win rehearing on either the '574 or '711 patent, or if the stay is lifted reinstating the injunction, Vonage will pay Verizon $117.5 million.

The parties are pleased to have resolved this matter.

Sipera VIPER Lab Reveals Vonage VoIP Security Vulnerabilities

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 17:54:52 GMT

Sipera VIPER Lab disclosed multiple threat advisories for users of VoIP services and equipment from Vonage, Globe7 and Grandstream. Among other threats, unwitting VoIP users face eavesdropping, spam, spoofing and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks. Full details on these vulnerabilities are posted as an educational security service to Sipera's customers and the general public at http://www.sipera.com/viper.

Sipera VIPER Lab determined the Vonage VoIP Motorola Phone Adapter (VT 2142-VD) and Vonage service implementations leave users vulnerable to a form of VoIP identity theft, allowing hackers to take over a user's phone service with a "registration replay attack," then make and receive calls while impersonating the victim. Incomplete security practices, such as not encrypting traffic, open Vonage users to eavesdropping on private voice and video communications. Hackers can also send multiple SIP INVITE messages to a user, an Internet version of "ringing the phone off the hook" which creates a DoS attack. Leveraging these vulnerabilities, remote attackers can also send malicious messages directly to Vonage users, subjecting them to spam, social engineering and VoIP scams.

Sipera VIPER Lab also found issues with European provider Globe7's online account access, as a result of utilizing unsecured connections and employing a weak encryption scheme. This allows hackers to access confidential name, password and account balance data, as well as steal VoIP service to make and receive calls, masked as a legitimate Globe7 user. Likewise, Sipera VIPER Lab established the Grandstream HandyTone-488 PSTN-to-VoIP adapter is vulnerable to buffer overflows and fragmented packet attacks. By sending a specially crafted SIP INVITE message to public IP addresses, attackers can disconnect legitimate Grandstream users.

Sipera VIPER Lab is comprised of experienced VoIP security researchers operating globally 24/7/365. Since its inception in 2003, Sipera VIPER Lab has identified thousands of vulnerabilities and security threats which include fuzzing, floods and distributed floods, spoofing, stealth attacks and spam. VIPER Lab research is used to continuously improve the Sipera IPCS products that protect, control and enable real-time unified communications for enterprises and service providers. Sipera VIPER Lab also recently launched a blog to discuss ongoing VoIP attacks and VoIP/UC vulnerabilities at http://www.sipera.com/viper/blog.

Vonage and Klausner Settle Patent Litigation

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:49:29 GMT

Klausner Technologies announces that it has granted a patent license to Vonage for its Vonage Voicemail services, and that it has settled its lawsuit against Vonage for infringement of US Patent No. 5,572,576. Vonage joins Time Warner subsidiary AOL, and others, who have taken out licenses under the same Klausner patents for their Internet Voicemail services.

"We are happy to add Vonage to our growing list of licensees. Our patented visual voice messaging technology, applicable to VOIP and Internet voicemail, lets consumers view and select voice messages in the same way they view and select e-mails," said Judah Klausner, CEO of Klausner Technologies.

"We are very pleased that Vonage has chosen to settle our lawsuit and that we’ve received further confirmation that US Patent No. 5,572,576 is valid and enforceable," said Greg Dovel of Dovel & Luner, counsel for Klausner Technologies.

Vonage Files Motion for Rehearing of Verizon Patent Decision

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 21:18:16 GMT

Vonage announces that the company has filed a motion for a review by the original three-judge panel or the full panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit sitting en banc of the September 26 decision in its patent litigation with Verizon. En banc signifies a decision by the full court of all the appeals judges in jurisdictions where there is more than one three- or four-judge panel.

