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Category: voip

  • fringOut Offers Worldwide Mobile Calls From 1c/Minute

    fring has just introduced fringOut, a new service that enables users to make cheap calls to any regular landline or mobile phone anywhere in the world, with rates as low as 1¢ a minute.

    Rates for Canada and UK are even lower — 0,6¢ and 0,7¢, respectively, US calls starts at 1,2¢ per minute.

    fring users will still be able to use other SIP service through fring (“We are sure you’ll love fringOut’s simplicity and its low prices. If for some reason, you still want to use other SIP providers, you are welcome too,” the company says).

    All the other fring features, like fring to fring calls (audio and video) are still available for free. The option to send an sms using fringOut credit is currently not available.

    The company informed that its new service is currently available for Nokia S60 (Symbian) devices and will soon be available on iPhone and Android.

    “Hundreds of millions of people have tried low-cost internet calling on their PC or through restricted mobile offerings. With the launch of fringOut, fringsters can benefit from internet calling with the convenience of mobile without cumbersome wires and cables." said Avi Shechter, Co-Founder & CEO of fring.

    "The fringOut service joins our leading video service, to create a fun, internet-rich, cost-effective mobile experience for our thriving community of tens of millions of fringsters," he added.

    fring users can choose how they communicate with their friends including using fring internet calling to other fring users and other communities, fringOut, SIP or GSM.

    A list of rates is available at fring.com/fringOut/rates

    Related news
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    fring Gives Android Users the 1st Mobile 2-Way Video Calls
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    MWC 2010: Interview with Gil Regev of Fring

  • Ooma Introduces New Mobile App Calling Plan Option

    Ooma announced that it is now offering a new Ooma Mobile calling plan that allows users to talk for 1,000 minutes for less than $5 per month.

    The Ooma Mobile application lets Ooma customers make U.S. and international calls from their iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

    Phone calls made using the Ooma Mobile application are transmitted through the internet connection of the device (either Wi-Fi or 3G) so users do not need to use minutes from a cellular voice plan.

    Today’s new bundle extends Ooma’s calling plan offerings for Ooma customers. As always, calls to Ooma phone numbers using the Ooma Mobile application are free. Calls to other U.S. numbers remain just 1.9¢/minute without the calling bundle. Ooma Premier subscribers still have the bonus of 250 free minutes of U.S. calling every month.

    According to the company, there are following benefits of using Ooma Mobile:

    – Save on minutes: Save money by shifting your minutes to Ooma Mobile and call over Wi-Fi or 3G
    – Call overseas: Save up to 90% on international calls using your Ooma prepaid account or international calling plan
    – No coverage, no problem: Avoid roaming charges for phone calls when you have access to Wi-Fi – perfect when traveling abroad
    – Keep your caller-ID: Calls made using Ooma Mobile show the caller-ID of your Ooma account
    – Conserve bandwidth: Reduce 3G bandwidth usage by up to 60% when making a call with Ooma PureVoice technology
    – Call from your iPod/iPad: Ooma Mobile transforms your iPad and iPod touch into a phone
    – Free calling to Ooma subscribers: Call any Ooma phone number and talk for as long as you want

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  • Alteva Offers Free Complete UC Solution Through Its IP Phone Rental Program

    Alteva has announced another affordable way to leverage Microsoft Communication Services integrated with Alteva’s enterprise hosted VoIP service. Together, Microsoft and Alteva are providing hosted UC solutions for smaller businesses that integrate communication and business processes.

    To further make new IP technologies accessible to the SMB market, Alteva is now offering its complete UC solution to organizations purchasing 10 or more phones through an IP phone rental program. Alteva said that companies that choose to take advantage of the rental program will not have to put any money down to get a new Voice over IP phone system. “This rental option will greatly improve the channel managers’ ability to close sales in this turbulent economy,” said Alteva Chief Sales Officer Louis Hayner.

    Back in April, Alteva launched the complete suite of Microsoft Communication Services, including Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint and Office Communications Server (OCS) with hosted voice services.

    “Hosted unified communications will change the way that businesses communicate,” said Rich Cannon, Industry Marketing Development Manager at Microsoft.

    “By integrating voice with Microsoft Communication Services, we are opening the doors to service providers and their partners by providing a range of functionalities to offer to the end user that will inevitably change the landscape of their business,” he added.

    In a survey by Infonetics Research, of North American companies and their plans for deploying Unified Communications equipment and services, as well as their ratings of leading Unified Communications vendors, Microsoft is one of the most widely deployed Unified Communications suppliers among survey respondents, enjoying high buyer awareness and receiving high marks from buyers on the most important buying criteria.

