TMCnet News
VoIP Week in Review from TMCnetTMCnet Contributing Editor This week, the VoIP Minute Watch brought you news from Skype (News - Alert), AT&T (News - Alert), Verizon (News - Alert) and AOL.
On Monday, Polycom (News - Alert) and VoIP service provider Skype announced that they have joined forces to introduce the Polycom Communicator, a Skype-certified, co-branded USB speakerphone that integrates Polycom's Acoustic Clarity Technology to deliver hands-free, natural, two-way voice communication for Skype voice and video conversations, without echoes or feedback. The device complements the new Skype for Business offering, providing a portable, personal speakerphone system that delivers high-fidelity wideband voice communications for individuals or small groups. In addition to the core speakerphone capabilities, the Polycom Communicator also offers a high-quality audio output for playing music and games from a laptop or desktop PC.
NETGEAR announced Monday pricing information and pre-order availability for the new NETGEAR Skype WiFi phone (model SPH101). This will be the first device said to be certified to make mobile Internet telephony a reality for Skype users worldwide. The phone can be pre-ordered now exclusively online at an MSRP of $249.99.
The SPH101 is the first Skype-Certified device to allow consumers to make unlimited free domestic and international calls to other Skype users over a wireless network without having to be tied to a PC. The WiFi phone will work anywhere in the world where a user has a secured or open access to a WiFi network.
Also on Monday, Enbridge, an energy, transportation and distribution company in North America announced that it awarded a three-year $9 million networking contract to AT&T for the integration of an advanced Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IP VPN) system. The new agreement renews the long-standing relationship between the two companies. AT&T's global networking platform will incorporate AT&T's Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) technology, connecting more than 225 Enbridge sites across the United States and Canada. AT&T's MPLS network is comprised of more than 1,500 nodes with service availability in more than 127 countries.
The Minute reported on Thursday about a new voice and data services contract awarded to AT&T by the State of Nevada. The new contract will make the telecom giant the premier transport communications provider to the State's Department of Information Technology, spanning 16 of the 17 counties throughout the Silver state. The new, two-year contract calls for AT&T to provide the State of Nevada with an Integrated Services Digital Network Primary Rate Interface (ISDN PRI), Centrex and voice and data hardware. This contract will allow Nevada's State Department of Information Technology to coordinate and manage the deployment of services to all Executive Branch agencies through a single integrated network.
Verizon announced Friday that it lowered the monthly price of VoiceWing Broadband Phone Service, the telecom giant's VoIP-based calling service. The move will certainly position the company in a competitive spot alongside other VoIP service providers such as Vonage (News - Alert).
Previously priced at $29.95 a month for Verizon broadband customers and $34.95 a month for other broadband users, the VoiceWing Unlimited Plan will now be available for $24.95, plus taxes and surcharges, to all qualified new and existing VoiceWing customers, regardless of the broadband connection they use. The new monthly rate for unlimited local and long-distance calls includes calls to the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories.
The Minute reported on Friday that AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) users will soon be assigned a number that will receive incoming calls from any phone thanks to a new service that AOL will launch towards the end of this month called AIM Phoneline. AOL will also offer AIM Phoneline Unlimited, a paid, upgraded version of the service. For $14.95 a month subscribers will be able to make local, long-distance and international calls. AOL will also soon introduce AIM Pages, a service similar to MySpace.com's "online social network."
There you have it folks, another exciting week in the VoIP industry! Stay tuned and read the VoIP Minute Watch for the latest news…
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Johanne Torres is contributing editor for TMCnet and Internet Telephony magazine. To see more articles by Johanne Torres, please visit Johanne Torres' columnist page.
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