On September 26, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit partially remanded a March 8 jury verdict in the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va. that the company infringed on three Verizon patents. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit remanded the infringement verdict on the 880 patent and affirmed the verdict on one patent claim in each of the 574 and 711 patents. Further, the Court of Appeals vacated the entire award of $58 million in damages and the 5.5 percent royalty. The Court of Appeals remanded the case to the U.S. District Court and directed that the court retry those aspects of the original case.

"This move represents the next logical step for Vonage in managing this litigation and continuing to move our business forward," said Vonage Chief Legal Officer Sharon O'Leary. "We recently settled our case with Sprint, and continue to explore all legal options available to put the Verizon litigation to rest."

Sprint and Vonage Settle Patent Dispute

VoIP Monitor — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 18:37:35 GMT

Sprint and Vonage announce that they have settled their ongoing patent dispute and entered into a licensing arrangement under Sprint's Voice over Packet ("VOP") patent portfolio. On September 25, 2007, a jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan., found that Vonage had infringed six Sprint patents. The settlement agreement resolves all claims related to this dispute.

In addition, Sprint has agreed to license Vonage its VOP portfolio, which comprises more than 100 patents covering different methods, components and systems that efficiently connect telephone calls between a regular telephone network and a packet-switched network such as the Internet.

"We are pleased to resolve our dispute with Sprint and enter into a productive future relationship," said Sharon O'Leary, Vonage chief legal officer.

"We view this settlement and licensing agreement as a validation of the strength and breadth of our patent portfolio," said Harley Ball, Sprint Nextel's vice president of intellectual property. "This is an affirmation of Sprint's research and development and a testament to the rich history of innovation at Sprint Nextel.

Vonage to Appeal Court Decision in Sprint Patent Suit

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 20:17:28 GMT

Vonage announced that it will seek to overturn today's U.S. District Court jury verdict in a patent infringement lawsuit brought by Sprint Communications Company L.P. and continue focusing on providing reliable, quality digital phone service.

Federal court jurors in Kansas City, Kansas ruled in favor of Sprint, finding that Vonage had willfully infringed Sprint's patents in providing its VoIP telephony services, and awarding $69.5 million in damages, which the jury found to be five percent of Vonage's revenues over the infringing period. Vonage will ask the court to set aside the verdict, and if it is not granted, will vigorously pursue an appeal of the decision, including the underlying issue of liability and the willfulness aspect. Vonage believes any damages awarded are inappropriate. In addition, we will seek to develop technological workarounds that don't infringe on Sprint's patents.

"We are disappointed that the jury did not recognize that our technology differs from that of Sprint's patents," said Sharon O'Leary, chief legal officer for Vonage. "Our top priority is to provide high-quality, reliable digital phone service to our customers. Vonage has already demonstrated that it can keep its focus on customers and on its core business while managing ongoing litigation," she added.

Vonage Canada Launches Services in Regina and Saskatoon

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 17:57:50 GMT

Residents in Saskatchewan's two largest cities now have a better choice when it comes to their phone service. Vonage Canada announced local availability of its flat-rate Internet phone service in Regina and Saskatoon.

With Vonage, local residents can enjoy unlimited local and long distance calling for one low flat monthly fee, and still keep their existing phone number they've had for years. Unlike services touted by big phone companies and cable firms, all Vonage's flat rate phone plans include 20 standard and non-standard phone features, including call waiting, caller ID, voice mail to email and much more. Also unique to Vonage and Internet phone service is the ability to travel anywhere around the world with your local phone number. As well, with Vonage there are no extra fees, no extra charges and no costly and confusing bundled offers designed to tether you to one service provider.

"Today's announcement represents our first foray into the Saskatchewan market and gives us a truly national footprint," said Joe Parent, vice-president of marketing and business development, Vonage Canada. "For years, residents of Regina and Saskatoon have been overcharged by their phone company. That's all changed with Vonage. Now people can enjoy greater savings and features with Vonage."

