The Voice On the Net Coalition (VON) is calling for unrestricted access of their clients for unlimited broadband internet access for VoIP services that are being blocked by EU service providers to maintain control over the internet market and for the protection of traditional telephony services. The coalition includes Microsoft amongst some of the many industry leaders who have long embraced the technology that has been seen as a threat by traditional telephony service providers due to the apparent killing it does to land-line based services. It is deemed as the next step in the modern Information age where everybody either has a mobile or better yet a smart phone which have become standard for home and office use. Seldom do people leave home without it and anywhere they are, with mobile technology, they could have benefited from the cheaper cost offered by VoIP if they were allowed access to such services. Read the rest of this entry »

A case way back in 2007 by a US VoIP over broadband provider SunPocket suddenly going down without any notice that resulted in total communications blackout to over 200,000 subscribers has resulted in a ruling by the US FCC that all service providers give reasonable notice of a service interruption to prevent such problems in the future. One problem though, the breakdown of something somewhere down the line of internet access is quite broad and can be hard to diagnose and the internet being quite dynamic, it can in theory adapt, being a networked network of networks, bridges and links can be formed in split-seconds making such failures unnoticeable to most users. Read the rest of this entry »

VoIP has gradually been adopted by people as with any other technology that has been based on the internet that has managed to infiltrate each and every activity we engage in, even our social lives. Businesses have begun to accept the easy to implement VoIP telephony system which is becoming the choice for inter-office communication due to ease of implementation. Firstly, VoIP requires only a server or gateway that is linked to the office network, then to an outside internet link allowing it to go outside the walls of the office. Need more users or ports, you simply upgrade the server and network to handle more users and any upgrades to the system is done through the server or gateway, one machine compared to replacing all of the installed phones. Read the rest of this entry »

Skype users can now breathe easier and sleep better a night now that the online telecommunications giant has patched a security issue in their software.

The fix has addressed a security flaw that allows an attacker to control a Skype user’s PC when he or she (the user) click a specified link. The breach of course, can be exploited in many ways.

Skype has assured users that the flaw has been fixed in the latest patch, and users can enjoy secure conversations whether for business or pleasure.

Skype boasts that more than 30 million people all around the world have downloaded their software, while as much as a whooping 1 million users log on to Skype simultaneously. Skype offers free PC to PC calls while charging small fees from PC to mobile or landline phone calls.

The job market has slowly been moving towards VoIP interviews which is showing promise as the next technological step for such commercial applications of VoIP. Normally, people would have had to go to their interviews in person which was time consuming and tedious, and can also be quite costly if you happen to live across the city, and with no guarantee of you getting hired adds to the frustration of the job application trip. VoIP allows people to communicate through the internet using two computers with web cams and mics, reminiscing the good old days of tele-conferencing that used to require high-end T1 internet access to allow fast speeds. With most offices and homes now connected through high-speed DSL, it is now possible to communicate at speeds in real-time without much cost and dedicated equipment. With this, follows all office communication lessening the need for expensive travel that would have otherwise cost businesses more.

If you don’t fancy downloading your VOIP software, then you’re in for a treat! Try out GizmoCall!

The service, called GizmoCall, launched this week. Unlike Skype, which requires users to download a software client to use the service, GizmoCall is Flash-based, requiring nothing more than a browser. Users simply go to the Web site, sign up for a username and password, and start making calls.

Just like other VoIP services, the allure of GizmoCall is that it provides free and low-cost calling. Free calls can be made to other GizmoCall users and to Gizmo5 users. Gizmo5 is a version of the same service that requires a software client and also provides other features, such as instant messaging.

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3 way calling is one feature of a simple land line that is very useful most especially to people who needs to talk with more than one person at the same time. Luckily, it is also available in VoIP services. Whats great about this is its ease of use. It does not require the user confusing stuff to be able to activate conferencing. Below is a guide, a rather easy to follow steps on how to activate 3-Way-Calling feature of your VoIP phone. First is you dial the first number to call, wait for him to answer the call. When the person is on the other line, press the Flash button. Then dial the second person’s number, wait again for him to answer. When the second person answers the call, press the Flash button again. You will be able to talk to both of your called numbers.

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ooVoo is easy and fun to use. It is changing people’s mode of communication. It also changes how you connect online. It is proud of its high quality audio and video, multi user capabilities. It allows up to six people to connect and talk face to face all at the same time. You just need a broadband connection and a computer and a webcam. It also offers video messaging to an email and other ooVoo accounts, text messaging and file sharing. The current version boasts of a high resolution video chat, a support for non-ooVoo users, support for social networking web sites and mail. It is a chat tool for Windows. It has a powerful tool that makes it an easy alternative for small groups using its conference calls. It also has a recording function. That stores video chats with the participants. The length of the recording will vary according to the hard drive’s capacity. The problem with ooVoo is in its audio quality. Many users complained that the chat audio is way too compressed sounding. And there is a delay of about a second in the datastream. Otherwise, its perfect for your chatting needs.

SecureLogix Corporation announced that it is releasing a suite of custom voice-over-IP (VoIP) security assessment tools, which are available for free at the company’s website.
These tools can be used to assess susceptibility to specific SIP threats, including Denial-of-Service (DoS) and Man-in-the-Middle attacks, eavesdropping and audio insertion and deletion.
These tools are well known in the VoIP security community.
These new VoIP security tools compliment the company’s voice network security scanner that identifies modem vulnerabilities in traditional circuit-switched networks. Almost all users deploying VoIP maintain a significant amount of legacy voice infrastructure, especially at the voice network edge where it connects to long distance service providers.
Voice networks have come and VoIP has entered the market, it has remained at the forefront of voice security research and development. They provide products, our modem scanner, these VoIP security tools, and paid Voice Assessment Service analyst engagements. They also provide the products and services you need to secure, monitor, and manage your entire voice network.

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The Internet SwitchBoard software is the customer software for MicroTelco services and is included with the purchase of the Internet PhoneJACK or Internet PhoneCARD.
The Internet Switchboard was designed to be used with Quicknet hardware and a MicroTelco Services account. The Internet SwitchBoard can be configured with your firewall and features voice control with worldwide phone and dial tone emulation.
The Internet SwitchBoard software is a PC-to-PC, PC-to-Phone, Fax-to-Email, and Fax-to-Fax calling application that let users to make low cost calls worldwide to other phones or fax machines.
PC-to-Phone and Fax-to-Fax calls are as easy to dial as by means of a phone or fax machine. PC-to-PC calls are made by dialing an IP address and are free. FAX-to-Email documents are electronically transmitted as virus free e-mail attachments and are free if sent individually. Recipients can view files in popular e-mail clients.