[LINK] Dial N for Net Phone - New VOIP system

[Karl Schaffarczyk]

At 12:01 PM +1100 24/2/04, jeff.evans at iird.vic.gov.au wrote:
>From
><http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/print_version/garfinkel0304.asp>
>
>    Dial N for Net Phone
>    An online phone service shows that Internet telephony's time may finally
>    have come.
>    By Simson Garfinkel March 2004
>
>    <snip>
>    A new service called Vonage offers a completely different approach to
>    Internet telephony. It still uses your high-speed Internet connection,
>    but instead of a desktop computer, you make your phone calls using a
>    special "telephone adaptor" that's about the size of a trade paperback.
>    You plug this adaptor into your home network's hub or router, and into
>    the wall for power. Then just plug a standard telephone into the adaptor
>    and you're ready to go.

[snip]


Jeff, Link,
I think this is another example of press-release journalism.

I understand that this type of product has been available from many 
providers for around the last two or three years, and it's available 
from local providers as well.

As an example, I have a telephone adapter provided by chi-tel some 
six months ago. I have a Sydney phone number, yet I answer the phone 
in Canberra. I don't see any press releases hailing this as something 
exciting, new and completely different.

We are nearing completion of negotiations with several key suppliers 
to provide such a service ourselves - providing adapters or complete 
standalone VoIP handsets with real telephone numbers including a 
choice of Australian,  North American and English - all technology 
several years old.

The point of differentiation in the press release that Mr Garfinkel 
has printed is not new. I am amazed that this is seen as 'new'.

Regards
Karl
=8)

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