Vonage Canada's expansion announcement comes on the heels of a survey conducted with Decima Research that found that 53 per cent of Saskatchewan and Manitoba residents think bundled packages for Internet, cable television and phone service benefit the service provider more than they benefit the consumer. The survey also revealed that 63 per cent of residents feel that in order to get a discount on cable, Internet, mobile or home phone services, they must purchase more services than they want from a single company. As well, close to half (48 per cent) indicated a willingness to de-bundle their phone service from communication packages in return for better value and more calling features.

"Vonage Canada strongly believes that consumers should be free to choose best of breed suppliers rather than be forced into a service bundle. With our expansion, residents can now enjoy the flexibility and freedom that Vonage phone service provides without locking themselves into a bundle," added Parent.

Vonage also gives customers the added benefit of passing along long-distance savings to friends and family who aren't even Vonage customers. With V-Access anyone can call a Vonage customer anywhere in the world for the price of a local call simply by dialing a local Vonage access number. Because the call is treated similar to a toll-free call, no long-distance charges or international fees apply.

To get started using Vonage, all that's needed is a high speed Internet connection and a wallet size Vonage phone adapter. The adapter, which Vonage can provide free of charge, sends calls through the Internet instead of a regular phone line. People simply plug their existing touch-tone telephone and their high-speed Internet connection into their Vonage phone adapter, and they have dial tone. It's full-service phone service without using an old-fashioned telephone company.

Customers can choose from various flat-rate, feature-rich residential and small business plans to fit any lifestyle or budget, including these popular packages.

$19.99/month - Residential Basic Plan - 500 minutes of local, toll and long distance outbound calls throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Inbound calls are free and unrestricted.
$39.99/month - Residential Premium Unlimited Plan - unlimited calling throughout the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, France, Ireland, Italy, Spain and the U.K., anytime, anywhere.

VoIP 9-1-1 service has certain limitations versus traditional 9-1-1. See vonage.ca for details. Monthly rates exclude fees for premium services and taxes. International calls are billed per minute. Credit card & high-speed Internet required. Other restrictions may apply. See www.vonage.ca for complete Terms of Service & details.

Vonage Defends Consumers' Rights To Choose

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 16:34:25 GMT

Vonage launches a national grassroots communications campaign to educate and mobilize consumers about preserving the freedom to choose their phone service provider. The campaign, called "Free to Compete," will raise awareness of the importance of consumer choice.

Recently, Verizon has pursued litigation against Vonage in an effort to achieve in court what it cannot achieve in the marketplace.

"We want to highlight the choice that Vonage offers to the public: a choice to receive great phone service at a great price," said Jeffrey Citron, Vonage's chairman, chief strategist and interim chief executive officer. "We think this issue warrants national attention because when competition is stifled, consumers literally pay the price. Vonage is the target today, but what other innovative companies might be next?"

Vonage estimates it may have saved consumers hundreds of millions on local and long distance service. Its digital phone service lets consumers communicate "when, where and how they choose." Vonage today has 2.4 million subscriber lines, while Verizon has just 15,000 retail VoIP customers, according to court filings.

"Vonage has always viewed healthy competition as a good thing," Citron continued. "It encourages continued innovation and provides consumers with choices and low prices. Vonage has never shied away from going head-to-head with the competition -- no matter how big and deep-pocketed -- and we will continue to fight Verizon both in the marketplace and in appeals court."

The "Free to Compete" campaign includes a series of advertisements beginning today in leading newspapers across the country, letters to Vonage's customers and a Web site - http://www.freetocompete.com - designed to educate and mobilize consumers about the importance of choice in the telecommunications industry. The Web site includes facts about the pending patent litigation, a petition to protect consumers' right to choose phone service providers and a feature allowing visitors to tell Verizon what they think about the company's tactics.

Vonage Wins Permanent Stay in Patent Litigation

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 18:26:41 GMT

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington D.C. issued Vonage a permanent stay of a previous court's injunction that would have barred it from signing up new customers. Vonage sought the stay following an April 6th decision by the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va. enjoining the company from using certain VoIP technology to add new customers. The permanent stay enables Vonage to add new customers as we pursue our appeal. Existing customers remain unaffected by the company's ongoing patent litigation.

