VoIP Provider Vonage Planning IPO?

SixDimensionalArray writes "The rumor mill is exploding with stories that large voice-over-ip (VoIP) provider Vonage is planning an initial public offering to raise nearly $600 million. This information is interesting coming out not long after Google's recent release of Google Talk, which overs instant messaging/VoIP services PC-to-PC as well as a surge in marketing by VoIP providers such as Covad and Skype. Could this be yet another bubble?"

Comments

Criminal CEO?

[DoctorHibbert]

http://damienkatz.net/2005/04/fuck_vonage.html

Re:Criminal CEO?

[radtea]

My dealings with Vonage were not dissimilar. They've still never paid me what they owe me, although my credit card company successfully challenged the "cancelation fee" they charged me when I found that they didn't have local numbers in my area (despite the fact that I checked on that specifically when signing up.)

So I kinda do hope they go public--it'll be an opportunity to make more than the amount they owe me, as this has all the makings of a great short-term investment: a rapidly-growing company that's the leader in the "next big thing", where no one wants to get left behind even though no one knows how to make money at it.

Public IPO would do more than bring capitol to Von

[amichalo]

An IPO would do more than just give Vonage capital to reinvest in infrastructure and R&D, it would bring a tone of legitimacy to the VoIP industry and Vonage as a company.

I replaced my Bell land line with Vonage almost two years ago. The service has been similar to cell phones as far as a few growing pains in the first months with packet dropping (due to my cable modem I found ou t- a replacement fixed the issues!)

But in the past year, the only complaint has been one time when I happen to be downloading some large torrents and the wife was unhappy about her phone conversation quality.

Plus it is far less expensive than a land line, and portable which allows me to vacation six states away and be reachable on my home phone line...and even better...make calls from it too.

Pop

[Doc Ruby]

The rise in any one stock, even if it's a stupendous rise, is not a "Bubble". A Bubble is when any stock is inflated in price: it's a market bubble, not a company bubble. People saying a Vonage IPO is a bubble are squandering the chance to learn something from the lesson-filled Bubble of the late-1990s market. And making it harder for others to learn from it. What, do you want a return to worthless corporate paper costing a real fortune that badly that you see it lurking in every equity offering rumor?

Re:Is VoIP Reall That Big?

[timeOday]

Vonage has one big problem, which is they don't allow direct VOIP calls - you can only make and get calls from the POTS.

In a way this make sense for them, as there really is no need for a middleman like Vonage for direct VOIP calls, but as more people get VOIP they are going to want to make VOIP calls without paying a middleman. I already do.

Re:Use VOIP as the back end to cell phones...

[BlakeOPS]

They're called packet switches and Verizon is migrating their TDM network to them. http://www.networkworld.com/edge/news/2002/0710ver izon.html

Tell it like it is: Listen to the blogs

[kamikaze-Tech]

The OP mentioned the main-stream press. The following blogs all give different angles on the same story, all worth viewing: ZDNet Russ Shaw Om at Gigaom Jeff Pulver Mark Evens and the Vonage Forum