VoIP News: June 2007

VoIP phone manufacturer GenNext Technology has announced the worldwide launch of its new small business network solution. Specifically created for the small office/home office (SoHo) market, the system includes a cordless phone and wireless router which works with both web-based and SIP-based VoIP services. Additionally, users get piece of mind that their service will not drop out due to power failure as the system comes with an uniterruptible power supply, which is monitored to protect against spikes which might damage the system.

VoIP companies in Europe are having more of an impact on their local telecoms industry than their counterparts in the US, a new study suggests. Due to the growth of VoIP, traditional telecoms companies in Europe lost ten million fixed line subscribers last year, according to market research firm In-Stat. Over the same period there were 14 million VoIP subscriptions in Europe, with three million earned back by the phone companies through their VoIP efforts.

A new partnership deal has been struck up between Asterisk-based VoIP systems manufacturer Digium and US business solutions provider Bandwidth. com. The collaboration will see the companies share information and cooperate on new telecoms services and business platforms to improve systems for customers.

Web-based VoIP firm Jajah has asked internet users to show them the most creative way to destroy a microphone headset. It launched the competition in an attempt to highlight the fact that VoIP users do not have to be tied to their computer but can make calls from normal fixed lines or mobile phones. The firm said that their intention "is to point out the benefits of using Jajah as a communication tool for free and low-cost global calling without any headset involved" and to "share and create fun and creative content" for users of the service.

Hype over Apple's soon-to-be-released iPhone has included suggestions that it could use VoIP, but one analyst has pointed out that this would come at a price. The iPhone's Wi-Fi connectivity could in theory allow it to switch over to VoIP calls fairly easily, especially if Apple's design team comes up trumps again and merges normally complex actions into a simple click. But Tristan McIntyre on industry blog Mac.