"We thank the appellate court for its thoughtful consideration of the merits of our case," said Jeffrey Citron, Vonage chairman and interim chief executive officer. "It's business as usual for us. We will continue providing reliable, quality digital phone service at the best value in the market and connecting thousands of phone calls every day. We remain focused on growing and strengthening our business and driving toward profitability."

Citron added, "We continue to believe we have not infringed on any of Verizon's technology and remain optimistic that we will ultimately prevail in this litigation."

Vonage will continue to serve existing customers by paying into escrow a quarterly royalty of 5.5 percent throughout the appeals process and by posting a $66 million bond as required by the court. The company's current cash position allows it to pay these fees to secure the stay as it continues to make progress on and pursues its legal appeal over the coming months.

Appeal

Vonage remains highly confident in the strength of its legal appeal.

"We believe the original verdict was based on an erroneous claim construction -- meaning the patents in this case were defined in an overly broad and legally unprecedented way," said Sharon O'Leary, Vonage's executive vice president, chief legal officer and secretary. "We believe the district court's decisions repeatedly neglected well-established law on claim construction and, as a result, artificially expanded the coverage of Verizon's patents well beyond what was intended by the patent trademark process."

O'Leary continued: "We are confident this error will be rectified by the appeals court, which hears intellectual property cases exclusively. As a result, we remain highly confident Vonage will prevail on appeal."

Vonage CEO Steps Down

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 18:45:15 GMT

Vonage announces that Michael Snyder stepped down from his position as Chief Executive Officer and resigned from the Company's Board of Directors effective April 11, 2007. The Company also announced that Jeffrey A. Citron, the Company's Chairman, has been appointed as the Company's interim Chief Executive Officer and is expected to serve on a short-term basis. In addition, the Company will immediately commence a search for Mr. Snyder's replacement.

Mr. Citron, Vonage Chairman and interim CEO said, "Mike has made valuable contributions to the growth of our business and we will miss him. We thank him and wish him well in his future endeavors."

The Company also announced its preliminary estimation of its operating and financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2007:

Total Revenue (in millions): $195
Gross Subscriber Line Additions: 332,000
Net Subscriber Line Additions: 166,000
Average Monthly Customer Churn: 2.4%
Marketing Cost per Gross Subscriber Line Addition: $275

The Company has not finalized its financial statements for the quarter ended March 31, 2007.

Additionally, Vonage announced cost cutting measures focused on reducing the Company's loss from operations. Mr. Citron said, "In order to strengthen Vonage's financial position, we are taking a number of measures to reduce our costs and operating expenses. We remain focused on improving our competitive position in the marketplace."

Vonage announced plans to reduce its marketing expense by approximately $110 million. As a result, the Company expects marketing expenditures of roughly $310 million for 2007.

The Company also announced plans to reduce its G&A by $30 million through the remainder of 2007 through consolidation of operations and workforce reduction.

The Company expects its cost cutting measures to enhance shareholder value and improve its competitiveness in the marketplace.

Conference Call and Webcast

Management will host an investor conference call on Thursday, April 12, 2007 at 8:00 AM ET to discuss this information and other recent developments. To participate, please dial (800) 289-0533 approximately ten minutes prior to the call. International callers should dial (913) 981-5525.

The webcast will be broadcast live through Vonage's Investor Relations website at http://ir.vonage.com. Windows Media Player or RealPlayer is required to listen to this webcast. A replay will be available shortly after the live webcast and will be available for two weeks.

Vonage Continues to Operate as Usual

VoIP Monitor — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 20:44:30 GMT

Vonage states that it views the Court of Appeals' granting of a temporary stay on Friday allowing Vonage to continue to add customers as the first step toward resolving this matter in Vonage's favor. The stay will remain effective while the Appellate Court considers making the stay permanent.

