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Gizmo is trying to compete... we'll see how that pans out.

I think I am missing something...

Europe Land | Mobile
United Kingdom 0.029 | 0.286
France 0.049 | 0.263
Germany 0.029 | 0.271
http://www.gizmoproject.com/call-out-rates.php

Which part of Gizmo for Apple OS/X doesn't work for you? Sounds a lot like BSD to me.

The license for Gizmo Project software is quite clear, the software doesn't even qualify for the weaker standard of "open source" (weaker than "free software" which requires that the user have permission to make private derivatives):

License Restrictions

You may not reproduce or distribute the Software for any purpose whatsoever. Without limiting the foregoing, you may not copy the Software to any server or location for reproduction or distribution. You may not reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the Software. The restrictions contained herein apply equally to any updates that may be provided to you by SIPphone.

The company offers what they call "Opensource support", which appears to be little more than name-dropping. But I expect people around here to know better than to take on faith whatever a proprietor says.

At the very least, even if there is no intention to bamboozle users into adopting the software, this is yet another use of the term "Opensource" which shows how people don't understand what that term means. Reminiscent of examples of same from the FSF essay on the differences between the free software and open source movements (examples include Neal Stephenson's writing, the State of Kansas' definition, and a particularly interesting example from a trade show in late 1998).

As a result of a little digging into Project Gizmo, I still see no real competition for GNOMEMeeting. I see one more proprietor asking me to install a mysterious program on my computer so that the proprietor can do something on my computer that I am prohibited from inspecting, sharing, or modifying.

The license for Gizmo Project software is quite clear, the software doesn't even qualify for the weaker standard of "open source" (weaker than "free software" which requires that the user have permission to make private derivatives):

License Restrictions

You may not reproduce or distribute the Software for any purpose whatsoever. Without limiting the foregoing, you may not copy the Software to any server or location for reproduction or distribution. You may not reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the Software. The restrictions contained herein apply equally to any updates that may be provided to you by SIPphone.

The company offers what they call "Opensource support", which appears to be little more than name-dropping. But I expect people around here to know better than to take on faith whatever a proprietor says.

At the very least, even if there is no intention to bamboozle users into adopting the software, this is yet another use of the term "Opensource" which shows how people don't understand what that term means. Reminiscent of examples of same from the FSF essay on the differences between the free software and open source movements (examples include Neal Stephenson's writing, the State of Kansas' definition, and a particularly interesting example from a trade show in late 1998).

As a result of a little digging into Project Gizmo, I still see no real competition for GNOMEMeeting. I see one more proprietor asking me to install a mysterious program on my computer so that the proprietor can do something on my computer that I am prohibited from inspecting, sharing, or modifying.

License

This Agreement grants you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, non-sublicensable right to use one copy of the Software for your own personal use on a single computer and/or workstation. SIPphone reserves all rights in the Software not expressly granted herein, including without limitation ownership and proprietary rights.

EMERGENCY/911 CALLS

YOU EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGE THAT EMERGENCY 9-1-1 CALLS ARE NOT INTENDED TO BE CARRIED/SUPPORTED BY THE SOFTWARE OR SERVICES AND THAT NEITHER SIPphone NOR ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, SUBSIDIARIES, PARENT COMPANIES, AGENTS, NETWORK SERVICE PROVIDERS, PARTNERS, OR EMPLOYEES ARE OR WILL BE LIABLE FOR SUCH CALLS.

From their "FAQ...

You only pay for the calls you make, and your credits only expire if you don't use your account for six months.

What a crock! They make it sound like they're doing you a favor by taking your money only after 6 months. I've heard of gift card companies that take a percentage off your credit every few months, but taking all your credit after 6 months? Yikes!

Having competing standards and companies in the field will make for better services for the users. Open standards are great, since they improve interoperability and reliability. For example, people can writing their own clients, etc.

However, the project is not open-source. At least, their about us page doesn't mention it. They only say:

At the core of Gizmo Project is a commitment to open standards

With things like Skype, and Gizmo Project [1], I really don't see the need to use land lines. I haven't had a land line for almost a year now, and never missed it. I pay $0/month in fees, and pay low rates only when I call (I use Merit Call for VOIP).

[1] http://www.gizmoproject.com/
review: http://www.techcrunch.com/?cat=45