Voice over IP blog

EBay admits to overpaying for Skype

In an article from the Times EBay admitted that it over paid for the internet telephone company Skype. EBay spent 2.6 billion dollars in 2005 to acquire the company and it still has yet to show a profit. Even though the there are currently about 200 million Skype users, EBay execs have failed to find away to entice them to use the paid services in numbers that will improve the profitability of the company. Now that Vonage may be out the door due to the lawsuit with Verizon Skype may very...

Vonage to pay Sprint $69.5 million in damages

For the second time in less than a year Vonage loses another patent infringement lawsuit. Vonage has been ordered to pay Sprint $69.5 million in damages plus a 5 percent royalty on future revenue for violating 6 of its patents. If both cases hold up in the appeals process Vonage will have to pay a total of $127.5 million + 10.5% royalties on future revenues. Can Vonage survive such a hit to its bottom line? They are going to have to develop alternative technologies that will allow Vonage to...

Skype - VoIP telephone service and so much more

If you have any interest at all in low-cost "Internet phone service," or free Web-based voice, text, and video chatting, and haven't yet used Skype, you really should check it out.  In a few short years, Skype has grown from "one of those Web chat service things," to a formidable contender for the title of, "All in one Web-based communications giant."  Offering text, voice, and video chat, conference calls, file transfers, "SkypeCast" one-to-many voice chats, and VoIP telephony...

SunRocket’s demise, cautionary tale for VoIP users

As of August 5, SunRocket, the Vienna, Virginia based VoIP company ceased operations and discontinued service to its estimated 206,000 customers. While it was at one time the second largest stand-alone VoIP company after Vonage, SunRocket could not compete with cable companies like Comcast and Time Warner that are now servicing two-thirds of all residential VoIP customers. Unfortunately, it appears that their service might not be all that some SunRocket users are losing. According to report,...

Packet8 Virtual Office Ranked Most Popular SMB Hosted VoIP

SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 8x8, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGHT), provider of Packet8 residential, business and video Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone services, today announced that a recent report by telecom research firm AMI Partners ranked its Packet8 Virtual Office service as the #1 hosted VoIP phone system choice by U.S. based small and medium sized businesses. According to the SMB Interest Perks Up in Hosted VoIP report, compiled in April 2007, Packet8 Virtual...

Vonage will continue to operate as usual during patent dispute

HOLMDEL, N.J., April 9, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Vonage Holdings Corp. (NYSE: VG), a leading provider of broadband telephone service, today stated that it views the Court of Appeals' granting of a temporary stay on Friday allowing Vonage to continue to add customers as the first step toward resolving this matter in Vonage's favor. The stay will remain effective while the Appellate Court considers making the stay permanent. Vonage will continue to provide...

SunRocket Breaks Through 200,000 Subscriber Milestone

VIENNA, VA - April 2, 2007 - SunRocket, one of the nation's fastest-growing Internet phone service providers, today announced it has eclipsed 200,000 residential subscribers - a testament to the rising strength of the category and the firm's determination to redefine what is possible when it comes to enhancing home-centric communications. The company has also launched or expanded service in several key markets over the past few weeks, bringing SunRocket's unique and compelling value proposition...

Packet8 Virtual Office VoIP Phone Services to U.S. Army Installation

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 8x8, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGHT), provider of Packet8 residential, business and video Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone services, today announced it will be providing Packet8 Virtual Office VoIP hosted PBX phone services to a United States Army installation. The agreement, which represents 8x8's first U.S. government contract, calls for the installation of 15 Packet8 Virtual Office Unlimited Extensions at the U.S. Army's Yuma, Arizona...

Packet8 now offers international virtual numbers

SAN JOSE, Calif., 2007 Spring VON Conference, March 21 /PRNewswire- FirstCall/ -- 8x8, Inc., provider of Packet8 broadband Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and videophone communication services, today announced the availability of International Virtual Direct Inbound Dial (DID) numbers with area codes from nine European countries. With these International Virtual Numbers, Packet8 residential and business subscribers can create a "virtual presence" for themselves in the following...

8x8, Inc. Now Shipping Packet8 Tango Video Terminal Adapter

SAN JOSE, Calif., March 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 2007 SPRING VON CONFERENCE -- 8x8, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGHT), provider of Packet8 broadband Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and videophone communication services, today announced it has begun shipping its recently introduced Packet8 Video Terminal Adapter, a one-of-a-kind broadband phone adapter with a built-in LCD screen that turns any regular home phone into a state-of-the-art, full motion videophone. The Packet8 Tango® Video Terminal...

