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AT&T Announces VoIP Program
An anonymous reader writes "DeviceForge reports that AT&T has unveiled a program to foster the 'development, delivery, and adoption' of emerging voice over IP (VoIP) applications, capabilities, and devices. The program, based on proprietary AT&T specifications, is intended to enable 'select vendors' to test applications and equipment against AT&T specs and thereby ensure compatibility with AT&T's evolving VoIP communication services. AT&T has invited industry leaders representing application developers, equipment, device manufacturers, and silicon vendors to participate in the program in order to 'shape and scale' the emerging VoIP market."
AT&T have chosen a few people that they know are going to develop things the way they want in order to shape the early market into an AT&T furure?
I'm sorry but why is this important news? It seems pretty obvious that AT&T would want to get a foot into the door. And I don't really like the idea of AT&T having their proprietary stuff into the framework any more than I like Sony forcing their tech into the next gen of Dvd. We need to get the standards set early, not get 10 companies with 10 ideas.
Just my opinion.
Their business model was threatened (by vonage etc) so they're moving over. How much u want to bet that they don't lower their rates?
It sounds like it isn't targetted to you. Your post is the equivalent of a blind person saying "I don't get the allure of porn"
"Shape and scale". Is that anything like "embrace and extend"?
by AT&T to remain relevant. First they were broken up by the Reagan administration. Then they tried to enter the wireless world by buying up McCaw Cellular for $14 billion. They did great for awhile with things like One Rate, but then they got a jackass for a CEO. Later, AT&T sold off wireless properties (!) in their bid to buy TCI which was a disaster. Finally, too late and many dollars too short, they switched to GSM, but it didn't work worth a damn. Finally, number portability did them in.
What's AT&T got left? Long distance? A dying industry if there ever was one! Once again, AT&T is a year or too late to jump on this bandwagon. As has happened many times before, a once-venerable company has been run into the ground by stupid management. Don't worry, though, Zeglis will get a golden parachute and find a new company to run into the ground.
Ahh, life in these United States . . .
I don't see why everyone is getting bent out of shape about this... the article doesn't specify much about the nature of the AT&T "specifications". It doesn't say anywhere that they're altering the VOIP standard to include proprietary elements. I'm guessing that the proprietary stuff is layered around VOIP and has a lot more to do with management and back-end systems, like automated provisioning, accounting, billing, and other things that don't involve the VOIP standard directly, but still are important parts of putting together a large-scale, robust service.
Think about it- right now they're shipping out pre-configured TAs, which is necessary for "plug and play" functionality that will work for joe sixpack (so is Vonage). It would be better for everyone involved if Joe could go out and buy any old TA that, upon being given some the most basic information (like the address of the provider's provisioning server) would automatically download all necessary configuration. Similar to the DOCSIS standards for cable modems. Absent of an existing standard, AT&T is just trying to get the ball rolling on their own, and I'm sure Vonage & co. would do the same thing if they had similar market clout.
-R