VoIP News: May 2007

Deutsche Telekom has become the first major telecommunications provider to back an external VoIP company through its investment in Jajah. The move follows the company's announcement earlier this month that it had seen profits for the last quarter drop by 58 per cent and it is therefore likely to be seen as an acknowledgement of the impact of VoIP on the market. Jajah will receive the investment through Deutsche Telekom's venture capital arm T-Online Venture Fund, which hopes to offer the VoIP technology to its customers.

Telephony hardware supplier Mediatrix has launched a new series of access devices which allow analogue phones or fax machines to be hooked up to VoIP. The Mediatrix 4100 Series connects up to 24 devices to a local area network or broadband line to allow easy use of internet voice calls for smaller businesses. Described as an evolution from previous product lines, the latest generation is the result of ten years of Mediatrix's involvement in VoIP systems.

Facebook, the rapidly-expanding social network, has added a VoIP feature that allows users to connect and talk through the site. In a newly-announced widget from VoIP operator Jangl, users of the social network can contact their Facebook friends without exchanging a real telephone number. The Jangl application instead creates a private phone number for each relationship - giving users control over who can talk to them.

Microsoft will not replace current private branch exchange (PBX) sellers as it cannot offer comparable features or support, according to one vendor. The Seattle-based company recently signed up some PBX vendors to provide VoIP inter-operability with its up-coming Office Communications Server 2007. Some industry experts suggested this could lead to companies indulging in "rip and replace" of their current systems and herald a full-scale move by Microsoft into becoming a PBX vendor itself.

In a move that may free VoIP users from their home or office net connections, a UK internet provider has launched a wireless VoIP (wVoIP) service that will tap into any compatible Wi-Fi network. Velophone announced a service that will allow callers to use their existing SIM card and then automatically switch to making calls over VoIP when in range of a designated Wi-Fi hotspot. The VeloMobile service will initially use a handset from Taiwanese manufacturer HTC, but compatability with a Nokia handset is being tested.