New services broaden VoIP market
When it comes to voice over Internet Protocol phone calling, or VoIP, many people will have heard of one of the main independent players — Vonage — thanks to their incessant TV ads. Many will also have heard of the PC-based alternative Skype, if only because eBay bought the company for $2.6-billion (U.S.) dollars last year from the founders of the Kazaa file-swapping network.
Both services have their benefits, and are useful in different ways. Vonage makes sense for anyone who wants a VoIP phone that works much like a regular phone — you plug a regular phone into the Vonage box, and the box sends your phone calls over the Internet. Many cable companies offer the same type of services. Skype, meanwhile, is a lot cheaper, (Skype-to-Skype calls are free), but it is a software-based phone that only works when you are at your computer.
Although Skype is a great service, there are a number of other players out there with additional features and lower prices as well. If you are willing to experiment, you might want to look at one called Gizmo Project. It comes from SIPphone, a company founded by CEO Michael Robertson. Mr. Robertson is also the founder of a company called Linspire, which offers a Linux-based Windows alternative, and an MP3-sharing service called MP3tunes.com.
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