Archive for December, 2003

Internet grows as call carrier

About 13 percent of international voice traffic is now carried by Internet telephony, the low-cost, feature-rich technology lately being introduced to consumers.

Although less than one-fifth of 1 percent of U.S. phone lines use a Voice over Internet Protocol phone service such as Vonage, the technology is making huge inroads behind the scenes, in long-distance networks and at big companies, according to a new report by TeleGeography.

The 13 percent of global phone traffic that analyst Stephan Beckert estimates is now transported via voice over IP accounts for nearly 24.5 billion minutes a year. In 2002, voice over IP’s share of international traffic was 10 percent; it was 4 percent in 2000.

TeleGeography said its research “suggests that VoIP can transform a century-old business in just a few years.”

– Associated Press

Written by Erik Lagerway - Visit Website

Xten Softphone for the Masses in LindowsOS 4.5 Release

LindowsOS 4.5 Launched with Integrated Free SIP Softphone provided by Xten

Burnaby, Canada, December 17, 2003 /PRNewswire/ – Xten Networks (www.xten.com) and Lindows.com (www.lindows.com), today announced the immediate availability of X-Lite Plus, an Xten softphone which is now native in the latest release of LindowsOS version 4.5 (www.lindows.com/lindowsos). Xten’s softphone provides LindowsOS users with free worldwide calling through the integration of Xten’s new X-Lite Plus SIP softphone software into the LindowsOS operating system.

“Integrating Xten’s softphone client into LindowsOS demonstrates that Linux is taking a leadership role in innovation in the operating system business,” said Michael Robertson, chief executive officer of Lindows.com Inc. “By turning the common PC into a global calling tool and providing customers with free conferencing — an industry first — telecommunications have finally been democratized with LindowsOS and Xten.”

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Written by Erik Lagerway - Visit Website

VoIP top priority for Bell Canada in 2004

By Marguerite Reardon
Staff Writer, CNET News.com

Bell Canada is moving more aggressively toward Internet Protocol technology. Top on its “to do” list: voice over IP service for residential customers.

At its annual shareholder meeting in Toronto on Wednesday, Michael Sabia, chief executive officer of the Canadian phone company, outlined his company’s strategy for moving all of its communications services onto an IP-based communications network.

“It’s clear the future for the industry is IP,” Sabia said in a statement. “The company is solidly engaged, and we have the plans and the proven ability to execute to support our determination to compete and win in an IP world.”

Bell Canada’s overall objective is to migrate 100 percent of its traffic, including all of its voice traffic, onto a national IP backbone network within three years. The carrier said that IP-based communications will provide its customers with several benefits including simpler provisioning, greater self-service and multimedia Internet. The company said the move also will significantly reduce operating costs.

Full Story

Written by Erik Lagerway - Visit Website

Lindows bundles OS with free calling

Lindows 4.5 was launched today with Xten softphone bundled natively with the OS.

Xten’s X-Lite Plus softphone was bundled with the SIPphone service to deliver worldwide free calling and conferencing. There is no other SIP softphone bundled with Lindows 4.5.

Here is some news on the topic:
Globe and Mail
Yahoo! Finance

Written by Erik Lagerway - Visit Website

TechTerra Deploys New Xten Technologies

TechTerra Deploys New Xten Technologies in Delivering Free SIP-to-SIP Calling and Other Integrated Services

AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Dec. 15, 2003–TechTerra Communications, Inc., a leading VoIP service provider, today announced the expansion of its product line to include: free SIP-to-SIP, TerraConnect and TerraCall X-Pro Business Edition. TechTerra is proud to be the first service provider to deploy these services powered by new technologies from Xten Networks, Inc.
TechTerra’ SIP-to-SIP (StS), also known as PC-to-PC, is a free service allowing voice calls from one PC (or other approved SIP-enabled endpoint) to another. TechTerra is offering a free broadband TerraCall X-Lite client to access the free service, with which landline and cellular calls can also be made at very low rates. StS will also support the Actiontec Internet Phone Wizard, a USB device that merges your regular telephone and VoIP into one endpoint.

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Written by Erik Lagerway - Visit Website

European Resellers Caught in Lindows vs. Windows Crossfire

This isn’t really related to telephony today but there is some crossover which will become apparent very soon. This battle is reminiscent of the VoIP regulatory issues we are experiencing these days as well.

I support Lindows as I believe that they are being bullied by the software giant in Redmond, give them hell Michael!

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Microsoft is putting European resellers in the middle of its trademark battles with Lindows, and in Sweden, Microsoft is winning.

Lindows isn’t Windows. Apparently plain old folks don’t know this, however, at least according to the City Court of Stockholm, Sweden. The court issued an injunction at Microsoft Corp.’s request on Dec. 10, barring San Diego-based Lindows.com Inc. from marketing its LindowsOS operating system in Sweden.

In its declaration, the City Court “prohibits, for the time until the case has finally settled or anything else has been decided, Lindows.com to use Lindows, Lindows.com and LindowsOS, as marks for products or services regarding operative systems.”

The injunction is the latest salvo in an increasingly nasty war in which Microsoft appears determined to quash the Lindows name permanently. “What we’re asking Lindows to do is to change its name,” says Microsoft spokesman Jim Desler. “It is Lindows.com that put these [European] resellers in a compromising position by their deliberate infringement on our trademark.”

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Written by Erik Lagerway - Visit Website