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Microsoft to Launch "Skype Killer"
TheChillPill writes "Microsoft is due to announce the launch of a service to rival Skype following the acquision of VoIP provider Teleo.
While a crude version of VoIP is already included in most Instant Messaging programs, Skype is currently the only provider to allow calls to landlines and cellphones.
Microsoft intends to launch the service by the end of the year. "
DialPad allows users to make calls from their PC to landlines/cellphones.
Thats not entirely accurate. British Telecom have an add-on to Yahoo messenger that allows calls to landlines and cellphones.
Wasn't there a web site that let you place calls from a VOIP client to a landline, free, about 4 or 5 years ago? I remember it had a short queue, and showed some ads in the dialer application (presumably to fund the service), but it was a fairly clear signal and sounded fine even with my crummy $20 headset mic rig. I can't remember what it was called though... I saved a ton of long distance money through it in college.
Oh, really? What happened to all the H.323 and SIP based services? Did they all vanish?
Skyp eis not the only one that allows landlines. Gizmo does too.
I seem to remember getting my first edition of windows 98 packaged, installing it, and seeing that the had a built in feature to place calls through your modem line, which somehow they had left enabled by default to be able to make long distance calls.....this was rectified in the second edition of windows 98....
I used to be able to call my friends in new york from canada for free....what ever happened to those good old days? I have been using skype religiously although without the skype in / out features...as they cost money, but i much prefer thinking that i dont need proxy servers to use my connection seeing as skype on a basic level is a p2p software....
I tend to think if microsoft where to really want to kick butt....they would have to go along ways like google to offer anything worthwhile.... atleast google is making an effort to roll everything into one virtual distribution....google dark fiber for free internet...then free telephones...then free library eBooks....then....hey wait....who has the monopoly again???
skype isnt the only one, at least one more major program can do it also:
voipbuster also allow net2phone connections (and even free for some european countries!!)
there is also a manual to work with linux
but there are more, at least around here (portugal/europe) http://voip.necty.com/ its also testing a voip to phone and it use kaix as its oficial client (so both windows and linux works fine)
Higuita
"Skype is currently the only provider to allow calls to landlines and cellphones."
I currently call landlines on stanaphone (via both softphone and hardware-based SIP), iconnecthere (both softphone and hardware-based), and packet 8 (hardware based). Skype is certainly not the only one allowing calls to the PSTN, and they're certainly not the most flexible.
"The computer giant has increased its presence in the fast-growing internet phone sector by purchasing leading player Teleo for an undisclosed sum."
? q=&url=teleo.com
Leading? Surely he means dying?
Look at the graph,
http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details
Its reach per million for the last 3 months has been 1, thats about 220 visitors a day to the site.
but our copper lines are so outdated that most of the nation's DSL services, by definition, aren't fast enough to be considered 'broadband' (at least 3MBs, last time I checked but I could be wrong so please don't flame me).
Technically, most modems above about 600bps are "broadband" (in the true, uncorrupted sense of the word). Marketting dweebs corrupted the technical meaning of the term and the ITU-T have now officially classified broadband speeds as anything greater than the speed of a PRI (1.5Mbps in the US, 2Mbps in Europe). That said, the advertising standards agency here in the UK has ignored all definitions of broadband in the past and gave NTL a bollocking for using the term "broadband" in reference to 128Kbps cable modems (which use broadband modulation). The advertising standards agency meanwhile think it's fine for everyone else to market 512Kbps DSL lines as "broadband" despite them nowhere near meeting the ITU-T criteria.
barebones phone service only for the purpose of internet, and then use VoIP for actual calls.
The problem is that BT's "bare bones" package isn't that bare-bones - it's still a reasonably pricey monthly charge and has "inclusive minutes", so once you're forced to pay that then VoIP isn't actually that cost effective. I guess if I had relatives abroad then it'd be cost effective to use a SIPPSTN gateway to call them, but then the UK VoIP gateways would still not be getting any of the market share because I'd be using a foreign gateway to get the best rate.
http://blog.nexusuk.org
Before anyone goes on about how MS will end up running everything with a proprietary protocol that noone else can interoperate with you should ask about Skype itself. You do realise that Skype is simply a propietary hacked version of SIP? We looked at what it does here (since we are in a similar line of business) and it is scary how convoluted they have tried to make it so that nobody else can provide service/equipment that interoperates with them. They are becoming a closed exclusive network that no other provider can operate with. Yes you can go out to the public network but what if you want to call someone on Skype? You have to use Skype. Why should I be forced to use a certain VoIP provider just to call another subscriber on that network? Anyway just my 2c given where I work have looked at a lot of the details of how these work. Also FYI MS messenger uses SIP to do it's VoIP side communication before you ask, i.e. non-proprietary.