Rich, I don't agree. My Lingo service is $20 a line, unlimited calling to Europe-US-Canada, and I use simultaneous ring to cell when I'm away, I use voicemail-to-Email (instantaneous) when I'm at the office or away, and use quite a few other features. My AT&T line was 3 times that and no Europe (when you finally get the bill with universal sevice fees, taxes, etc.).
I put my second line on Lingo...it's seldom used and pay $15 for 500 minutes which is rarely approached by even 1/2. It's hard to beat. And, I can take my tiny box to Budapest and have my home phone in the Kempinski hotel room. But, I don't have to because of simultaneous ring to my Skype-in number. Maybe it's just the fun of somebody who grew up before the Carterphone decision. . . . j o n a t h a n -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Rich Comroe Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2006 6:00 PM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] VoIP Is About More Than Replacing The Phone Business users, sure IP video conferencing is great. I love it, and use it myself. Residential: sure I've setup skype video-conferencing with other techie friends ... and then not turned it on again (everybody else I call just has an ordinary phone). Ya'never'know. But I wouldn't wager any money that residential IP video conferencing is going to make any inroads. Just my opinion. On the multi-line steering you describe, I switched my phone service (again ... seems like I keep switching it every 2 years) and they offered me free picks from the advanced feature list which includes distinctive ringing. Didn't really interest me. But I'm sure the multi-line feature you're describing would appeal to some (especially small business where you don't want phones ringing on every desk when the call is intended for one particular desk). Problem is with most residential and most small business is that you may be anywhere in the facility (so you really *do* want all the phones to ring so you can pick-up anywhere). Again, just my opinion. I don't see any VoIP killer-apps. It's just a phone that is at the moment offered at a marginally lower price by IP providers that are not required to charge the same government assessments the the traditional providers are required to charge (at the moment). Rich ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'WISPA General List'" <wireless@wispa.org> Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2006 4:41 PM Subject: RE: [WISPA] VoIP Is About More Than Replacing The Phone > Rich > > In general I would agree with you expect for two features, one is video. > Phones like the Grandstream GXV-3000 have are low cost with all the > features > one would need. I am not saying this is there yet as its not plug and play > but it's a step in the right direction. > Also the second is incoming lines, I do not see this offered that much as > a > feature but its there. One VoIP phone can handle lots on incoming lines > when > setup with a provider that offers It. This is very cool as one can have > one > phone number with 4 lines coming in each going to its own ext. This setup > on > standard pots would cost much more then VoIP, so you get more features and > save $$ at the same time :) > > Tony > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Rich Comroe > Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2006 5:03 PM > To: WISPA General List > Subject: Re: [WISPA] VoIP Is About More Than Replacing The Phone > > Nah. It's just a phone. Ordinary wired phones already offer more > features > than people want without VoIP. Ordinary phone service typically offers > you > a list of 25 features. People don't want em, so in my midwest Ameritech > area (now AT&T land) they typically throw in 5 features from the feature > list for free. Most people don't even want the 5 free features ... > they're > just nuisances. There's a "damn it, just take 'em" attitude where the > phone > company now bundles several of the features into all local service whether > you want 'em or not. > > For the mass of the population it's simply about dial-tone & plain local / > long distance talk-time. The phone companies learned to accept this. The > same hype that "it's more than replacing the phone" used to be said about > ISDN for 20 years (yes, ISDN *is* that old). Not one advanced ISDN > feature > EVER became popular with consumers. Within the telecom industry ISDN > eventually became known by several alternate names, one of which was > "Inventions Subscribers Don't Need" (my favorite). > > Rich > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Peter R." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> > Sent: Tuesday, June 20, 2006 2:55 PM > Subject: [WISPA] VoIP Is About More Than Replacing The Phone > > >> VoIP Is About More Than Replacing The Phone >> http://techdirt.com/articles/20060530/0032231.shtml >> >> >> For way too long, most of the attention on VoIP has focused on how it's a >> cheaper telephone replacement option -- which a few people have pointed >> out is the wrong lesson to take from VoIP. Yes, it can provide cheaper >> calling, but the real value of VoIP is that it opens up the ability to >> add > >> new and useful applications to voice communications. When looking for >> game-changing ideas, simply doing something cheaper tends not to be >> nearly > >> as revolutionary as enabling something that couldn't have been done >> before. That's why it's been disappointing to see so many VoIP providers >> focus on price wars rather than offering something different. The good >> news is that we're starting to see some companies offer something >> different using VoIP. The disposable phone numbers idea seems more like a >> gimmick (though one that some folks might find useful). However, what's >> more interesting are the features the service is looking to add on top of >> the disposable numbers, such as the ability to offer specific content to >> callers. Who knows if this particular solution will catch on, but it's >> nice to see companies trying to provide something more than just a >> telephone replacement service when it comes to VoIP. >> >> -- >> >> >> Regards, >> >> Peter >> RAD-INFO, Inc. - NSP Strategist >> We Help ISPs Connect & Communicate >> 813.963.5884 http://4isps.com/newsletter.htm >> >> >> -- >> WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org >> >> Subscribe/Unsubscribe: >> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless >> >> Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ > > -- > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ > > -- > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