Vonage will continue to provide digital telephone service to existing customers indefinitely by paying into escrow a quarterly royalty of 5.5% throughout the appeals process. Separately, the District Court required Vonage to post a bond of $66 million to secure Verizon's damages judgment.

Vonage is pleased that existing customers will not experience any interruption in service. The Company continues to believe it will succeed on appeal and continues to work on designing around the Verizon patents.

Vonage also continues to believe that this case is an attempt to do in the court room what Verizon could not succeed in doing in the marketplace -- which is to put Vonage out of business.

Vonage announced it will hold an investor update conference call on Thursday, April 12, 2007 at 8:00 AM ET. To participate, please dial (800) 289-0533 approximately ten minutes prior to the call. International callers should dial (913) 981-5525. The call will be simultaneously webcast and accessible via Vonage's Investor Relations website at http://ir.vonage.com. A replay of the call will be available on Vonage's Investor Relations website shortly following the webcast for two weeks.

Vonage Confident in Appeal

VoIP Monitor — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 20:08:44 GMT

Vonage reaffirmed its confidence in prevailing on appeal and in continuing to meet the needs and expectations of its over 2.2 million subscriber lines despite a ruling March 23 in Verizon's favor and a disproportionately-negative reaction from the market.

"To paraphrase Mark Twain, the rumors of Vonage's death have been greatly exaggerated," said Mike Snyder, Vonage's chief executive officer. "Friday's events represented one small step in what is sure to be a long legal battle.

"The fact is we've been preparing for this verdict and the possibility of an injunction for months," Snyder added. "For the market to react the way it did to the recent rulings shows an unfortunate lack of understanding of the judicial/appellate system, a lack of appreciation of Vonage's resourcefulness, or, perhaps, both. Anyone who's counting Vonage out is making a huge mistake."

If, as expected, the judge enters a permanent injunction against Vonage on April 6, 2007, but fails to grant the company's request to stay the injunction pending its appeal, Vonage will immediately file for a stay with the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. In addition, the company reconfirmed its plan to file a notice of appeal to the Circuit Court of Appeals to set aside the jury verdict which was handed down on March 8, 2007.

"No matter what happens on April 6, the reality is this litigation is going to take years to make its way through the legal system," said Sharon O'Leary, Vonage's executive vice president and chief legal officer. "We are optimistic the trial court judge will stay the injunction. If he doesn't, however, we're very confident the Circuit Court of Appeals will stay the injunction through the entire appeal process.

"And once the case is up on appeal, we are confident that the appellate court will overturn the verdict based on the faulty claim construction of the patents involved." The Circuit Court of Appeals, which will hear the case shortly, has reversed prior verdicts involving flawed claim constructions approximately 40 percent of the time, noted O'Leary. Verizon's overly broad construction of the patent claims was adopted across the board which is unprecedented, given the large number of claim terms.

Vonage's accomplishments continue to validate its business model and strategy. The company has achieved 19 consecutive quarters of double digit revenue growth, doubled revenues to $607 million in 2006 alone, and added nearly 1 million net subscribers last year.

"We're continuing to innovate and provide reliable, affordable phone service to millions of customer lines. And that isn't going to change," Snyder added.

New Motorola Internet Phone Adapter & Wireless Router

VoIP Monitor — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 20:22:42 GMT

Vonage and Motorola announce the release of a new wireless router that will make it easy for customers to use fax, telephone and Internet services at the same time. Motorola, known for its innovation and leadership in wireless and broadband communications, developed the VT2542 to meet the sophisticated needs of Vonage's customers. The VT2542 enables Voice-over-IP (VoIP) telephony and includes a 4-port wired and 802.11 b/g wireless access point for home networking connectivity. This new device is available at http://www.vonage.com for $59.99 after a $40 instant rebate ($99.00-$40.00=$59.99) (a $9.95 shipping and handling fee and a $29.99 activation fee is charged).

