There has been a lot of talk recently about problems with VoIP and emergency 911 calls.
However, the boards of directors of the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) in the United States has this week approved a standard that will see VoIP calls routed through a traditional exchange before connecting with the local dispatch center.
The new standard is not required by law as yet, many leading VoIP service providers have implemented some of it’s parts in the last few months. The announcement of the new VoIP standard for E911 calls is cited as a major breakthrough that could eventually lead to mass-market adoption.
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Greenwood Communications announced today that it will be reselling ShoreTel’s VoIP product suite throughout the UK. Greenwood sees the new partnership as a step towards cementing their position as a leading VoIP service provider for small-to-medium enterprises in the UK and into large enterprises across Europe.
Los Angeles based Rapid Link, Inc. have today announced the introduction of it’s new VoIP phone for desktop and laptop computers.
The new phone is actually the result of work with the US military who wanted a cheap VoIP phone for soldiers to communicate with families while on a foreign tour. Rather than paying for each call on a per minute basis, the new Rapid Link VoIP phone is billed at an affordable monthly rate.
Rapid Link’s VoIP phone is compatible with multiple operating systems and requires the user to download and install a simple application to run. Currently Rapid Link are only offering their new VoIP phone to members of the US military.
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Many people use Skype for their long distance calls to foreign countries from their home computer. However, many companies are now offering Skype-compatible handsets, such as the Linksys CIT200 Cordless Handset.
The Linksys CIT200 Cordless Handset is a good addition to your home or office, especially if you use Skype frequently as it is much friendlier to use that the traditional microphones many use. This particular model is a step forward in that it is cordless, so no matter where you are in your home or office you can still make that call.
It really is more like using a cellphone, with a green “send” button and a red “end” button. The handset is integrated well with Skype’s existing features and fully works with voicemail. The handset is just like any other phone, plugging into the phone jack from a charging cradle. The handset uses a wireless connection to communicate with your computer through a base station attached via USB, which also uses coloured light to signal it’s status.
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As had been rumoured previously, Yahoo announced it’s new fee-based VoIP services (called Phone Out & Phone In) that allows users to make and receive calls on a PC. Yahoo’s VoIP service also allows the user to call non-VoIP landline phones.
Yahoo’s Phone Out VoIP service will let users make calls from their PC to non-VoIP enabled traditional landlines and cell phones located in over 180 countries. Calls within the United States will cost $0.01 per minute. Calls to 30 other countries such as Australia, France, Germany and Japan will be priced at less than $0.02 per minute. Yahoo will also make prepaid call plans available, priced in increments of $10 and $25.
The Phone In VoIP service will let users receive calls from traditional landlines or cell phones on their PC and will be priced at $2.99 per month, or £29.90 per annum. Users subscribed to Yahoo Phone In will be able to choose a phone number in a different country so calls originating from the country will be charged at a local rate. Subscribers will also be able to select multiple phone numbers for use when traveling.
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