IP Based Telecoms VOIP

Google, the internet giant, yesterday announced that it will be releasing Google Voice to the public which will undoubtedly cause a lot of controversy. Google Voice is the new solution that combines phone numbers into an internet phone call service. Small businesses will no doubt be thrilled once they get their hands on Google Voice.

However, other companies aren’t too pleased about Google Voice. Following complaints of selective call blocking, the Federal Communications Commission investigated Google last year but obviously didn’t see much cause for complaint. However, AT&T is complaining that Google should now be regulated just like any other telecoms company.

Remember a few years ago, when Google bought Gizmo5? That VoIP (voice over internet protocol) network? Well it finally looks as though Google is about to put it to good use! Turns out that the Gizmo5 can be perfectly integrated with Google Voice – so the rumour mill is saying that Google VoIP is about to get launched and give good old Skype a run for it’s money.

Given the sheer number of rumours, there must be a grain of truth in there somewhere. And there have even been details of a new phone icon in Gmail along with a dialpad – so it really does seem as though we’re going to get VoIP on Google! I’ve got to say it – it’s good to talk!

Skype released its iPhone app a few days ago which finally allowed customers to make VoIP (voice over internet protocol) phone calls over 3G internet networks. As well as having a call quality indicator, the new app also has “near CD” quality sound. Obviously, iPhone mobile users have been hankering for a 3G VoIP app because Skype has announced that after a couple of days, it already had over 5 million downloads of the app. Not bad!

The Skype 3G app will remain free for a short while (although it may incur data charges under some operators) however, Skype has said that it will be working out a pricing plan for its Skype-to-Skype calls over 3G.

Japanese telecoms company Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp. has coined a new technology that is about to be made into a global standard. The new technology enables people to double the capacity of IP (Internet Protocol) networks and has been adopted worldwide.

The technology from Nippon condenses voice so IP networks can take on twice as much data which translates into twice as much VoIP phone calls. The proposal from Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp. was pitched to Huawei, Texas Instruments and Cisco, as well as the International Telecommunication Union.

Verizon Business has been chosen to provide network and communications solutions for LQ Management, which owns La Quinta Inns & Suites. The two companies already have a relationship however, the new three year, $11 million (around £7.7 million) will extend that.

The new agreement will cover Verizon Business creating a communications and network solution that will include VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) for the 800 hotels that LQ Management owns in 46 states. By consolidating the video, voice and data, LQ Management will cut a lot of costs as well as improving services.

Google has announced its intention of buying Norwegian VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) company Global IP Solutions. Google will pay a reported $68.2 million (around £46.1 million) for the company should the deal go ahead.

The Global IP Solutions company manufactures the software for Yahoo IM VoIP calls as well as VoIP calls from Cisco WebEx, Lotus and AOL. Should Google acquire Global IP Solutions, the internet giant would not only own this technology, it would also be in direct competition with most other telecoms companies and VoIP companies such as Skype. Since environmental issues became more widespread and the volcanic ash cloud became a telecoms problem, VoIP has seen a surge in use.

Security researchers at IT security companies BKIS and Symantec have warned users of Yahoo! Messenger and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service Skype that a new worm is making life difficult for everyone.

To show how cybercriminals are becoming more sophisticated, the messages that entice people to click on the link are actually fairly innocuous – unlike the usual malicious messages that just scream “Bad News!” Messages such as “My printer is about to get thrown through a window if this pic won’t come out right. You see anything wrong with it?” Sneaky! Once the user clicks on the file (a .jpg file to make you more off-guard), they open a link to run the worm which passes itself on to all contacts on the users’ mailing list as well as downloading other malicious material.

Analyst firm Ovum has advised mobile phone operators to embrace, rather than avoid, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol).

By blocking access to VoIP on mobile phones, customers are simply moving on to other mobile providers or to specialist VoIP providers like Skype, rather than not using VoIP at all.

Rather than alienate customers, companies should instead be working with Skype or work along similar lines, says Ovum.