Cisco: the VoWiFi Dark Horse?

A week old article from IT World Canada about the lack of standards in the VoWiFi space had some interesting thoughts on the VoWiFi space, but the most interesting thought of all was the notion that Cisco, of all players, had the best VoWiFi ecosystem of any enterprise communications company. This was an interesting thought because Cisco has been especially quite in the space, opting to focus much of their next generation communications efforts on video with their Telepresence technology.

Does this mean that VoWiFi is a dog? If Cisco is not making a strong push into this market, given it’s close proximity to VoIP, networking and unified communications (three of their larger pushes) is it a signal that it is a “weak” market with little consumer demand?

I for one don’t think the VoWiFi is a dog, but the technology certainly is not yet there. It is not very user friendly or reliable and we won’t talk about the cost associated with a proper deployment. However, given the existing technology that Cisco possesses it is intriguing that they have yet to make a strong move.

Given the buzz surrounding Mobile VoIP and Fixed Mobile Convergence one would think that they would be doing more. Are they simply a VoWiFi dark horse? Or have they left the technology in the stable because they don’t think it has legs?

11 Reasons Why the iPhone is the Worst Cell Phone I Never Bought

For those of you following along at home, you may remember that I was the lucky recipient of an iPhone courtesy of our CEO, Benjamin Sayers (hence why it is the worst phone I never bought). Honestly, I was shocked to get one and was extremely grateful to be one of the first to have it. It was love at first sight. Sleek, stylish and sophisticated (just like it’s new owner), I was the focal point of crowds and every party I attended. Everyone want to touch, feel and play with my iPhone.

Boy was it cool.

Then I used it for a week. Then another month went by and I started to realize that the iPhone has to be the worse cellphone I have ever used. I tried to fight it. I mean the iPhone was “cool”, but so are mopeds and you don’t see me driving one around. Fortunately for me, I didn’t shell out $599 for it, but that is not the case for most of the folks who are currently using the most over-rated cellphone ever. I am not being harsh. I have legitimate gripes. Take a look at the 11 reasons why the iPhone is the worse cell phone ever.

1. No useful applications. If I want to add anything useful to this phone, I have to hack it. I am not a hacker and I’m not really interested in bricking the phone should a new firmware come out that actually contain something useful.
2. You can’t send or receive MMS messages. That’s revolutionary. Nice thinking Steve!
3. iCalendar sucks. I use Outlook. Outlook and iCalendar don’t play nice. It is always fun to be on the go without a calendar that works right.
4. The battery life is awful. If I want to have a long conversation, I need to use my office or home phone. Otherwise…
5. It gets hotter than hell. Well, I don’t really know how hot hell is, but I am going to use my imagination. Talk on the iPhone for more than 10 minutes and you can cook breakfast on it.
6. Touch screen is cool, but only for the first day. The touch screen is great for web browsing, but I use my phone to make calls and send text messages and for these purposes, “keyboard” performance is sub-par.
7. No camera zoom or flash. What is this 2001? The iPhone has the worst camera I have ever used and forget about using it to take pictures if you don’t have photo shoot quality lighting.
8. Why do they say it has a speaker phone? My BlackBerry was louder than the iPhone’s speaker phone when I wasn’t using the speaker-phone.
9. It took over two months to add bulk SMS functionality. Trying text messaging “Merry Christmas” and “Happy New Year” 200 times. See how happy you are.
10. My screen stopped responding. After only eight weeks, half of the screen stopped responding. I touch, nothing happens. Try using a touch screen phone when the touch screen does not work.
11. Worst. Support. Ever. Please get me in touch with someone who speaks English as a first language and don’t charge me $30 USD for a loaner phone. I didn’t break it, it stopped working.

Are you a disappointed iPhone user too? Let’s hear how much you loath your $599 paper weight. Leave a comment below!

Is Mobile VoIP Really Three Years Away?

