VoIP wants to cut the computer cord

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capabilities such as call waiting and caller ID. It even lets people make and receive calls on a home phone line from anywhere users have access to AIM.

Softphones have become popular in corporate networks, especially among road warriors who travel for business. Softphone clients are sold as part of a larger corporate IP telephony solution from companies such as Cisco Systems, Avaya, Siemens and Nortel Networks.

The consumer market, as is often the case, could be next. But before softphones can really become widely deployed, the technology will have to be accessible to more devices than just a laptop.

"People don't always want to boot up their computer and put their headset on to make a phone call," said Stephen Howe, vice president of voice for EarthLink.

In the next six months, EarthLink plans to make its softphone client compatible with operating systems other than Microsoft. Users will be able to download it to devices running Java, Apple Computer's OS or wireless operating systems.

Consumer electronics makers also are working on devices that have enough memory and processing capability to handle softphone clients. Hewlett-Packard's iPaq handheld, for example, can accommodate softphones. And a Dublin, Ireland-based company called Cicero Networks makes a softphone that also handles calls over both cellular and Wi-Fi networks.

EarthLink is currently testing a free VoIP service that connects customers to VoIP phones using an open-source technology from a small company called PingTel. EarthLink's Vling service only allows users to call people on the Vling network. Like Skype before it, with its SkypeOut service, EarthLink hopes customers will be willing to pay for public switched telephone network connections.

But Vling and other VoIP services from portal providers are more than just voice. Customers can also connect to e-mail and instant messaging. And more than a few companies hope there's a gadget market to go with them.

"There's a huge market for small devices that give you access to information you need," CounterPath's Bruk predicted.

[Stating]

Yahoo vs. Skype On PDA

I use Skype on my Windows PDA and it works great. At $0.02 per minute for a landline call, I don't have to worry about burning through my cellphone minutes and then getting sticker shock on my next bill. Recently, I was sitting outside on the patio of a Border's sipping coffee, talking to a friend over Skype using an Apple Store free Wi-Fi connection. With my lightweight headphones plugged in to the PDA and using its built-in mic, my friend marveled at how clear the connection was. It sounded like FM radio, as opposed to the AM radio sound quality of a traditional phone.

In contrast to Skype's multi-device support, Yahoo lags far behind. Several years ago they abandoned Messenger support on the PDA. So while they crow about their new Messenger, with VoIP support, if you want to use it on a PDA you are out of luck. Even Yahoo Mail on the PDA in IE is lacking.

[GymW]

Are you willing to bet your life on VOIP

What happens with these systems if you need to dial 911? I
believe that this issue has not been fully resolved and many
providers seem to be trying to ignore it.

Thanks but no thanks. Until I am absolutely certain that I can
"pick up the phone," dial 911, and get the same timely response
and action that I can get with a land line, I will keep my land line
thank-you.

What happens during an internet outage, such as a disaster or a
simple problem with a key node server or even the central office?
Are broadband services dependable enough to trust your life to
them in an emergency. My Comcast cable connection is not! I
can depend on several temporary outages a month. Many times
it is in the early hours of the morning, prime time for a fire or
theft. My phone (also via the same cable but DPS) stays up but
not my IP address.

That is the prime reason I plan too keep my land line for the
foreseeable future until VOIP and Broadband has the same
reliability as my land line. My life could depend on it.

[Stomfi]

Outages

Here in Australia, my ADSL is up 24/7. In 6 months I've had one outage while I've been awake. The telephone though suffers from severe noise when it rains, which it does quite a lot. Although I can't hear on the phone, I can use my Skype connection OK.
So if I get rid of the phone which costs $30 a month and pay Skype to call Emergency, I can save money and hear what the emergency crew are asking 24/7.
And they say Australian Telecoms are in dire need of maintenance. Looks like the US is worse off.

I agree

I agree with you, I would not change my service to no landline unless I knew it was just as dependable. The systems go down ALL the time, and with everyone on their phones and it being easier to access... how wouldn't there be constant problems? Not only that but how fast can you really type on a phone key pad? The computer is better for MANY reasons... people will always need computers, for other programs too, computers are NOT only used for the internet!

[Mendz]

Reliability

I think it is correct to worry about reliability.

The base telephone technology should remain as-is and VoIP an option to allow for cheaper communication when and where needed. If for the sake of transition, VoIP can be set as a unit's default. In case the Internet is not available, or when a contact is not VoIP enabled, then traditional telephony can smoothly take over.

The real issue with VoIP is the fact that it relies on more power compared to traditional telephony. Until that time, VoIP can't fully kickoff enough to replace the good old telephone line.

But VoIP can start early with wireless devices where Internet connectivity is an open option. With WiFi and WiMax soon? Cellular network providers better prepare themselves...

Quality of Service

My friend Stacy and I share a birthday. On our birthday she called me on my VoIP line. My first impression was that she had been partying too much on our birthday. Her voice sounded slow. I instantly recognized that it had been sampled and was playing over the phone at slower than normal speed. Worse, I was receiving phrases (chunks?) out of order. I couldn't make sense of what she was saying. I asked her to call me back on my cell. She did immediately and she sounded perfectly normal. After this experience I will never use VoIP for business for fear that someone might think I'd been drinking.