    “Against the backdrop of significant enterprise spending reductions on all kinds of products, the unified communication market is holding up remarkably well. Perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise, as these tools are designed to allow users to communicate and collaborate more effectively,” noted Matthias Machowinski, directing analyst for enterprise voice and data at Infonetics Research.

    Related news
    Microsoft Lync: A New Name for a New Generation of UC Solutions
    SoliCall Releases Personal PBXMate for SMB’s and Private Users
    LG-Ericsson and Accton to Deliver Unified Voice and Data Solutions for Businesses

  • Microsoft Lync: A New Name for a New Generation of UC Solutions

    Microsoft announced the release candidate of Microsoft Lync, the next generation of Microsoft’s unified communications software. Lync is the new family brand for the products formerly known as Communications Server, Communications Online and Communicator, and it also now includes Lync Web App, and Lync Online.

    The release candidates of Lync 2010 and Lync Server 2010 are now available for businesses of all sizes to try for free. Microsoft said this broad release candidate is the last step toward release to manufacturing and general availability scheduled for later this year.

    According to the company, Lync can make every engagement a virtual face-to-face meeting, because any interaction can include video and audio conferencing, application and desktop sharing, instant messaging, and telephony.

    Lync has been designed from the ground up to work with Microsoft Office, SharePoint and Exchange, which helps reduce end-user adoption hurdles and increase return on investment. People can also stay connected to others on a wide range of devices while away from the office and manage their communications and calls in new ways, such as moving a call from a PC to a mobile device while leaving the office without disrupting the conversation.

    Microsoft revealed that more than 120 enterprise customers and partners are enrolled in the Microsoft Technology Adoption Program (TAP) for Lync, testing early releases and providing feedback, and over 400 unified communications partners are involved in readiness activities, preparing for general availability of the software later this year.

    In addition, more than 30 partners have announced beta versions of their Lync-compatible hardware, software and service products. Hardware products include a variety of internet protocol phones and USB endpoints optimized for Lync. Software solutions include contact centers, call recording, accounting and new applications that incorporate communications right within business processes. Routing services work with Lync to allow companies to meet United States E-911 requirements for all U.S.-based workers, regardless of location.

    “Over the past five years we have been on a journey to transform communications with the power of software,” said Gurdeep Singh Pall, corporate vice president of Unified Communications at Microsoft.

    “Lync delivers on this vision by unifying enterprise voice, instant messaging and web-, audio- and videoconferencing into a new, connected communications experience,” he added.

  • MZA: Avaya Continues to Lead PBX Market

    The latest figures released by analyst firm MZA have shown that the Corded PBX market (excluding Micro PBX products) increased by 16% in Q2 2010 compared to Q2 2009 at a global level.

    According to MZA, these results show mixed fortunes depending on the sales region and point towards a turbulent road to recovery with fragile growth rates.

    The report finds that Western Europe, for example, which represented more than one-quarter of the overall global market, showed only weak levels of growth as volumes here increased by a meagre one percent in comparison to Q1 2010.

    One of the major contributing factors to this was the result for the UK market, ordinarily the second largest in the region, which declined in Q2 2010 by 5% compared to Q1 2010. However, in a reversal of fortunes, Germany demonstrated growth of 8% in Q2 2010 compared to Q1 2010 after it previously had dropped by 12% sequentially. According to analysts, both of these results illustrate the extremely volatile nature of the recovery in Western Europe.

    North America, on the other hand, posted an encouraging set of results this quarter, both in comparison to the same quarter of last year (up by 18%) and sequentially (up by 13%), although this still leaves the market adrift of its 2008 average quarterly run-rate of over three million extensions.

    Research by MZA shows that one of the biggest increases globally was recorded in Eastern Europe, where volumes have started to pick up following some of the toughest trading conditions. In Q2 2010, the market increased by 35% compared to Q2 2009. Much of the increase was driven here by Russia, where volumes are normalising but still have a long way to go.

    The second largest growth rate was registered in Asia Pacific (excluding Japan), where an increase of 19% in Q2 2010 was recorded over Q2 2009.

    Avaya continued to lead the world PBX market, growing market share from 13% in Q1 2010 to 15% in Q2 2010. Its leadership position was first attained as a result of the acquisition of Nortel.

    Cisco was in second position with a stable 12% market share while Panasonic moved from fourth position in the last quarter to third position in this, maintaining its 11% share. Panasonic continued to lead in the Below 100 Extensions sector with a steady 16% market share, ahead of NEC in second position and Avaya in third position. In the Above 100 Extensions market, Cisco was the market leader with a 24% market share, followed by Avaya.

    World IP Extensions Market

    The raport also finds that the IP extensions market grew by 27% compared to Q2 2009, which was greater than the 16% rise seen in the total extensions market. The Below 100 IP Extensions market grew by 33%, while the Above 100 IP Extensions market increased by 25%.