The Motorola VT2542 Internet Phone Adapter & Wireless Router can connect up to two (2) Vonage lines, including telephone and fax, through a high-speed Cable or DSL Internet connection. It also contains four Ethernet Local Area Network (LAN) ports and an 802.11b/g Wireless port for additional computers or other network devices. The Motorola VT2542 enables customers to use their Internet connection for their computer and phones at the same time, and is perfect for consumers who want the added advantage of easily setting up a secure wireless network.

"The Motorola VT2542 is just the latest innovation that gives our customers more options to meet their communication needs," said Vonage CEO Mike Snyder. "Vonage's successful relationship with Motorola has produced ground-breaking devices that help our customers communicate, when, where and how they choose."

Voice-over-data prioritization, which allows users to talk on the phone while using the Internet with no reduction in voice quality, is one of the stand-out features of the Motorola VT2542. Other features include Virtual Private Network pass-through support, a secure web based user interface and full support of standard Vonage features, such as conference calling, call forwarding, call transfer, and call waiting.

"As Vonage continues to expand its footprint and reach new users, Motorola products are making it easy for customers to add functions and realize more value," said Alan Lefkof, corporate vice president and general manager, Motorola Broadband Solutions Group. "With the Motorola VT2542 Internet Phone Adapter & Wireless Router, Vonage will now make it easy for anyone to incorporate high-quality VoIP service with additional home networking capabilities and advanced security features in their home."

The Vownage Video

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 19:34:53 GMT

Haha, I just saw this video over at Andy Abramson's VoIP Watch blog which is always a great read for VoIP news. Thanks Andy.

Vonage vs Verizon: $58 million in Damages Plus Royalties

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 21:05:20 GMT

A federal jury dealt a blow to Internet phone company Vonage, ruling that it infringed on patents held by Verizon. Vonage was ordered to pay $58 million in damages, plus royalties on future sales.

However, Vonage is delighted that the jury rejected Verizon's meritless claim that we infringed their two billing patents. Of the seven patents Verizon originally sued on, they prevailed on only three and we expect that verdict to be reversed on appeal. The jury's damage award represents a 70% reduction from Verizon's $197MM claim. The jury also unanimously rejected Verizon's claim that Vonage willfully infringed its patents.

In addition, we don't believe there is any basis to support Verizon's request for an injunction and we will have the opportunity to present our position to the trial court shortly. If the trial court does impose an injunction, we will seek an immediate stay from the Federal Court of Appeals. Vonage's customers should see no change to any aspect of their phone service.

It appears the Vonage Fan Van isn't running on four flat tires and will continue to terrorize people by throwing Vonage boxes at peoples heads.

Vonage Testing Facility for VoIP Devices

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 20:29:19 GMT

The University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory has been approved as the first external testing facility to pre-screen Internet telephony devices for compatibility with the services of Vonage Holdings Corp., a leading provider of broadband phone service.

At Vonage’s request, vendors will ship test-products to the UNH-IOL for analysis of their calling abilities as well as their interoperability with the multi-vendor Vonage network. Once tested at UNH-IOL, the equipment will be tested in the carrier’s own lab.

“The UNH-IOL is a well-respected test house with a strong reputation for objectivity and a high degree of technical expertise,” said Daniel Smires, Senior Vice President of Engineering at Vonage. “We’re leveraging that expertise to safeguard network interoperability and to deliver the best possible services to our customers.”

The UNH-IOL will perform the testing as a service to members of its VoIP Consortium, a collaborative testing program helping vendors, service providers and forums such as the SIP Forum and IMS Forum deliver quality, interoperable VoIP systems.

For a single annual fee, companies can join the lab’s VoIP Consortium and receive access to extensive SIP and standards compliance as well as interoperability testing. Each company receives detailed, confidential test reports pinpointing bugs and weaknesses in their devices. Vendors benefit from lowered sales barriers, streamlined R&D and QA processes and, in many cases, significantly reduced product time to market.

