This is the second in a series on the VoIP equipment channel designed to educate, bring transparency and inspire change for the good of all channel members. You can read part one here.

Scale.

It’s something every manufacturer is concerned with when introducing products into a marketplace. Especially those who manufacturer products for use primarily by businesses (aka prosumers).

Manufacturers need to reach and sell their product into enough businesses to reach the required economies of scale in order to turn a profit on the product. They need to do this as effectively and efficiently as possible since there are costs associated with selling.

Prior to the advent of the Internet the most effective way to do this was to build out a sales channel for the product.

This channel - at least in the telecommunications space - is most often a two tier channel. In a two tier channel there are four major players:

• Manufacturer - Responsible for product creation, global marketing, tier three support and technological innovation
• Distributor - Responsible for product warehousing, logistics, var recruitment, second level support and marketing/business development assistance.
• VAR - Responsible for integrating and or selling the product into the business or end user, as well as on-going support and maintenance.
• End User/Business - Responsible for purchasing the product.

This two tier channel model created a rather rigid and protective model.

Manufacturers sold to distributors. Distributors sold to VAR’s. VAR’s sold to the end customer.

There were of course exceptions, but in general this is how the channel operated. It was effective and efficient for almost everyone.

Then came the Internet. And with it came a new way to reach businesses.

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If you’ve been around VoIP long enough you know that one of the most consistent hurdles is guaranteeing a quality call experience at any time.

Everyone has heard of the VoIP horror stories related to quality of service (QoS) related to things such as packet loss, latency and jitter. While VoIP services have continued to improve and more folks have begun to follow best practices when deploying VoIP to avoid these issues, service quality is still a primary concern for anyone using VoIP.
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This is the first in a series on the VoIP equipment channel designed to educate, bring transparency and inspire change for the good of all channel members.

As a kid I was addicted to cartoons.

I remember every day for lunch I followed the same routine. I would turn the TV to the Flintstones.

Mom would bring me a  peanut butter and jelly sandwich and big class of milk. For the next hour I’d laugh aloud and mow down my meal.

All was good in my world.

This wasn’t always the case. Every now and again the snow would come.

I’m not talking about the white stuff that Buffalo is known for. I’m talking about the blizzard that takes over your screen when your signal sucks.

Fred and Barney lived in Bedrock, not the North Pole.

Not one to subject myself to an obstructed view I would reluctantly and often with great sadness sulk my way to the TV and change the channel.

Fast forward 20 plus years and I find myself watching another channel suffering from obstruction and a sucky signal - the VoIP channel. Except this time I can’t just change it.

Changing this channel is no one man job.

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I don’t know what Google has planned, but they’ve got something brewing in the communications space.

First Google acquired Grandcentral (now Google Voice). Then they acquired Gizmo Project.

Now they’ve announced the acquisition of voice and video processing technology company GIPS for a shade over $68 million.

This gives Google a:

• virtual number offering
• “unified messaging” client
• back-end engine’s to handle high amounts of voice/video processing

If that doesn’t sound like the starting blocks to a next generation communications provider, I don’t know what does.

Now all they need to do is add Bandwidth.

Last week Skype announced the release of multi-party video conferencing.

The announcement was a huge win for Skype and its users. With Skype 5.0, Skype users can now conduct group video sessions with up to five parties.

This makes Skype a no brainer for desktop and small office video conferencing.

Today, Skype took another step forward with the evolution of its video capabilities with FREETALK TV or what I’ve dubbed, “video conferencing for couch potato’s.”

FREETALK TV (part of the FREETALK line of Skype products) is a groundbreaking camera system that enables consumers to make voice and video calls through their high-definition televisions. Created for Samsung’s premium C7000 and C8000 series of LED HDTVs featuring the Skype App accessible through Samsung Apps, the FREETALK TV system delivers VGA video calling from your living room at affordable consumer prices.

These day’s Skype can be found on every screen - PC, Netbook, Laptop, Mobile,  Tablet and TV. How’s that for unified communications?

While FREETALK TV is currently limited to use with two Samsung models, it shouldn’t be long before it is much more widely supported.

The FREETALK TV system quickly and easily mounts magnetically to the television, and utilizes a USB cable for connectivity so that nothing detracts from the stylish design of these ultra slim TVs. Using the TV remote control, consumers can create free Skype accounts, log into existing accounts, and navigate via a simple Skype interface on the television screen.

Oh and it’s only $149.99. Not bad when compared with the cost of current video conferencing equipment.

Now if they could only get a TV to make food.

Most folks would consider me to be a voice guy.

That’s cool with me. But truth is, I’m not really a voice guy.

For the last few years I’ve spent most of my day communicating through alternative means.

Instant messenger. Email. SMS. Social Networks.

These communications mediums have dominated my day.

That fact is changing quickly. It’s changing thanks to video conferencing.

Why Video Conferencing?

For the past six months I’ve been working with video conferencing solutions from a number of vendors.

Thorough executive meetings, trainings, countless demo’s and now hours of use, video conferencing is “bring me back to voice.”

No longer do I desire to communicate like a social recluse. Video conferencing has reinvigorated the thrill and engagement of the “call.”

The more I use video technology in my everyday communications, the more I find myself wanting to use it.

Video conferencing is changing the way I prefer to communicate (and it’s a good thing).

Video Conferencing Variety

While full blown room telepresence is a dream you don’t have to spend a dollar these days to complete a high quality video conference.

You can simply download Skype.

Then there’s business class video calling from the likes of VidTel using the multimedia juggernaut Polycom VVX1500. Or you could grab two Grandstream GXV3140 video phones and make video calls for free using their IP Video Talk service.

Maybe you have a need multiple party room based video conferencing? For that you can get into a solution like the Polycom HDX 4002 or HDX 6004 for less than you think.

Getting into video conferencing isn’t a big of a deal as it once was. It can be as simple and inexpensive as you want it to be.

If you want to get started, simply click here.