Intelliverse improves VoIP Softphone

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 06:59:59 -0500

Intelliverse already has a solid application in its VoIP Softphone. Now, however, the company is making improvements that allow the software to more completely take advantage of callEverywhere, Intelliverse's hosted VoIP service. The user interface has been improved to more closely mimic the functionality and user input expected of general computer applications, to add a tabbed look, and to allow faster switching of calls when multiple calls are received. Add to all this the capability of skins to match customer logos and color schemes, and you have a much better answer for many users.

For more on the new Intelliverse Softphone:
- Read the product news at VoIPMonitor

Running a global, Skype-based call center

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 06:59:59 -0500

It's one thing to want and need a call center; it's quite another to be able to afford one. Hosted call center services provide one set of options, though even lower costs can come when the service is based on the popular Skype VoIP service. OnState Communications has had a Skype-based call center offering for some time, and they've now added the capability to run the call center anywhere the business requires, whether in the U.S. or internationally. The software basis helps keep the price low, though low cost doesn't necessarily translate into few features--skills-based routing, video calling, text chats, and call recording are just some of the features the new solution makes available. For smaller companies, or just companies looking to maximize their call center dollars, it's a powerful set of features in a low-cost package.

For more on OnState's Skype-based call center:
- Read the complete article at VoIP-News

Convergence 2.0 inches closer

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 06:59:58 -0500

It's really just what we all need: another buzzword. This time, Convergence 2.0 -- which popped up around the recent CES conference and promises to become more popular with time--is the buzzword, and communications that involve audio, video, animated graphics, computers, cell phones, and game consoles (oh, and so much more) are the target. It doesn't seem like the ink had time to dry on all the press kits that talked about the first wave of convergence before companies started in on the new, improved convergence. How can you tell if it's 2.0? Look for mobility, to start. Tack on a massively personalized user experience and you're well on the way. If the product soaks up bandwidth like drought-parched topsoil, you know you're in 2.0 territory. We're all heading in that direction--get ready for the ride.

For more on Convergence 2.0:
- Read the practical primer at NetworkWorld

Identify VoIP problem root causes

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 06:59:58 -0500

When you're busy putting out fires around your network, it can be tough to take the time to figure out why the darned thing seems so very flammable to begin with. If you ever want to move out of reaction mode and start building a better network for all your users, though, you have to solve the basic problems of the network and fix the root causes of your problems. David Messina has seen a lot of problems in his time at Xangti, and he's ready to talk about how to get to the root of them. One of the first steps is to get out of silos--think of the network as a whole, rather than a series of unrelated parts. You should also be thinking of Quality of Service in proactive terms; something to be planned for, rather than just allowed to happen.

For more on tracking down root causes:
- Read the complete interview at TMCnet

Briefly noted...

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 06:59:57 -0500

> TelExtreme enters U.S. VoIP market. Article

> FCC approves Verizon link to China. Article

> Vontoo embeds voice into business apps. Article

> IVR Technologies out with Microsoft Smartphone apps. Article

IP comms blur lines between service and app providers

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 06:59:57 -0500

When you're developing relationships with your suppliers and partners, part of the relationship will be based on what it is, precisely, that they bring to the table. Are they a service provider? Do they bring applications to bear on your business problems? Two different scenarios, two different relationships. IP communications, however, present an arena in which it can be very difficult to tell just what it is that a provider is...well, providing. Software as a service (SaaS) is just one of the acronyms that keeps coming up, and IP-based application provisioning is a topic that will keep the lines blurred--and your enterprise humming along--for years to come. Figuring out how to deal with partners that stand astride the broad, glowing line is just one of the adjustments you and your organization will have to make.

For more on the bright, blurred line:
- Read the whole interview at TMCnet.com.

Planning and good info key to unified comms

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 06:59:57 -0500

Unified communications tend to be many things: "simple" isn't one of them. The acknowledged complexity can lead to organizations being reluctant to deploy unified comms, convinced that network instability and communications unreliability are an inevitable result. It doesn't have to be that way, but you can only achieve positive results by planning obsessively and providing your deployment team with all the information possible on the applications and networks that will support your new communications efforts. It's not just the product and service set that's complex: plan on one of the most complex deployments you'll ever deal with, too. Managing and allocating bandwidth is where things start, and maintaining visibility into the network and all its applications must be part of the continuing process.

For more on successful unified communications:
- Read the practical analysis at TechTarget

Editor's Corner

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 07:00:00 -0500

Getting personal

First, Happy New Year, and welcome back to the Business VoIP Report. This week, just about everyone's attention is focused on Las Vegas, where the electronics industry has brought together 140,000 or so of their closest friends to talk about the cool new things we'll all be buying in the coming year. If you don't need a 12-foot flat-screen television or a combination Taser and MP3 player (both are on display), then perhaps something like the ability to make Skype calls from a Sony PSP mobile game console will get your blood pumping. I know a surprising number of executives who carry the PSP to stave off boredom in airports and other essentially boring places, and I suspect many will be excited about the Skype deal. Of course, the target market is the young crowd--the old strategy of getting them hooked on a brand while young even extends to VoIP. If that's not cool enough, then Creative Labs' inPerson video conferencing system is another step into a future when we'll all have the ability to make video calls from, essentially, anywhere. I've got a Nokia N800 that I'm setting up for my mobile VoIP and video-conferencing platform--what are you doing that's exciting in the world of VoIP? The tools and techniques just keep getting better, and the year is only one week old... -Curtis