“It’s a given that most customers taking the plunge into VoIP have little patience for anything but toll-quality calls and constant uptime, so customer-focused service providers like Vonage have little margin for error,” said UNH-IOL Senior Engineer Lincoln Lavoie. “This test suite has been developed in the practically universal interest of quality, interoperable products.”

Additional information about the lab’s Vonage pre-qualification testing and other services can be found at the following URL: http://www.iol.unh.edu/services/testing/voip/

Vonage Equips 94% of U.S. VoIP Subscribers with E911

VoIP Monitor — Mon, 29 Jan 2007 16:52:50 GMT

Vonage announces that more than 94 percent of its U.S. subscriber lines are now equipped with Enhanced 911 (E911) service -- a feature that automatically associates a physical address with the calling party's telephone number. The most recent upgrades bring the total number of lines fitted for E911 to more than 2 million.

Vonage's nomadic E911 solution gives customers the ability to reach a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) or 911 centers, through the dedicated 911 network infrastructure. With Vonage's nomadic E911 solution, a customer's call is automatically routed to the appropriate 911 center, with the caller's registered street address and telephone number appearing on the dispatchers screen -- regardless of where or what exchange they are calling from. Vonage will continue to turn up and test new PSAPs that are VoIP-ready every day.

Since December 15, Vonage has equipped 50 locally-run emergency call centers across the U.S. with E911 -- bringing the total number of calling centers with emergency 911 service to more than 6,600.

"Today more than 2 million of our U.S. subscriber lines have full E911 capability, which is a tremendous step for Vonage," said Vonage CEO Mike Snyder. "Vonage will continue to work with the FCC, regulators, Congress and public safety officials until PSAPs across the nation are equipped with E911."

Hear Email, Podcasts, and Traffic Reports on Cell Phones

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 09:00:10 GMT

Adondo Corporation announces the release of their Personal Audio Link (PAL) Version 1.1 software. With PAL, you can use Skype, Vonage, BroadVoice and other VoIP services to hear email, traffic reports, stock quotes, and blogs on a cell phone.

PAL enables the user to hear a wide range of information read or played over any cell phone or telephone. For example, PAL can read Internet-based content such as stock quotes, weather forecasts, blogs, RSS feeds, and web pages. It can play any podcast over the phone. For Outlook users, PAL reads and navigates email just like a voice-mail system, including the ability to delete, file, reply to, or skip messages; and to skip forward or back while it's reading a message. It also can send audio emails to any Outlook contact. PAL always retrieves and acts upon current PC-based information (file, delete, etc), so no synching to a handheld device is required. Outlook updates instantly.

To hear the information available through PAL, the user just calls their own PC using Skype, Vonage, or another VoIP soft phone service that they provide; or, chose a basic VoIP service provided by Adondo (www.adondo.net). PAL, running on the user's PC, answers the call and then the user either presses the buttons on their phone (touch-tone control) or speaks voice commands to hear the desired information. PAL speaks using Microsoft voices or a premium voice from NeoSpeech. Even for users with expensive handheld devices (e.g., smart phones), PAL provides a safe and convenient way to get information anytime, especially while driving.

PAL software is available in three affordable editions. The Lite Edition, with Skype or other appropriate VoIP service provided by the user, is free through 2007. Lite provides access to the whole range of Internet content including traffic reports, podcasts, blogs, and stock quotes. For $4.99 per month, Standard Edition enables access to Outlook email, appointments and contact data, and the capability to voice-dial Outlook contacts. Professional Edition, priced at $9.99 per month, includes the ability to send audio emails, hear information from the user's own Excel spreadsheets, and have PAL call the user with appointment reminders and notices of the arrival of email from "hot contacts."

In addition, anyone can download and try the full-featured version of PAL with VoIP service from Adondo, completely free, for 45 days.

