VoIP Safe For Emergency Situations

According to a new regulation passed by Ofcom, all U.K. based VoIP providers catering to residentials and online voice networks are required to provide 999 emergency functionality to their clients. Most of the major players of VoIP service industry already have this functionality as part of their service. However this stringent move on the part of Ofcom will ensure that this essential service will be a part of the features provided by all the VoIP service providers.

This move is definitely a great way to ensure that in times of emergency no mishap takes place due to unavailability of 999 VoIP emergency access. Additionally it will make VoIP telephony service more reliable and a secure way to connect.

For months now emergency access through voice over IP service has been an issue of concern. Reason being that VoIP telephony service does not provide an area dependent phone number. As a result when a voice over IP user tries to call the emergency number the assistant at the other end at times is unable to figure out the location from where the call is being made.

With this regulation on IP telephony this scenario is likely to change ensuring a safe and dependable voice over IP solution to the users.

Truphone's Victory Over T-Mobile

Back in July a battle had soared between T-mobile U.K. and Truphone, a VoIP service provider. Truphone had accused T-mobile of banning calls from T-mobile to its network. This is yet another classic case of insecurity creeping into the minds of the established mobile network providers. Believing in killing the competition rather than ensuing a healthy competition, numerous mobile operators have been trying out different ways of curbing VoIP services.

The reasoning given by T-mobile U.K. was that this conflict arose due to the inability of both the companies to come to a compromise on the interconnection fees. However this seems like an excuse to get out of the muddy situation of explaining the real reason.

A court case had ensued between the two concerned parties. In the preliminary ruling the court has given the verdict in favor of Truphone, ordering T-mobile to let its users terminate the calls through Truphone's network. Accordingly, both companies should start to negotiate the interconnection fees. In the absence of agreeing to a common rate, the court will take it upon itself to give the final verdict on the rate.

This battle is just the beginning of the few that are likely to follow as VoIP services begin to spread its wings across the globe slowly attracting the customers of mobile operators.

Does this show that mobile operators are scared of this new technology? Why would they be scared of something that they term as 'ineffective and useless'? Too contradictory, isn't it? This panic reaction of operators is definitely a telltale of their hidden insecurity that stems from the acknowledgment that IP telephony has got all that it takes to completely take over, leaving them without business.

On A Marathon With VoIP- Continued

Continuing with one of my previous blogs titled “On a marathon with VoIP” I will try to list another business opportunity that one can take advantage of for increasing their revenue generation( read- $$$$'s !)

Elaborating on the above mentioned blog, ideally an internet service provider, system integrators, hardware & software product manufacturers, call shop owners, calling card companies among a host of others can provide VoIP service in a creative way to earn big moolah.

For instance, if you are dealing with calling cards or if you are an internet telephony service provider then the best option would be to provide bundle up services with voice over IP i.e. by unifying your existing service with VoIP call termination facility.

This will give you two fold advantage. By providing a bundle up service you will be able to attract customers since you will be offering them the convenience to take care of just a single bill at the end of the month( who prefers to maintain a track record of numberless bills..i don't!). Additionally your product line and profit margin will increase without making any substantial investment( as mentioned previously, the service provider owns and maintains the entire infrastructure and the technical equipments needed to transmit the call).

Let your creative spirit drive while you sit in the super fast VoIP jalopy and see yourself win the race!

Vonage Lending A New Sun To SunRocket's Users?

A day after the sudden shut down of SunRocket, a Vienna based VoIP Service Provider, Vonage is lending a helping hand to its subscribers by offering them to transit their phone number to Vonage at no extra charge. Along with this 2 months free service will also be provided to those who decide to opt for their U.S. Residential Premium Unlimited Plan.

Besides this 25 value added features are also a part of the package on offer.

Seems like a great deal for SunRocket subscribers, right? Well, I have a different take on this. Firstly why would anyone want to migrate to another VoIP provider whose future is anyways in a dillydally?( Unless they prefer this pendulum like state!).

Another interesting development is that there are several subscribers who are claiming that Vonage has been unable to transfer their SunRocket number to Vonage! Not sure till how far this rumor is true but if it is, then it seems like Vonage has not learned its lesson in customer satisfaction!

My bigger concern over these recent developments is that somewhere down the line it seems like even big giants, in this case SunRocket and Vonage, seem to be completely ignorant not just about business ethics but also perhaps the way to project their brand image and services. Is their PR executive not bothered about the negative publicity this would provoke or perhaps they are a believer of the fact that any publicity is good publicity? Food for thought!

A Shot In The Arm Leaves SunRocket Without Business

Earlier this week SunRocket, 2nd largest VoIP provider, send packing about 40 of its employees. Ever since then people have been talking in hushed tones about the financial problems that might have led to this sudden move.

In less than a week another development has confirmed the rumor which has been ringing everywhere. It seems like the company has closed down without even informing its clients. Perhaps they want to doge the questions that could be raised for this sudden closure. Personally i feel this is a case of shirking the responsibility and projects their complete lack of accountability towards their customers. All sympathies with their 200,000 subscribers who are now suddenly left without a telephone service.

Their customers became aware of the companies close-down when they heard a voice message on calling the providers 800 number. On the other hand, there is no mention of this shut down on their website which is still operational allowing customers to purchase their services. Caught in a dilemma the customers have really nothing to fall back on.

What amazes me is the irresponsible and completely unprofessional way this Vienna, VA based company is handling this unfortunate shut-down. Are the companies overlooking business ethics? With this case in point I think they are.

