Top 25 VoIP innovations of 2007
The year is nearing its end so it’s time for a look back and see what 2007 brought us. The people at VoIP News have compiled a list of the top 25 VoIP innovations of 2007. I’ve copied their bullet points here and added my comments. Scroll down for a link to the original article.
1. Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007
So Microsoft’s OCS has been out for, what, three months now and it’s already the top innovation of 2007? Give me a break. Of course Microsoft’s entry in this market is interesting, it’s far from surprising. Other VoIP players have provided VoIP as an application for years, and Microsoft’s entry is not adding extra value to that. We’ll have to wait until 2008 to see if Microsoft’s COS proved a good solution to early adopters.
2. Ooma’s internet calling box
I don’t wan’t to start on a rant here, but Ooma’s internet calling box is practically a copy of what PhoneGnome has been doing for years. It is ridiculously priced, and caters to North American users only. Hardly an innovation.
3. Erasing the line between hosted and premise-based PBXs
Couldn’t agree more, we’ve seen the service model adopted in the software industry in the past few years, since the PBX has become an application on the network just as any other, it’s move to a service-based, hosted environment is a logical next step.
4. Hosted VoIP without per extension charges
I’m not sure if this is so much of an innovation rather than an eye catcher. The premise that a $50/month with unlimited extensions plan is an innovation is hardly true. We’ve seen unlimited plans come and go before (SunRocket anyone?). This may appeal to very small businesses, but larger ones will avoid these services. As the saying goes, if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.
5. Appliances to make open source easier
Is it the appliance that makes the software easier, or the embedded web interface? I’m betting on the latter. But it’s true that open source PBX systems could use a little more user friendliness. Have a look at our software to see what’s possible ;)
6. Low-end desk phones get GUI’s
What can I say, screens get bigger, screens get cheaper and everybod, not just VoIP phone manufacturers, adopt them. Hardly a VoIP innovation. But if you think it is, prepare yourself for color-screen low-end desk phones next year.
7. Text message control of hosted IP PBX’s
In the quiet words of the Virgin Mary, come again? Anyone using this, please raise your hand.
8. Enterprise fixed/mobile convergence without carrier’s help
Couldn’t agree more, if we’d have to wait for carrier’s help we’d all be dead by now. It remains to be seen what operators will offer with Unlicensed Mobile Access and Femtocells, but it’s quite likely carriers will charge hefty fees (i.e.: not free) for this service. Most credit for this goes to Nokia for making this possible and resisting operators pressure to include this in their handsets. Hands down, the innovation of 2007.
9. Taking the worry out of the VoIP transition
The original article cites Google’s RingCentral for making this possible. And while this is mainly a USA-only offering for the time being it is true that RingCentral has made it easier for a lot of people to keep a single phone number and be accessible everywhere. Let’s look out for variations to and improvements of this service in 2008.
10. Bank your phone number
I wasn’t aware of this, but apparently US based RNK Communications offers a service that allows you to buy your phone number so you can keep it forever. I don’t see how they can guarantee this any more than any other service provider can. But that’s up to you to judge.
I’m not going to comment the other 15 innovations of 2007 here, but you can go and read them for yourselves in the original article. But be critical, it’s not because someone tells you something is innovation, it actually is. In the mean time I wish you a happy new year and all the best for 2008!