I have to agree with Andy Abramson. I do not think Skype’s statements that mobile VoIP is still three to four years away are accurate for the market as a whole. Skype has been late to the game with their mobile offering (which I covered here) and I agree with their strategy of taking their time with their offering, but to make a wide-scoping statement like they did is a little off basis.

Many mobile VoIP providers, such as MobiVox and Truphone have been very successful to date and as consumer awareness and education as to the benefits of the technology increases over the next year or two, I see mobile VoIP offerings taking off.

While Andy states that the current environment of carrier non-cooperation is something that is currently limiting the service, I think that the lack of compatible handsets is something that is the major limiting factor for the industry right now, especially in the US, where the Nokia N and E series phones are not as prevalent. Until mobile VoIP providers start supporting more handsets or manufacturers start offering more handsets that are compatible with mobile VoIP services, the industry will still be “poised for growth.”

For some reason I do not see that staying true for long.

Connect With Family and Friends Using MOBIVOX

With the new year just a two days away, most of us are thinking about our family and friends. For those of us who have friends all of the world, the prospects of connecting with them this new year’s is a potentially expensive proposition.

But it doesn’t have to be.

One of the services that I been using over the past few months to make free long distance calls is MOBIVOX. For those of you who do not know who MOBIVOX is, MOBIVOX makes it possible to call family and friends around the world for free from ANY phone. Just call a local MOBIVOX number and say who you’d like to speak with. No calling cards and long numbers to remember. No need for a computer, special software or complex downloads. With global availability, MOBIVOX means more freedom to share experiences with those you care about no matter where you or they may be.

How to make a call using MOBIVOX.

MOBIVOX is simple to use. First, you dial you local access number from any phone. Then VoxGirl recognizes your number, and asks you who you want to call. Finally, you say the name of the person you wish to call or simply dial the phone number and talk, talk, talk! Not only is MOBIVOX simple to use, it is also very inexpensive. With MOBIVOX, you can make free long distance calls to other MOBIVOX users and those friends and family members that have Skype. For those family members who are not using MOBIVOX or Skype, you can enjoy calling rates in the US and Canada for 1.9 cents per minute.

So if you find yourself needing to make long distance calls to your friends and family this new year’s eve, I highly recommend using MOBIVOX!

Vyke Partners With The Cloud to Offer Mobile VoIP

Mobile VoIP and Hotspots go together like peanut butter and jelly. So it is no wonder that partnerships between mobile VoIP service providers and Hotspot providers are starting to occur with regularity. Today, leading European mobile VoIP provider, Vyke has announced a partnership with Hotspot provider The Cloud to offer mobile VoIP services to over 9,500 locations in the UK and Europe. This move is a big step for Vyke, who until today’s announcement has been concentrating on providing service to the residential marketplace through a users own home wireless network.

With 2008 pegged as the year of mobile VoIP hit’s its stride, I wonder how long it will be before mobile VoIP calls outnumber regular cellular calls.

Packet8′s MobileTalk Keeps It Simple

One of the problems mobile VoIP service providers face over the coming months is educating consumers about their services. For many most mobile VoIP services are either too complex or too limited. Hopefully, many a mobile VoIP provider will follow Packet8 MobileTalk lead and make their service as easy as download, install and use. It works with over 400 different cellular phones, does not require a cellular data plan and offers very competitive rates. In other words it is simple, easy and gives consumers exactly what they want. I expect to this service become one of the most popular mobile VoIP services on the market.

VoIP Over 3G The Next Big Thing

VoIP Planet has an interesting post on the future of mobile VoIP. While most mobile VoIP users are currently leveraging WiFi networks to access mobile VoIP service, in the coming years, mobile VoIP calls will be made primarily over cellular 3G networks. I have had a change of heart over the last few months on mobile VoIP services and I am now very high on the future of these services. Cellular service providers are ripe for disruption (especially in the states) and once the general public can wrap their heads around the services (through education), I expect consumer adoption to come heavy and fast.