Expect The Unexpected With Nokia And VoIP

We can at last begin to expect the unexpected from mobile providers. Where most of the mobile companies are busy closing data ports to disable use of various web based applications which enable calls through VoIP call termination service; Nokia has gone ahead and set an example for the rest of the mobile providers by enabling skype calls through its N800 model.

It requires a WiFi connection, in opposition to the traditional 3G network, to log on to the internet through N800 and from there you can download skype application from its website. Seems like finally there is a provider whose not scared of competition!

This move on Nokia's part might lure VoIP users to buy its handset too. A single move has placed N800 model on a platform above other handsets which do not allow VoIP termination service.

Integration of a mobile with VoIP service is an important step towards spreading the availability of this multi functional and flexible technology.

More on VoIP later...till then happy voiping around!

On A Marathon with VoIP

There is no doubt about the fact that VoIP has begun to gradually spread its wings across the globe, facilitating so much of our daily communication needs. VoIP brings along with it various business opportunities too.
IP
One of my long time friends has been thinking about becoming a VoIP reseller for quiet sometime. However, the thought of spending thousands of dollars needed for the initial set up was a huge deterrent.

Well, there are premium VoIP service providers who offer hosted VoIP service thereby managing the entire technical backend process and infrastructure needed for call termination. The service would allow you focus only on the marketing aspect of the business. Talk about reaping the harvest without sowing the seed!

As a result, there is no capital investment, low set up charges and no recurring costs. You can easily become a VoIP reseller and get an added advantage of selling a very lucrative technology which is only going to grow in future, with minimum risks involved.

Additionally, it is not essential for the reseller to understand VoIP technology inside out. Anyone who has a strong and widespread client base can become a voice over IP reseller. There are 2 reseller plans on offer namely- standard and white label reseller program. The only difference between them is of the branding. White label offers you the benefit to re-brand the services in your existing brand. So, you get to use the brand image that you have cultivated to your advantage when you launch this new service. Not just this but it also increases your product line.

So is it time to become a VoIP reseller and gain along with this propitious technology....definitely a thought to mull over. I would definitely answer in the affirmative.

Vonage In Soup...Yet Again

The trouble for Vonage does not seem to be coming to an end. According to 'The Associate Press' Vonage is in troubled waters with a religious discrimination lawsuit being filed against this popular VoIP carrier.

This incident has once again brought forth this excruciating question: how sensitive the management & the top notch managers are to the needs of their employees. With all the public relation executives being taught time and again the importance of employee relations it seems like the concept exists only in theory and is yet to be applied in real-life business scenario.

Hopefully with Vonage being taken to court other companies would tighten the noose.

The next stride forward

In my previous blog i had mentioned some points that one needs to consider before investing in VoIP services. Let me spell out a few more...

...Technical or customer support is an essential element of the VoIP package that you are offered. My service provider offers me 24/7 tech support over online chat. Whenever you face any problem with your VoIP service, the service provider should ensure that the process is easy and quick. All that should be required of you is to log on to MSN and inform the technical team about it. This is the chief reason why I have never considered changing my provider. I hope they pay me for this blatant promotion!

Also to be sure of the security of service that you will be getting, it is a good idea to find out the retention rate of their customers. Additionally, there should be multiple points of presence(POP)and switches. This will help minimize the latency and give you better connectivity.

Center your queries around the rates offered, kind of quality provided, technical support service, retention rate and number of POP's and switches for ensuring that you get an uninterrupted VoIP telephony service.

First Step towards VoIP

The first step is always the most crucial. After that it is more or less a smooth run. Same is the case with VoIP call termination services. One has to start with selecting a VoIP provider. There are a large number of VoIP service providers existing in the telecom sector and the choice can be tough to make.

There are certain parameters that could be followed. Rates are definitely one of the criteria that I would suggest you take into account. Opt for a VoIP provider who offers you competitive rates. Lesser the rates more would be the savings! Since we are talking about telephony services, quality of service automatically comes to the forefront. No matter which provider’s website you browse, chances are they will all be seen reinforcing that they are providing crystal clear voice quality and minimum latency.

So whom to believe? Well there are essentially two ways for judging the quality. You can ask for their ACD (average call duration), ASR (average success ratio) and PDD (post duration delay) ratio's. ACD should be between 4-5 minutes, ASR between 40-50% and PDD between 2-3 seconds in order to ensure good voice quality. Secondly, a provider who has tie ups with Tier-1 provider will be able to provide better quality routes for VoIP call transmission.

To be continued…

Getting Started with VoIP

What inspired me to start a blog was to essentially guide the uninitiated in understanding VoIP technology and help them get a clearer perspective of how to interface this new technology with their business. VoIP is not a rocket science as is normally believed. It is a contemporary method of communicating with others from across the globe via online web interface.

VoIP termination service transmits the voice through high speed broadband internet (ideal speed would be 128 kbps) by condensing and converting it into small digital IP packets from analog signals. These digital IP packets are then reconverted into analog signals, i.e. in the form of voice, and decompressed before they finally reach the listener on the other end.

Benefits of using VoIP call termination service are numerous. Since the voice is transmitted via internet it completely cuts down the need for optical fiber lines thereby cutting down on the cost of calling. You can end up saving up to 50% by utilizing this service.

Moreover one gets the same voice quality as is provided by traditional modes of communication namely- PSTN and PBX. Most of the corporate houses who have integrated VoIP telephony with their businesses claim that it has tremendously increased the productivity.

Being location independent, it gives the benefit of taking your business along with you where ever you go. All that is needed to get started is an internet connection, computer or IP phone, ATA and speakers.

Its benefits are far more than the ones I have listed. All you need to do is get creative and experiment with VoIP in order to get the most out of this revolutionary technology.