PAL needs no extra phone line and no special hardware or phone. Setup is a simple -- about five minutes on the PC. The software runs on a PC with broadband Internet access and Microsoft Windows XP.

Vonage to Resell Wireless Internet Services from Earthlink

VoIP Monitor — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 06:51:54 GMT

Vonage has reportedly reached a deal with Earthlink today to resell wireless internet services in cities like New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Milpitas, California where Earthlink has Wi-Fi networks.

Vonage will bundle the internet service with their VoIP offering and support a “next generation Vonage Wi-Fi phone,” according to the press release. This deal might seem detrimental to EarthLink’s own VoIP service. However, an EarthLink executive said Sunday night that it’s “part of the company’s DNA” to sell wholesale network services to any provider who wants access, and to compete on price, support and services at the application layer.

Vonage says Over 93% of U.S. Subscribers Now Have E911

VoIP Monitor — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 19:35:25 GMT

Vonage announces that over 93% of its U.S. subscriber lines are now equipped with Enhanced 911 (E911) service -- a feature that automatically associates a physical address with the calling party's telephone number.

Vonage's nomadic E911 solution gives customers the ability to reach a Public Safety Answering Point, or 911 center, through the dedicated 911 network infrastructure. With Vonage's nomadic E911 solution, a customer's call is automatically routed to the appropriate 911 center, with the caller's registered street address and telephone number appearing on the dispatcher screen -- regardless of where or what exchange they are calling from. Vonage will continue to turn up and test new PSAPs that are VoIP-ready every day.

In less than two months, Vonage has equipped over 170 locally-run emergency call centers across the U.S. with E911 -- bringing the total number of calling centers with emergency 911 service to over 6400.

"Today over 93 percent of our U.S. subscriber lines have full E911 capability, which is a tremendous step for Vonage," said Vonage CEO Mike Snyder. "Our goal is to get every Vonage customer help when they need it and we will not stop working with the FCC, regulators, Congress and PSAPs until there is equal access to E911 for Vonage's customers."

Since October 17th, Vonage has added the following counties to its list of those with E911 capabilities -- bringing the total number of calling centers with emergency 911 service to over 6400.

In the event Vonage is unable to connect to the 911 system or for customers who are using mobile devices such as Wi-Fi phones, softclients, or the Vonage V-Phone, Vonage offers a national emergency call center which enables customers to get local help when they need it.

$200 Gift Card for Vonage In-Store Activation

VoIP Monitor — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 19:21:20 GMT

Vonage VoIP Service In-Store Activation at Circuit City Stores.

Customers will now be offered an instant $200 gift card to use toward any in-store purchase when they activate Vonage’s VoIP-based telephone service and sign a year-long contract. The store will also make devices from select Vonage hardware manufacturers available to customers free after a mail-in rebate.

“The holiday season just got merrier for Vonage subscribers,” said Vonage America, Inc.’s president Michael Tribolet in a statement. “New subscribers not only get Vonage’s flat rate, feature-rich telephone service so they can call all their friends and wish them happy holidays, but they can also pick up some great gifts at Circuit City.”

Vonage Adds 811 Can You Dig It?

VoIP Monitor — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 07:30:34 GMT

Vonage recently added their 511 service to allow customers to get assistance with traffic tie-ups. Now Vonage customers have the option to dial 811 to find out if it is safe to dig before starting on that big project. I guess it's better than cutting some essential cables or even worse cracking a sewage line. The real question is will Vonage users dig the new service?

Vonage's President, Michael Tribolet, said in a statement, "Vonage is pleased to offer its customers the convenience of 811 dialing to help ensure their excavation will be safe. This is just another example of Vonage answering its customer's needs."

Once the call is made, it goes through Vonage's network to a local call center, similar to how the 911 and 511 services work. From there, the customers' local utility company answers and advises the customer whether or not it's safe to dig.