    In both instances, increases in the IP extensions market far outweighed the growth seen in the total market and also the growth in the Below 100 Extensions market continued to outpace the growth seen in the Above 100 Extensions market as the adoption of IP to the desktop becomes more widespread.

    Cisco maintained its leadership of the IP extensions market with a 33% market share, followed by Avaya at 21% and NEC with 10% market share.

  • Skype Launches Channel Partner Program in the U.S.

    Skype has announced the introduction of the Skype Channel Partner Program to help businesses who are looking to use Skype for their collaboration and communication needs.

    According to Skype, the goal of the program is to establish a qualified network of channel partners in the United States that can assist companies interested in using Skype “to improve their productivity and optimize their communication costs.”

    Through the Skype Channel Partner Program, qualified Channel Partners will receive training, sales and marketing collaterals, customer tracking and reporting tools, as well as support and account management from Skype.

    Once trained and certified by Skype, the partners will be equipped to provide their own consulting, installation, configuration, maintenance and support services to business customers who wish to use Skype’s business solutions, including the Skype Business Client, Skype Manager and Skype Connect.

    Channel Partners will help businesses set up Skype and buy and use Skype products. For example, they will help Skype Manager customers use and manage the Skype Business Client on their desktop and mobile phones via business accounts or connect their existing private branch exchange (PBX) or Unified Communications (UC) systems to Skype using Skype Connect.

    They may also sell third-party hardware and software for use with Skype. Channel Partners will not be reselling any Skype products to customers; all Skype products will be bought directly from Skype.

    According to Skype, already twenty VARs and system integrators have been enrolled in and trained as part of the program and have started marketing and selling their own services and third-party hardware and software for use with Skype’s business solutions.

    Skype said will also work with manufacturers of the IP-enabled PBX and UC systems that have already been certified as interoperable with Skype Connect to introduce the Skype Channel Partner Program to their existing channel partners.

    Related news
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    Skype Now Available on Verizon Multimedia Phones on the BREW Platform
    Skype for iPhone Now Supports Multitasking, No Charges for Calling Over 3G
    Skype For SIP Now Available in Beta

  • Leading Technology Companies Announce HD Voice Initiative in the U.K.

    XConnect, Polycom, BroadSoft and Dialogic announced an initiative to promote the adoption of high-definition voice by service providers in the United Kingdom.

    Through workshops and cooperative communication and marketing, the HD initiative is designed to raise awareness and educate service providers about the benefits of HD voice and help them resolve implementation challenges.

    As part of the initiative, XConnect announced that the XConnect Global HD Voice Federation is now open to HD voice-enabled service providers globally, following its successful launch in the United States.

    First to join from the U.K. are service providers Simwood, SureVoIP and thevoicefactory.

    The federation enables the exchange of HD voice calls among all participants, all interconnecting through XConnect’s carrier hub and routing through phone-number lookups via its carrier ENUM registry.

    The companies joining XConnect in the initiative are market leaders in their sectors of the HD voice ecosystem. Polycom set an early stake in the ground through its SoundStation IP conference phones and SoundPoint desktop phones featuring Polycom HD Voice technology. BroadSoft is the leading global provider of IP-based communications services to the telecommunications industry. Dialogic is a prominent provider of multimedia and signaling technologies and platforms.

    HD voice enables users to experience clearer, higher-quality and more effective voice communication through the use of wideband codecs on IP networks. However, in most cases, to benefit from improved sound quality, callers must be on the same network. XConnect says they have established the HD federation to allow cross-network support for HD voice and potentially for multimedia IP-based services, such as presence and video.

    “The U.K. is ripe for HD voice due to increasing migration to IP and the quest among service providers to differentiate their offerings and deliver greater value to their customers,” said XConnect CEO Eli Katz.

    He added, “We are delighted to have facilitated the world’s first cross-network international HD voice calls via a federation – a step that paves the way for global mass-market adoption of HD voice.”

    Explaining why his company has joined the HD federation, thevoicefactory CEO Martin Sims said: “We realise that to compete effectively where broadband is a given, we have to move ahead of the pack. In a business market where many different languages and accents are the norm, high-definition voice will help us add value to our services.”

    Related news
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    XConnect Offers Trial of High-Definition Calling

  • SoliCall Releases Personal PBXMate for SMB’s and Private Users

    SoliCall, a provider of real time noise reduction and echo cancellation solutions for voice calls, has announced the release of a personal version of its enterprise level PBXMate product.

    The PBXMate is being used by organizations to improve audio quality in their VoIP network. Now it will also be available for individuals who are using SIP phone (or SoftPhone) looking to improve audio quality.

