VOIP News

Yesterday VoIP, Inc. released unaudited results for their July 2007 business, which showed a sharp increase of 58.7% in monthly revenue (amounting to approximately $852,000), as compared to June 2007.  They indicated that 47% of this increase was due largely to a greater amount of total termination minutes used. The revenue of July 2007 also showed a 100% increase as compared to revenue for a year prior.  Due to recent network enhancements, VoIP, Inc. has also managed to increase their per minute charges by about 15% as compared to the previous month. 

“We believe we are now starting to see the results from the investments we have made in building our Network,” said Anthony J. Cataldo, VoIP, Inc.’s Chairman and CEO. “While July showed a significant sequential increase in revenue and use of our Network, we expect further momentum in August as customers expand their use of our Network. The recent sale of certain assets of our Dallas Division reflects our continuing restructuring and cost reduction efforts and attempts to deploy the Company’s assets in further expanding its Network. We believe our Network provides a key point of differentiation for VoIP, and will continue to invest in growing it to support expanded use by our customers. With the increase in higher-margin revenue, VoIP is on the verge of reaching cash-flow break-even.”

Cablecom, a multi-system operator in Mexico, has just announced that they have chosen a cable VoIP solution from Nortel to offer further enhanced voice services and provide their customers with better network capacity and operational efficiency.  Down the line, the Cablecom service offering will be expanded to include voice and video features as more customers sign up for the new services.

“As a regional carrier with demanding customers, Cablecom chose Nortel for its expertise in delivering the best network foundation for taking full advantage of the benefits of IP-based communications,” said Ernesto Tinajero, president and CEO of Cablecom. “Our collaboration with Nortel is focused on ensuring we can capitalize on business opportunities made possible through a secure, reliable and efficient network that meets customer demand for new multimedia communications services now and into the future.”

“Nortel’s VoIP solution provides a powerful platform for delivering triple play integrated services such as video, Internet and telephony, essential in the new era of Hyperconnectivity where anything that can be connected to the network, will be connected,”  said Pablo Vzquez, president and CEO, Nortel Mexico and Mesoamerica. “Nortel is focused on delivering technologies that address the current needs of regional carriers while also ensuring a simple and hassle-free evolution to new hyperconnected services.”

As Tom pointed out in the comments the other day, there is yet another company competing for your VoIP business with the recent demise of SunRocket … Lingo.  Being named one of the Top 10 VoIP Providers by IT Week magazine probably warrants them some serious consideration.  With their 30-day money back guarantee, you’ll get a good taste of their service and if they can meets your needs, and to further entice you, they are offering free activation and free shipping of their equipment.

For SunRocket customers only, you can also choose between one free month of service or a reduced monthly rate by paying for your services annually instead of monthly.  You can find complete details of their special offer right here.

The Cologne-based company Damek has announced that they have recently launched a new VoIP service.  Although their site is largely in German, they do have an English version up now so you can get the scoop easily.  Here’s what they say on how their system works:

1. To use DCalling you have to register for free (No charges, no subscription, no minimum monthly charges)

2. Just call our US landline at 001 (646) - 862 00 61.

3. When our system answers the call enter the destination number you want to call and press the #-key. (If you haven’t entered your own number during the registration process, you will be asked for your calling card number before.)

4. You may define speed dial numbers for your account; or you can simply save our dial-in number followed by a “p” before your destination number: e.g. 06468620061p0049123456789. How to enter the pause character “p” depends on the brand of your phone [e.g. Nokia press * three times; Sonyericsson press * for 2 seconds].

5. If you used up your credit you can easily recharge your account using credit card, bank transfer or Paypal.

You can check out their current price list right here, to see how they stack up against the competition.

With SunRocket sinking fast, a number of companies have lined up, waving their finest promotional offers in the hopes of wooing floundering SunRocket customers over to their team, and VoIPVoIP has joined the line-up.  If you still haven’t picked a new service provider, you might take a gander at VoIPVoIP’s pitch.

Featuring a pay-as-you-go, no contract deal, their calls run a measly three cents a minute, with no set-up fee, disconnect fee, or activation fee.  You also have the option of taking your SunRocket number over to VoIPVoIP with you.  Of course, as with any decision, make sure to do your research first to make the most informed decision for your needs and requirements.

They actually seem to be doing quite well, as indicated by their second quarter revenues, which were just announced today.  Their revenue has grown 43% to a whopping $206 million, which reflects a sharp increase from the $144 mil they reported for the same quarter last year.  The increase has been marked by growth in their subscriber base and an increase in average revenue per line. For the second quarter of 2007, Vonage’s net loss narrowed to $34 million, or $0.22 per share, as compared to a net loss of $74 million that they reported in the same quarter in 2006.

