A Stateless IP Phone In The Works From AT&T

Boli writes: "Ran across this broadband phone today. It appears to be based on the Virtual Network Computing work done at AT&T Labs Cambridge. The most interesting feature is that all apps run on a server while the phone is only a display and I/O device. This opens the possibility for a variety of devices to display the same stuff. Imagine transferring a call from the phone to your browser display to paste a graphics file, then transfer again to a cordless. The VNC tools are free (as-in-beer) today." AT&T says they even have a working wireless prototype working in their building. (And VNC is Free as in GPL as well, according to their front page.) How long till conventional phones are obsolete?

Comments

Re:Simple IP-Based Telephony

[Detritus]

My company has an expensive dedicated digital telephone network in house, and I can't imagine that it does anything that a standard Ethernet couldn't.

There is one important thing that your expensive digital phone system has over standard Ethernet, reliability.

Most telephone systems are designed to be reliable and fault-tolerant. Most data networks are designed to be fast and cheap. They are optimized for different goals.

"How long till conventional phones are obsolete? "

[saider]

Probably about the same time that your new shiny IP phone will work during a power outage.