So you're going to try and tell me that Skype is more secure? How do you know it's encrypted? How do you know who is listening in?
Are you going to sue them if it turns out all calls are recorded for replay on some site? OH I forgot to mention that these are the same guys who designed a system a system and hid a company so that the US can't seem to stop them from distributing illegal material.
As for latency, you can't argue they use a closed system based off SIP yet arn't subject to latency issues like SIP... or all other codecs.
Get over the marketing hype and just say you like the pretty colors because that is what your argument is coming down to.
I'm not sure why anyone would ever consider using technology from a company like Skype when even if the solution was open source many would question the motives of the organization.
Now, in adition to the potential problems with Skype in terms of security and spyware there is a very good free choice from XTEN and sipphone.com availble at no cost with full NAT support and using open technology.
In addition, those people who start using the X10 softphone can continue to use it when they add lines via other providers and/or buy minutes from Sipphone.com or even better when the company moves to a local vo/ip system liek Asterisk.
I would like to see anyone tell me a single advantage of Skype over an X10 based system using sipphone.com for free calls.
Skype has been well sold and hyped - that is all. All you IT people should know better, ever tried to get rid of Kazaa from a Windows machine?
Many of you seem so surprised by this per unit loss yet every cell phone company in North America "subsidizes" phone handsents - creating such a loss.
Do you think the cell provider gets your phone for 9.99 ? Do you know why GSM phones in Europe at generally start over US$200 yet in North America they are $19.99 with a contract?
This is a common practice in many service industries, broadband internet providers do the same. They subsidize the modems and other hardware - wireless providers do this to such an extent that many have limited growth based on capital available.
Anyone who thinks this is abnormal or illegal is not aware of common business practices as the list of examples is immense.
With a few exceptions this entire thread has been brought up before.
However most of you fail to see the potential advantages to being offered a 'tiered' internet service. What other potential services could be added for this additional rate? Broadband has been generalized to the advantage of the so called bandwidth hogs but at the expense to not only those who use very little bandwidth but also to those who would like have other services available without going to corporate rates.
These 'value added features' could include;
- Possibly a removal of port blocks (25, 110, 21, 80 etc etc.) that have become accepted?
- Possibly static ips?
- Reverse DNS mappings?
Possibly other advantages like mail backup or other so called corporate services which until now have not even been available at any rate (for residential clients).
Surely some of you could use a well priced residential solution which allowed you to do more then download from Kazaa - or is this where/. is headed.
Few broadband ISPs currently offer these, but perhaps with the acceptance of a multilevel system these new packages, albeit more expensive will allow those of us who desire a better level of service to receive it.
I suggest anyone looking for such a company check out [plug] http://www.magma.ca a Canadian full service internet provider whom not only offers corporate addons, but also offers static ips, and other features on all its broadband packages (both residential and corporate).
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So you're going to try and tell me that Skype is more secure? How do you know it's encrypted? How do you know who is listening in?
Are you going to sue them if it turns out all calls are recorded for replay on some site? OH I forgot to mention that these are the same guys who designed a system a system and hid a company so that the US can't seem to stop them from distributing illegal material.
As for latency, you can't argue they use a closed system based off SIP yet arn't subject to latency issues like SIP... or all other codecs.
Get over the marketing hype and just say you like the pretty colors because that is what your argument is coming down to.
I'm not sure why anyone would ever consider using technology from a company like Skype when even if the solution was open source many would question the motives of the organization. Now, in adition to the potential problems with Skype in terms of security and spyware there is a very good free choice from XTEN and sipphone.com availble at no cost with full NAT support and using open technology. In addition, those people who start using the X10 softphone can continue to use it when they add lines via other providers and/or buy minutes from Sipphone.com or even better when the company moves to a local vo/ip system liek Asterisk. I would like to see anyone tell me a single advantage of Skype over an X10 based system using sipphone.com for free calls. Skype has been well sold and hyped - that is all. All you IT people should know better, ever tried to get rid of Kazaa from a Windows machine?
Many of you seem so surprised by this per unit loss yet every cell phone company in North America "subsidizes" phone handsents - creating such a loss. Do you think the cell provider gets your phone for 9.99 ? Do you know why GSM phones in Europe at generally start over US$200 yet in North America they are $19.99 with a contract? This is a common practice in many service industries, broadband internet providers do the same. They subsidize the modems and other hardware - wireless providers do this to such an extent that many have limited growth based on capital available. Anyone who thinks this is abnormal or illegal is not aware of common business practices as the list of examples is immense.
With a few exceptions this entire thread has been brought up before.
/. is headed.
However most of you fail to see the potential advantages to being offered a 'tiered' internet service. What other potential services could be added for this additional rate? Broadband has been generalized to the advantage of the so called bandwidth hogs but at the expense to not only those who use very little bandwidth but also to those who would like have other services available without going to corporate rates.
These 'value added features' could include;
- Possibly a removal of port blocks (25, 110, 21, 80 etc etc.) that have become accepted?
- Possibly static ips?
- Reverse DNS mappings?
Possibly other advantages like mail backup or other so called corporate services which until now have not even been available at any rate (for residential clients).
Surely some of you could use a well priced residential solution which allowed you to do more then download from Kazaa - or is this where
Few broadband ISPs currently offer these, but perhaps with the acceptance of a multilevel system these new packages, albeit more expensive will allow those of us who desire a better level of service to receive it.
I suggest anyone looking for such a company check out [plug] http://www.magma.ca a Canadian full service internet provider whom not only offers corporate addons, but also offers static ips, and other features on all its broadband packages (both residential and corporate).