Jeffrey Citron, Vonage Chairman, said, “We made significant strides this quarter in reducing costs and narrowing our losses. Despite the continued challenges associated with the Verizon litigation, the Company maintained its focus on achieving adjusted operating profitability.  At the same time, we have substantially completed the deployment of workarounds for the two name translation patents and have completed the development of the wireless patent workaround. This is a significant step toward moving ahead with our business in the wake of the Verizon litigation. We look forward to the Court’s ultimate decision and remain confident in the strength of our appeal.”

You can read more details on their financial results reporting in their press release right here.

In an environment where companies go belly up right and left, or get themselves entrenched in a legal mess, I tend to keep an eye when a VoIP provider reports their financial results, to see where they fall in the pack.  Fusion announced this week that they will be releasing financial results for their second quarter ended June 30, 2007 next week.  A conference call has been scheduled for 1:00 pm Eastern Time on August 14, 2007 to reveal their second quarter results.

To listen in, dial 888-202-2422 at least five minutes before the start time. Investors also have the opportunity to access the call in a “listen only” mode at the Company’s website at http://www.fusiontel.com/. You might need to download additional software to do so, so be sure to visit prior to the scheduled call.

A replay of the call will be available through August 21, 2007, at (888) 203-1112 (domestic) or (719) 457-0820 (International), (Passcode: 6895148).

TalkSwitch, a designer and manufacturer of telephone systems for businesses, announced this week that they have a new software application designed to give small business owners more information than they’ll ever need.  TalkSwitch Call Reporting lets users analyze call patterns and generate a variety of different reports, focusing on system activity, call volumes, traffic, duration, the amount of unanswered calls and more.  To make billing and accounting even more efficient, built-in codes can be used to track telephone charges for specific clients and allow for more individualized billing. 

“Our Call Reporting software gives users the ability to analyze call activity and distill the information they need to save money and manage their businesses more efficiently,” said Jan Scheeren, President and CEO, TalkSwitch. “Like all of our new software products, Call Reporting adds tremendous functionality and value for our customers, and sets TalkSwitch even further apart from the competition as the best phone system for small business.”

TalkSwitch Call Reporting can be purchased from authorized TalkSwitch resellers or their website http://www.talkswitch.com/. The Advanced version retails for $499, and the Premium $699.

For more details and information, visit www.talkswitch.com/products.

Skype announced this week that Toshiba’s Digital Products Division plans to add Skype’s Internet communication software on their notebook computers.  That should make some Toshiba users very happy.  The new Satellite, Tecra, Portg and Qosmio Toshiba notebooks, starting this past week, will now feature Skype software.  The product line can be purchased from various Toshiba retail and online locations throughout the US.  With the addition of Skype on the Toshiba notebooks, Toshiba is essentially giving their customers all-in-one internet communication options, and Skype gains another marketing angle and potential customer database. 

In a Skype press release, Jeff Barney, vice president of marketing, Digital Products Division, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc. said, “Toshiba is dedicated to offering innovative notebook computers which provide users with the right balance of functionality and performance to enhance its customers overall mobile computing experience. Toshiba is confident users will appreciate the ability to connect with families, friends and colleagues across the world via Skype’s unique Internet communication tool.”

“Skype is always looking for meaningful ways to extend its reach in the marketplace and we believe this relationship will make it easier for the millions of Toshiba notebook users in the U.S. to experience the benefits of Skype Internet calling,” said Don Albert, vice president and general manager of Skype North America. “Teaming up with Toshiba will directly present Skype’s offerings to more potential users and will provide an ideal communications PC solution for them to stay in touch with their friends, family and business colleagues from home, in the office or on the go.”

By downloading Skype’s free software, users can take advantage of a variety of features, including voice and video calls, instant messaging, the ability to conference call and attractive inexpensive rates.   

California-based 8×8, Inc., a provider of Packet8 VoIP service, has joined forces with YouSendIt to deliver a unique digital courier service to their subscribers.  The service lets users send, receive and track large files (as big at 2GB each) easily and efficiently from their computer. 

“We are pleased to offer Packet8 subscribers, particularly our Virtual Office business customers, this valuable add on service that eliminates the frustration of current e-mail attachment limitations,” said 8×8 Vice President of Marketing and Sales Huw Rees. “With Packet8 Dispatch, our customers have an efficient alternative to e-mail attachments that bounce back when they are too large for recipient systems, and a replacement for expensive overnight shipments of data on CDs.”

“Tens of thousands of businesses across the globe use the YouSendIt service every day to deliver graphic designs, video, photos, engineering designs and other data to customers and partners in just minutes,” said Ivan Koon, CEO of YouSendIt. “We are delighted to offer this assured and secure digital content delivery service to Packet8 VoIP customers.”

Interested?  The service is available in two levels.  One, a Lite version, lets users transfer files up to 100MB for free.  The second, more flexible level, allows files as big as 2GB to be transferred, and includes a 45-day trial period.  Complete information can be found on their website.