    According to the company, with the Personal PBXMate all parties will enjoy a high quality audio during VoIP call. “This is another step to make our solutions accessible for all users. Both small businesses and individuals will now be able to enjoy the technology that has grasped roots and became popular among large corporations”, said Adam Moore, Director of Media Relations at SoliCall.

    The Personal PBXMate runs on Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7.

    Some of the key benefits of the Personal PBXMate:

    • Server Side Echo canceller (AEC) – your voice will never be echoed back at you. The server side AEC cancels echo before it reaches your ears.
    • Client Side Echo canceller (AEC) – no need to use headset or hold the handset anymore.
    • Server side noise reduction (NR) – shield your ears from irritating street noise / wind noise etc.
    • Client side noise reduction (NR) – make professional calls from your home office without exposing the other party to your ambient noise.
    • Automatic Gain Control (AGC) – makes sure the volume of the call is always set to a comfortable level.
    • Automatic call recording – your calls are automatically recorded using synchronized mode that overcomes network delays & buffering.
    • Key statistic indicators are displayed to help you measure the quality of the calls.

  • Skype Connect 1.0 Officially Launched

    Skype on Monday announced the official launch of Skype Connect 1.0, formerly known as Skype for SIP. Previously available in beta, Skype Connect delivers a business solution that enables IP-enabled private branch exchange (PBX) or Unified Communications systems to connect to Skype.

    According to the company, by using Skype Connect, businesses can now:

    • Make outbound calls from desktop phones to landlines and mobiles worldwide billed at Skype’s standard per-minute calling rates
    • Receive inbound calls from Skype connected users worldwide by placing Skype’s Click & Call buttons on their Web sites
    • Receive calls from landlines or mobile phones in the corporate PBX using Skype’s online numbers that have been purchased separately
    • Manage Skype calls using existing PBX or UC systems’ features such as call routing, automatic call distribution, conferencing, auto-attendant, voicemail, call recording and logging.

    David Gurlé, VP and general manager of Skype for Business said that based on internal research, in the first quarter of 2010, approximately 37% of Skype users reported that they use Skype for some business or business-related purposes.

    "Our team’s goal is to empower businesses of all sizes and types with rich communications tools to unleash their productivity, while reducing their telecommunications costs. […] Skype Connect seeks to enable our customers to reduce their phone bills, while protecting their investment in existing telecommunications equipment,” said Gurlé.

    Skype Connect already has over 2,400 active global customers and it’s now certified to work with PBX and UC products from Avaya, Cisco, SIPfoundry, ShoreTel and other OEMs.

    The solution also works with older TDM PBXs or Key Systems which can now add Skype calling capabilities through third-party IP gateways from AudioCodes, Grandstream and VoSKY.

    Companies using Skype Connect are charged a monthly channel fee of €4.95 / $6.95 per line. This is based on the number of concurrent calls being made or received. Each channel allows for one inbound or one outbound call at any given time. Calls to landlines and mobiles made using Skype Connect are billed at Skype’s standard calling rates worldwide.

    Relating articles
    Skype Now Available on Verizon Multimedia Phones on the BREW Platform
    Skype for iPhone Now Supports Multitasking, No Charges for Calling Over 3G
    Skype Names David Gurle to Lead Skype for Business Team
    Skype For SIP Now Available in Beta

  • Orange Launches Mobile HD Voice in the UK

    Orange announced that they are launching mobile High Definition Voice, which is now available nationwide at no extra cost for all UK Orange customers with an HD voice enabled handset.

    According to Orange, HD Voice reduces background noise and decreases perceived distance between callers by providing crystal clear calls. “Reducing the background noise, hisses and crackles of normal mobile calls, HD Voice also excels in noisy environments,” the company said.

    This will come as a relief for a third (32%) of Brits who blame background noise including road works or noisy chatty friends as the biggest disturbance in conversations (research conducted by Opinion Matters between 13/08/2010 and 16/08/2010).

    Orange HD Voice is available at no extra cost to all Orange mobile customers who take a HD Voice enabled handset. From launch, the Nokia 5230, Nokia X6, Nokia E5 and Samsung Omnia Pro will be HD Voice enabled with further manufactures expected to offer HD handsets in the coming months.

    All HD Voice enabled handsets will be labelled with the Orange HD Voice logo, helping customers to easily recognise those devices that support the new Orange HD Voice service. HD Voice demonstration units will also be available in Orange shops.

    According to Orange, HD Voice also opens up new opportunities for better ways of working in business. “The arrival of HD Voice is hotly anticipated by the broadcasting industry, which believes that the service could reduce its reliance on expensive ISDN lines and the need to ferry guests to studios for interviews. Other industries that will benefit significantly from HD Voice include those with significant background noise like the construction and manufacturing industries,” the company said.