Kevin Walsh wrote:

Andreas Sikkema [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:


[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:


There are a few codecs, other than G.729, that you may not have
heard of.  These include GSM, iLBC and SpeeX, to name a few.
Paying for G.729 licenses, however cheap they may appear, only
encourages the monopolists.



The problem being that those are not supported by the devices we
use. Unfortunately we don't have the influence (yet?) to change
that.



And you will never have that influence if you continue to encourage
the G.729 monopolists.



I am going to jump in here. I think that it is clear from looking at the history of software and computer hardware that the market is competitive enough that systems which are heavily encumbered by licensing restrictions will always lose to systems which are not. We can remember IBM's Microchannel Architecture and GIF as the great examples of what happens to heavily patented technologies (even in environments where open source has not taken off yet). The reason is simple economics and beyond the scope of this discussion except to say that such restrictions cause additional production costs with vendors would rather avoid. Unless the patented technology is *so much better* than its competitors to deliver enough value to make up for these restrictions, it is simply not competitive. As other technologies are getting better too, patented technologies cannot generally remain competitive through even most of their useful life. Therefore these technologies die, and this is why patents which are valid for more than, say, 5 years end up hurting innovation and stifling the software economy (not just open source).

It is quite possible that when G.729 came out, it did provide compelling value. However, this has changed. I think we will start to see more devices supporting GSM, Speex, etc. in the near future, and G.729 will be eventually relegated to "legacy support."

My suggestion to people is "Don't buy new equipment requiring G.729." You may still need licenses for equipment you already have, but you don't want to be tied to a technology which is beginning to die.

Best Wishes,
Chris travers
Metatron Technology Consulting
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