Packet8 has added the popular Apple iPhone to the list of over 450 mobile handset devices now supported by the Packet8 MobileTalk international calling service. Featuring mobile international calling rates such as $.01 per minute to China, $.02 per minute to the U.K., $.03 per minute to Mexico and $.059 per minute to India, the Packet8 MobileTalk service enables cell phone users to significantly reduce their international phone bills and maintain high digital voice quality while still enjoying the convenience and flexibility of on-the- go mobile calling.

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."

VoIP Supply has selected Bandwidth.com to provide voice and data services for its end-to-end phone system solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. In selecting Bandwidth.com, VoIP Supply will now be able to offer businesses complete nationwide advanced Internet, VoIP, network and wireless services in addition to its current phone system and VoIP hardware offerings.

The partnership, VoIP Supply's first with a voice and data service provider, represents a strategic investment in the delivery of complete telephony solutions to the small medium business marketplace; allowing the company to further solidify itself as a market leader "with everything you need for VoIP."

Tpad has developed a new IP PBX Business Solution catering to the lucrative small to medium sized enterprises marketplace. This move is intended to vigorously compete with business VoIP telephony companies such as Packet8, Vonage and Skype. The Tpad solution has been specifically targeted at businesses that require a simple yet powerful, robust phone solution using the latest VoIP technology.

Tpad offers a wide range of next generation telecommunication solutions including a hosted and managed IP PBX package. The hosted IP PBX, hosted IP PBX, called Tpad Lite, will allow any company in the world to have their own private phone system hosted on Tpads global VoIP network.

TalkSwitch releases its TalkSwitch management software 6.10 in the UK & Ireland. The free software update offers TalkSwitch users new features for enhanced call handling flexibility and increased productivity, including the ability to integrate with multiple Internet Telephony Service Providers, with fail-over to PSTN for added security, plus more extensive diagnostic capabilities to simplify VoIP deployment.

In addition, users will notice a dramatic new Java-based graphical user interface that enhances the intuitive configuration experience, provides extensive help messaging for guidance, and makes installations even simpler.

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.

Microsoft has selected Junction Networks as a preferred SIP trunking and gateway service provider for its Microsoft Response Point small business phone system. The Response Point SP 1 will feature services from Junction Networks pre-configured for simple account activation and maintenance.

Microsoft chose Junction Networks for the provider’s strict adherence to SIP standards, its commitment to customer satisfaction and for its established phone service for small to medium-sized businesses. Response Point customers will enjoy the convenience of Junction Networks’ simple account set-up process: The SIP-based voice service from Junction Networks is pre-configured in the Response Point Administrator software. A small business needs only a working Internet connection to acquire service and lines in minutes.

Microsoft Response Point SP1 is now generally available. SP1 is a significant feature update to Microsoft Response Point, easy-to-use and manage phone system software designed for small businesses with one to 50 employees. Current Response Point customers and partners in the U.S. and Canada can download SP1 for free.

D-Link announces that Microsoft Response Point SP1 upgrade is now available for download. Small and medium sized businesses using the D-Link VoiceCenter phone system can make the transition from traditional analog phone systems to lower-cost digital voice services easily with Response Point SP1.

D-Link VoiceCenter is a feature-rich, cost-effective IP phone system that is easy to use and manage, and is ideally suited for small businesses requiring up to 50 phones and phone lines. Among the essential features of the Response Point software are voice-activated dialing and voicemail access, automated receptionist, built-in auto-provisioning configuration, call-forwarding, call hold, find me-follow me, 3-way call conferencing, voicemail-to-email forwarding, voicemail retrieval over the phone and MS Outlook contact integration.

BroadSoft announces the BroadSoft Xtended Voice Mashup Contest to create telephony mashups that provide new, valuable services for businesses and consumers. Running through Sept. 2, the Xtended Voice Mashup Contest challenges Web 2.0 and telecom developers to combine the multitude of BroadWorks VoIP features with other applications, including customer relationship management, business collaboration and social networking. Telephony applications such as SMS, voicemail, fax and mobile clients also qualify for submission. Developers will have access to the Xtended Services Interface RESTful API during the contest.

Buzz Technologies will launch its new VoIP Service to China's Internet Cafes on the 27th of July 2008 and has already made arrangements for it to be installed on close to 200,000 PCs in Internet Cafes in China immediately and 400,000 by January 2009. The new VoIP system from Buzz will offer paid discounted calling and discounted ad supported calling across China. The service is being integrated into Buzz's Free SMS service to be launched at the same time.

VoIP, ad supported VoIP and Free ad supported SMS will provide Buzz an edge on Google and Baidu in the highly competitive Online Ad and Search Marketing in China. Buzz Technologies is currently testing APIs from other Ad Networks with a view to ad sharing agreements with some of the largest ad networks in the world. The move will help build the Buzz Brand as well as increase revenue by up to 30%.

Tulsa-area residents now have a new choice for their television and communications services. AT&T launched the company's integrated suite of AT&T U-verse services in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The suite includes AT&T U-verse TV, AT&T U-verse High Speed Internet and AT&T U-verse Voice.

AT&T U-verse brings together your TV, broadband, home phone and AT&T wireless services — all on one bill — with unique features that provide a new level of integration, convenience and control. AT&T U-verse TV, High Speed Internet and Voice services are all delivered over AT&T's advanced Internet Protocol network.

JupiterResearch projects that the broadband telephony market will nearly double in size from 14.7 million subscribers in 2007 to 28.4 million lines in 2013. Cable operators will see most of this increase, with their VoIP subscriber base nearly doubling during the forecast period, while growth for over-the-top VoIP providers will stagnate. The emergence of new service offerings, such as those from AT&T and Skype, will continue to generate buzz within the market.

According to a new JupiterResearch report, "US Broadband Telephony Forecast, 2008 to 2013," cable multiple system operators (MSOs) have maintained momentum in the voice service market by continuing to focus on competitive triple-play service bundles. Of consumers who subscribe to a cable MSO-managed VoIP service, 47 percent said bundling had a strong influence on their selection of home phone service provider.

Verizon Business wholesale customers now can take advantage of new enhancements to traditional voice and VoIP call records, providing greater granularity of call information. Wholesale customers can gain additional detail about the costs of a call for their international termination services, enabling added control over expenses. These rating enhancements take into account the rising number of international vendors and provide increased granularity of costs related to international mobile termination and special charges within specific geographic regions.

JAJAH Direct launches in Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia allowing anyone to make incredibly low cost international calls from any phone. There is no download, no headset, no special mobile phone, and no broadband required. With JAJAH Direct, you get a local number for anyone you want to call, so you never have to dial long distance again.

JAJAH Direct has triggered a revolution in global calling, with 10 million people in America, England and other parts of Europe already using it to save on their phone calls.

The revolution stems from JAJAH's ability to combine the savings of an Internet call with the convenience of being able to use a normal phone. Previously, VoIP calls where the call goes over the Internet rather than a telephone line were only available with an Internet connection, but now all Poles can make low cost, high quality VoIP calls using JAJAH Direct.