SunRocket Teams with Hallmark Insights to Launch New Member Referral Program

VIENNA, VA - March 15, 2007 -SunRocket, one of the nation's fastest-growing Internet phone service providers, once again redefines what is possible when it comes to enhancing the customer experience by announcing that our popular RocketRewardsSM referral program has been significantly expanded to offer customers a choice in gift cards and certificates from more than 350 retailers, restaurants, travel and entertainment providers. To view the full list of added merchants, visit...

SunRocket and American Telecom Services Bundle Certified DECT 6.0 Cordless Phone with VoIP Service

VIENNA, Va., and CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif.-March 6, 2007-SunRocket, one of the nation's fastest-growing Internet phone service providers, and American Telecom Services, Inc. (AMEX: TES), a leading provider of converged communications solutions, today announced the launch of a fully certified DECT 6.0 cordless multi-handset Internet phone powered by SunRocket. The E6501S DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications) phone-which includes ATS' patent-pending Digital Clear functionality and is...

8x8 Inc. Chairman and CEO to Speak at the B. Riley and Co. 8th Annual Las Vegas Investor Conference

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 8x8, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGHT), provider of Packet8 broadband Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and videophone communication services, today announced that its Chairman and CEO Bryan R. Martin will speak at the B. Riley & Co. 8th Annual Las Vegas Investor Conference on Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at 9:15 a.m. The three day conference, to be held at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, will feature presentations by over 125 companies in a...

Vonage Comments on Verizon Patent Litigation

HOLMDEL, N.J., Feb 26, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- In the last week, several media reports have inaccurately speculated on the outcome and impact that Verizon's patent litigation now being heard in U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Va. would have on Vonage's business. These same media reports overlooked Vonage's strong balance sheet and contingency plans for maintaining uninterrupted operations. "It is wrong and irresponsible to presuppose either the outcome or...

MoreThan 94 percent of Vonage U.S. Subscriber Lines Now Have E911

HOLMDEL, N.J., Jan 29, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Vonage America Inc., a subsidiary of Vonage Holdings Corp., (NYSE: VG), a leading Internet telephony provider, today announced that more than 94 percent of its U.S. subscriber lines are now equipped with Enhanced 911 (E911) service -- a feature that automatically associates a physical address with the calling party's telephone number. The most recent upgrades bring the total number of lines fitted for E911 to more...

Vonage Launches V-Access

HOLMDEL, N.J., Jan 22, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Vonage subscribers with "home away from home" needs or who have friends and family around the world, have a new, more affordable way to stay in touch thanks to Vonage's new V- Access. This service is currently available in the United States, Canada, France, Italy, Mexico, Spain, and the UK. V-Access provides an access number to make calls to any Vonage phone number (or an 800-number) without paying long distance...

8x8 Partners with World Telecom Group to Offer Packet8 VoIP Services

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 2007 CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW -- 8x8, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGHT), provider of the Packet8 residential, business and video Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone services, today announced it has signed a master reseller agreement with World Telecom Group (WTG), a premier master agent of telecommunication services catering to the lucrative small to medium sized business (SMB) marketplace. "As more and more businesses learn about the features and...

Vonage and EarthLink Team up

HOLMDEL, N.J., Jan 08, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Vonage Holdings Corp. (NYSE: VG), a leading provider of broadband telephone service, today announced that one of its subsidiaries, Vonage Network Inc., has signed a three-year contract with EarthLink (Nasdaq: ELNK) to offer its customers Wi-Fi Internet access in select cities throughout the United States. Under terms of the agreement, Vonage will buy Internet access on a wholesale basis from EarthLink in all...

8x8, Inc. Introduces Packet8 Tango Video Terminal Adapter

LAS VEGAS, 2007 CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- - 8x8, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGHT), provider of Packet8 (packet8.net) broadband Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and videophone communication services, today introduced its next generation consumer videophone solution, a one-of-a- kind broadband phone adapter with a built-in LCD screen that turns any regular home phone into a state-of-the-art, full motion videophone. The Packet8 Tango® Video Terminal Adapter (VTA)...

VoIP customer service is a concern

The explosive growth of residential VoIP services may be outstripping the VoIP companies’ ability to keep up with the growing number of customer service complaints, noted TRAC in a recent edition of Newsday. "The issue of customer service is one that we're concerned about because VoIP services are definitely growing," TRAC Research Associate John Breyault was quoted as saying. The Newsday article described difficulties that a Long Island, New York woman had in getting her phone number...