Archive for July, 2005

Those who know Nero are probably aware that they build very popular CD/DVD burning software. Nero also is the parent company to SIPPs the SIP VoIP software company launched in recent years. It looks like Nero are gunning for the Triple Play. This could be interesting as we see set-top boxes gain more popularity. It is also a better fit for Nero as they were not exactly a hit with their SIP client software.

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Tom Keating writes today on a story from the Dallas Morning news about CompUSA seeing huge growth in VoIP sales within their stores. I am sure this is true but I wonder if those retailers are ready for P2P SIP. My sources tell me that when it comes to placing VoIP product on retail shelves the stores are asking for the moon and stars.

As an example, if a device manufacturer wants to place hardware on the shelves with a FREE VoIP (soon P2P SIP) service attached the stores want a residual. A residual on WHAT!? If it’s free I am failing to see where the residual is coming from.

The likes of Best Buy, CompUSA etc. need to gain some VoIP understanding. If VoIP is really going to take off in their stores they need to approach the free for use networks differently. The likes of Vonage who apparently have never-ending deep pockets are about to learn that P2P SIP will change their networks forever.

P2P SIP will be bundled with various devices and the device manufacturers should not be penalized for doing so. They should be able to sell their products in these stores based on a one time sale revenue split and if the network eventually does generate revenue that is when the retailers will get their share. Many of these P2P SIP offerings that will be coming down the pipe will have Voicemail, PSTN service etc. but many will not offer that right away.

If the retailers really want to see their VoIP revenue blossom they need to take a new tact.

By way of Andy I have read a posting Broadband Reports regarding Vonage potentially taking over the ill VocalTec [VOCL is their ticker symbol] who are now on the ropes. This makes a great deal of sense as long as the deal can be structured properly. There is always a concern when doing and RTO, once the deal is done, that thousands of anxious shareholders who look forward to regaining their losses [I expect there are a few considering the state of VocalTec today] to sell a great amount of stock the moment it goes north of $1. I am sure Citron and company have this covered.

Vodaphone is getting more aggressive with it’s pricing in Europe and it’s sister company Verizon is doing the same as a tactic to retain existing customers and attract new ones.

There are new open standards in the mix that are paving the way for the next phase in IP communications. SIP has come a log way but still needs work, especially for P2P. These new variations on SIP will carve a new niche and blow the doors wide open for endpoint-centric communications. Vodafone says it will be turning off Skype in it’s networks in Germany. If Skype used this new variation of SIP optimized for P2P networks it would not be so easy to deny them access to any network. Operators, including Skype, could also use it to replace their IM and IP Voice infrastructure and save milions in the process.