The Information & Communications Technology Group at Frost & Sullivan is pleased to announce its Exclusive 2007 Quarterly Webinar on Thursday, January 18, 2007 at 12:00 p.m. CST / 1:00 p.m. EST.

The foundation for voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) peering resides in the belief that there is no reason for traffic to leave the Internet protocol (IP) network. If traffic must be handed off to the public switched telephone network (PSTN), then VoIP-based providers are disadvantaged by not being able to offer certain services such as video calling and are consequently forced to compete based on pricing rather than features. Moreover, additional money is being paid out to time-division multiplexing (TDM) based service providers for interconnection and toll charges.

Highlights of the briefing include a discussion of current trends and benefits associated with VoIP peering, the VoIP ecosystem, ENUM and major market participants.

8x8 provider of Packet8 residential has signed a master reseller agreement with World Telecom Group.

"As more and more businesses learn about the features and benefits of VoIP phone solutions, established and respected solution providers like World Telecom Group become increasingly influential sources of information and referral," said 8x8 Vice President of Marketing & Sales Huw Rees. "8x8's partnership with World Telecom Group will help broaden Packet8's visibility in the expansive SMB arena while providing its agents with an opportunity to offer customers the most robust and affordable business VoIP phone service available today."

iSkoot client software has been Skype Certified.

This confirms that iSkoot meets Skype's standards for usability and quality, making it the first third-party mobile client software to be certified by Skype. iSkoot allows mobile phone users to place and receive Skype calls from their handsets, without the need for PCs, special hardware, or WiFi hot spots. Users simply use local rates or minutes from their plans to speak to Skype contacts or use SkypeOut to make inexpensive calls to any phone from their mobiles. This will initially be made available in the US with more markets to follow.

"Skype's endorsement of iSkoot represents a significant benefit for the 136 million plus Skype users who can now enjoy Skype on their cell phone, without needing PCs, special hardware or WiFi hot spots," said iSkoot CEO Jacob Guedalia.

VoIP, Inc.’s Chairman and CEO Anthony J. Cataldo, VoIP, Inc.'s disclosed, for the first time publicly, that Google Mobile has expanded the use of “Click to call” technology into China and eight additional international markets using VoIP, Inc.’s network. The announcement, made in an online interview conducted by Mr. Cataldo at www.ceocast.com, means that users who employ Google for mobile search in China, can now call directly from their cell phone to an advertiser identified through Google’s mobile search capability.

According to a Google spokesperson, China marks the eighth and largest international market in which Google will exclusively use VoIP’s network to connect calls. VoIP’s network is also being used by Google in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany and Japan, and recently expanded into international France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, China, Ireland, India and Australia.

CounterPath Solutions announced today that Technology Marketing Corporation's INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine has named CounterPath's eyeBeam 1.5 softphone as a recipient of a 2006 Product of the Year Award. INTERNET TELEPHONY has been the VoIP Authority Since 1998.

CounterPath's SIP softphones, including the eyeBeam 1.5 softphone, and softphone SDKs (Software Development Kits) provide VoIP, Video over IP, IM (Instant Messaging) and Presence functionality and can be either co-branded or private labeled. Built upon open standards in conformance with SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), CounterPath's software application suite powers the VoIP solutions of some of the world's largest service providers and equipment manufacturers including Cisco, Lucent, AT&T, British Telecom and Deutsche Telecom.

8x8, provider of Packet8 announces the launch of the Packet8 Freedom Fax service for residential subscribers.

Based on the T.38 ITU (International Telecommunications Union) standard for sending faxes across IP networks in real-time mode, Packet8's FoIP (Fax over IP) solution offers increased fax transmission speeds as well as a significantly higher level of transmission reliability than other VoIP services which utilize the G.711 voice codec to transmit faxes. Because the G.711 codec was designed for voice rather than data communication, common IP network characteristics such as latency and jitter cannot be dealt with as effectively as with a T.38-based solution which utilizes special techniques to keep the fax connection alive while fax data in transit catches up with the process.

VoIP.com announces a new 200 minute per month option. At only $9.95 per month, the 200-minute plan effectively increases voice over IP's affordability without sacrificing any calling features.

One of voip's strongest selling points has always been the incredible cost savings that users realize over service delivered by traditional phone companies. Economy, coupled with voip's powerful calling features, puts consumers in a win-win situation that just got better. In recognition that not every subscriber is going to comfortably fit into a cookie-cutter plan, voip.com created a feature-rich calling plan with a small monthly-minute footprint.

Whether they're taking most calls on a cell or just don't spend a lot of time on the phone, members who don't need an unlimited monthly calling plan can now enjoy voip.com's 200 minute per month solution, with 200 minutes of free calling to anywhere in the United States, Canada, or Puerto Rico. Additional minutes will be billed at 3.9 cents a minute.

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.

Global Crossing announced that Alpine Access is using Global Crossing's converged IP services to ease their network expansion, penetrate new markets and deliver superior customer service.

