VOIP Solution and Service

iSkoot has launched a simple software download designed to let cell phone users use VoIP services such as Skype and GoogleTalk.

The 100k piece of software is a Java-based thin client application that operates with a network server. Users need a dual mode phone that supports both Wi-Fi networks and GSM/CDMA networks.

The new technology solution will connect also with AIM, Microsoft Messenger, and Yahoo Messenger among others. The software operates with three network connections: Wi-Fi, 3G/GPRS data, and GSM/CDMA. In U.S. these connections are offered by Cingular Wireless and T-Mobile. However, the solution apparently doesn’t operate with Verizon Wireless and Sprint.

Recently Skype’s chief executive Niklas Zennstrom had quoted in press reports that technical difficulties and the lack of suitable cell phones has held up its mobile VoIP deployment.

While iSkoot hasn’t discussed the new software with Skype, iSkoot’s chief executive officer Jacob Guedalia said that this new technology can prove to be a way to connect Skype users in a mobile manner. “Our products are completely complimentary with Skype,” he said.

He also quoted, “We offer a major advantage to carriers, end users and device manufacturers, namely that they can enjoy the advantages of fixed-to-mobile convergence without making the large infrastructure investments required in other solutions.”

Xnet Communications has released a public beta version of Megafon, their Voice over IP (VoIP) software specifically designed for Mac users only. Xnet Communications, Inc. is an independent technology center whose core business is the creation of high-end solutions for data communications. Xnet is also a system integrator that combines standard components as well as original products to customized solutions to solve the complexities of data logistics.

The company is offering Megafon for free until June 2007; then it will cost $79. Users can also buy a prepaid subscription now for $49.

Megafon enables users to talk with other Megafon users for free. However, Megafon is designed to communicate with all devices on all platforms that use VoIP, not just Macs. Megafon users can also call mobile phones, land lines and more, and they can receive calls from normal telephones as well.

The users can also create private telephone networks by using the option to add multiple Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) service providers. It also supports Virtual Private Network (VPN) software, for secure remote connections to a corporate network.

Megafon is offered as a Universal binary application that runs natively on Intel and PowerPC-based Macs.

The software for VoIP is a collection of programs, applications and protocols to manage the VoIP devices, gateways, gatekeepers and the IP network. The significance of VoIP software is underlined by the increasing demand for higher quality of service from consumers. Effective software programming translates into effective management of calls—in terms of routing of the calls through the least congested paths—and clarity of voice.

VoIP software can be classified according to the different functionalities in the VoIP network. These functionalities include the management of user interfaces, call processing, network management and billing. User interface software handles the interface to the user of IP telephone. The important features of the user interface include algorithms to compress voice data, echo cancellation and encryption. Call processing servers are run by software to map the destination of the call. The software is a database program called soft switch. The software translates the phone number into a unique IP address after checking the validity of the number. Call administration software, called consoles, are applications that manage the state of the calls and the distribution. This software provides bandwidth management. Some of the customer-oriented services managed by software are billing services. This includes pre- and post-paid services. Some provide voicemail services that synthesize voice for mails. IP soft phones are managed by software that lets the user directly connect with the VoIP provider through a computer. Skype software is rapidly capturing the market with millions of phone minutes. However, these days software development is accelerated by the need to solve various issues such as loss of packets and sequencing of packets.

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Almost all of the VoIP providers provide Voicemail with the standard VoIP calling plan. The special feature of the VoIP voicemail plan is in how the consumer can access his/her VoIP voicemail message.

In general, there are 4 ways in which a VoIP consumer can access their voicemail. First of all, you can access your voicemail through your primary VoIP telephone by dialing *123 or some other combination of numbers (VoIP voicemail access code varies by provider). The automatic attendant will let you know how many voicemails you have and walk you through retrieving all of your new voicemails and saving/deleting your old emails. It is quite a slick system. The second method is via a local voicemail access number, where you can call a local telephone number from any telephone (Cell phone/Land line/ VoIP phone). When you dial into your local voicemail access number, the auto attendant will ask for you to punch in your VoIP phone number and password to be able to access your VoIP voicemail system. The third method is through your VoIP provider online account management portal. You can go to your Provider’s VoIP homepage and access the “Customer Login” portal by typing in your username and password. Once into the portal, click on the Voicemail tab and you can listen to your new voicemails over Internet connection. The fourth method, and possibly the most useful, is every time you get a new VoIP voicemail, you are sent an email. That email will state that you have a new voicemail from your VoIP account, the date the voicemail was received, and an attachment of the voicemail as a .wav file. One outstanding feature is that you can save the .wav file on your computer’s hard drive and email the voicemail to friends, family, or coworkers. Hence, when you add these four ways up, you will be able to access your voicemail from virtually anywhere.

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With the growth of VoIP as a means of communication, a wide variety of applications have been enabled by the VoIP networks. Among these VoIP applications the three main categories are, Branch Office Application, Interoffice Trunking Application and Interworking Cellular Application.

A Branch Office Application is a network configuration of an organization with many branch offices (e.g., a bank) that wants to reduce costs and combine traffic to provide voice and data access to the main office. This is accomplished by using a packet network to provide standard data transmission while at the same time enhancing it to carry voice traffic along with the data.

An Interoffice Trunking Application is basically a trunking application. In this scenario, an organization wishes to send voice traffic between two locations over the packet network and replace the tie trunks used to connect the PBXs at the locations. This application usually requires the IWF to support a higher-capacity digital channel than the branch application, such as a T1/E1 interface of 1.544 or 2.048 Mbps. The IWF emulates the signaling functions of a PBX, resulting in significant savings to companies’ communications costs.

The Interworking Cellular Application enables the users to get the benefits VoIP with cellular phones. The voice data in a digital cellular network is already compressed and packetized for transmission over the air by the cellular phone. Packet networks can then transmit the compressed cellular voice packet, saving a tremendous amount of bandwidth. The IWF provides the transcoding function required to convert the cellular voice data to the format required by the public switched telephone network (PSTN).

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