by Garrett Smith
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It looks like this summer is shaping up to be a hot one for Voip phone manufacturers.
Thanks to the rapid adoption of standards based open source and open source based VoIP systems, the emergence of HD Voice and the rebounding of prosumer spending, a plethora of manufacturers will have a new voip phone hitting the streets over the next three months.
Here’s a quick round-up of what you’ll see.
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by Garrett Smith
Earlier today pal Cory Andrews broke the news about the newest SMB VoIP product from Cisco, the SPA8800.
The Cisco SPA8800 is an affordable VoIP Gateway option for small medium businesses and VoIP service providers. The Cisco SPA8800 is SIP based and features four (4) FXS ports for connecting traditional telephones and or fax machines.
The Cisco SPA8800 also features four (4) FXO ports for connecting POTS lines, allowing PSTN connectivity for Voip phone systems. In addition, the SPA8800 features a convenient amphenol connector interface on the back of the gateway allowing for an easy connection to a telco punch-down block or mini RJ11 patch panel.
The SPA8800 comes with the familiar Linksys web based GUI and in playing with unit, even inexperienced users shouldn’t have much trouble setting up and maintain the gateway.
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by Garrett Smith
For the more advanced reader a post on VoIP adapters might be a bore.
When compared to other types of VoIP equipment, VoIP adapters are simple. But for some, especially those who are getting ready to launch a VoIP service, VoIP adapters are a critical component of their service offering.
Inspired by a half dozen or so soon-to-be launched VoIP service providers that I’ve been working with lately, I thought I’d write up something about the top VoIP adapters for a VoIP service provider. This isn’t anything scientific - it’s just based on six years of experience working with all of the VoIP adpaters on the market and hundreds of VoIP providers.
With that out of the way, let’s take a closer look…
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by Garrett Smith
Wait. Stop.
Did you hear that.?
Huh? Oh, that?
Aastra?
Yeah, folks, that’s Aastra. Quickly and quietly Aastra has gone from unknown third fiddle to a top contender in the voip phone space. Over the last six weeks I have been engaged in a tremendous amount of product merchandising and I have consistently been impressed with the amount of consumers - and resellers - interested in Aastra’s ip phones. It’s not just their latest models, like their impressive 57i, even their older series phones like the 480i have vast pools of interest around them.
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by Garrett Smith
My how far the ip phone category has come.
Far gone are the days of Cisco stylistic dominance in the ip phone space - ip phone manufacturers are stepping up their product design in a big way. From Grandstream, with their new GXP line, to Aastra’s new 5 series, every manufacturer has been placing an eye on aesthetic beauty - and snom has been no exception. Leading off with what I considered the top residential/SOHO/SMB DECT solution on the market, the M3, snom announced today the release of the 820 - a new IP phone that is big on style and substance.
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by Garrett Smith
Chalk this up to another jaw dropping moment for Smith.
In a newly minted blog post by iLocus on DECT Vs. WiFi (which is a great read), there is interesting nugget of information:
A DECT phone is cheaper to build than a WiFi phone.
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by Garrett Smith
Interesting news broke today about a new open source router from Netgear.
The Netgear WGR614L wireless router is a Linux based device touted as “open source” by many in the media.
I think Netgear and the media has missed the point.
Besides being based on Linux and having a community website built for it, what is really open about this router? From the looks of the product and the community, this thing is about as open as the post office on Christmas. One only has to take a look at the product spec’s to know that Netgear is faking it…”works with Vista certified” please. I am not even a purist when it comes to open source and I sort of want to snarl. The point of open source is to be completely “open” and this router is not.
The problem with open source and the large company that wants to invade enter the space is that they don’t go far enough to the edge. The bulk of the open source purveyors are enthusiasts and hobbyists who want full control over everything. Large companies and full user control over everything go together like oil and milk. They have to “play it safe” and produce products and service for the middle, but in doing so it becomes watered down and Netgear’s WGR614L is another watered down attempt from a large company to leverage the buzz of open source (you can’t even easily load Asterisk onto this router because it doesn’t have a USB port).
The folks who really make open source project successful; the enthusiasts, hobbyist and purist, will avoid this because it doesn’t allow full control and there is no modularity to the router, severely limiting it’s true potential. If you looking for true open source networking, try out Vyatta.