Recently named one of the fastest-growing large private companies in Colorado by the Denver Business Journal, Alpine Access is using Global Crossing's VoIP Local Service to expand the reach of their network and to support a rapidly growing agent workforce. Alpine Access recently announced that it is adding 500 employees in the Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, and Tampa, Fla., markets.

Global Crossing's VoIP Local Service, a direct inward dial service, lets Alpine Access' "work-at-home" agents receive calls from customers simply by calling a local telephone number. Global Crossing's voice network accepts the call from the public switched telephone network, converts it to IP and transports it to its final destination via Global Crossing's MPLS IP-based network.

NextAlarm.com announced at the 2007 International CES that it is offering VoIPAlarm. The company also explained features of its value-added reseller (VAR) program.

The VoIPAlarm program targets alarm companies that want to expand their products and services without switching customers over to a different service or changing equipment. VoIPAlarm allows alarm companies to seamlessly integrate NextAlarm’s unique patented monitoring services into their existing product and service offerings.

“VoIPAlarm provides alarm companies an Internet/VoIP solution to their customers,” said Alex Elliot, NextAlarm.com’s founder and CEO. “In addition, the program allows the alarm company to maintain full control of their accounts at a lower cost than cellular back-up systems.”

Cardo Systems has begun shipping its scala-700 VoIP, a dual-purpose Bluetooth wireless headset for talking while using Skype enabled PCs and laptops as well as hands-free mobile phones. The scala-700 VoIP allows users to chat wirelessly on Skype by voice command for up to 8 hours. A Bluetooth audio Adapter plugs into a computer’s USB port allowing the headset to perform hands-free voice control of phone calls on the screen of a computer or laptop.

The innovative headset offers voice-controlled Skype operation and mobile phone communication in one device. Calls can be made and received up to 30 ft/10 m from the computer or mobile phone.

The headset also includes SWAP technology, which offers users the convenience of switching the headset’s connection between VoIP and mobile phone conversations.

8x8 provider of Packet8 introduces its next generation consumer videophone solution, a one-of-a- kind broadband phone adapter with a built-in LCD screen that turns any regular home phone into a state-of-the-art, full motion videophone.

The Packet8 Tango Video Terminal Adapter (VTA) takes the concept of traditional analog terminal adapters (ATAs) one step further with the addition of advanced H.264 video, allowing for significantly better video quality compared to H.263 at the same bandwidth. The Packet8 Tango is fully SIP compliant and interoperates with 8x8's previous generation videophone, the Packet8 DV326 as well as its video soft phone, Packet8 Softalk. This sleek-looking 8 1/2" x 5 1/2" x 1.38" free standing device incorporates a built-in, high resolution 5" LCD color display and 180 degree rotating CCD camera to deliver advanced full-motion video at up to 30 frames per second along with crisp, delay-free audio.

8x8, provider of Packet8 residential announces the addition of more than 1,000 new businesses during the fourth quarter of 2006 to its rapidly growing base of Packet8 Virtual Office VoIP Hosted PBX phone service subscribers.

Over 6,000 U.S. based companies ranging in size from three to 250 employees now subscribe to the Packet8 Virtual Office solution which combines unlimited local and long distance calling in the United States and Canada with advanced PBX calling features. Unlike comparably priced single line VoIP phone services which offer features more suited to individual residential users, Packet8 Virtual Office provides companies with complete business functionality along with the flexibility to operate from numerous geographically dispersed locations.

Raketu will continue to offer free calling to over 42 countries globally irrespective of the origin of the call. Launching in mid-September 2006, Raketu has achieved spectacular growth in its user base, with over 750,000 downloads of the company’s voice-over-IP (VoIP) software.

“There are many Skype users who as of January 1, 2007 will be without access to free VoIP calling,” said Greg Parker, CEO of Raketu. “Raketu not only offers free calling to those regions previously offered by Skype, but also an additional 42 countries. Consumers can continue to get access to free calling, in addition to all our other services, including instant messaging, sms and podcast within one application.”

Raketu uses a unique peer-to-peer (p2p) technology, which allows the highest quality VoIP calling and highest call-completion in the industry. Raketu does not use Supernodes and to this end consumers who choose Raketu do not have the security risk and performance problems associated with other services.

MediaRing announces that by popular demand, they will be extending their Unlimited Free Calls promotion till 31st January 2007. Promotion offers unlimited free calls to five key destinations – Singapore, USA, Canada, China and the United Kingdom. All you need is to sign-up for MediaRing’s soft-phone based VoIP service at www.mediaringtalk.com. Sign-up is absolutely free!

The festive promotion, which was first announced on 20th December 2006 for Christmas and New Year, has received very encouraging response globally.

With this extended promotion ending 31st January 2007, all new MediaRing Talk sign-ups and those who signed-up after 20th December 2006 will be able to place unlimited free calls to:

• Fixed/land and mobile lines to USA, Canada, China and Singapore
• Fixed/land lines to the United Kingdom