TwitterFone, a voice-to-text-message service for Twitter launched just earlier today. From their press release: “Twitterfone voice-enables Twitter, a text message rebroadcast service and the hottest social networking service at the moment. With Twitterfone, people can dictate text messages via their mobile to be sent out to everyone on their Twitter social network.”

Truphone’s VoIP App

Truphone was the first company out of the gate with a new iPhone VoIP app. Software downloaded to the iPhone lets Truphone’s app make calls over the company’s VoIP backbone network from wifi hotspots. But the app doesn’t allow users to connect to the VoIP network via cellular voice links, as they can with Truphone Anywhere, a service that the company introduced in May 2008. If it did, iPhone users could make their cheap overseas calls even when they weren’t near hotspots, paying only for local cellular minutes plus Truphone’s low international VoIP rates.

Packet8 MobileTalk for iPhone

On the other hand, 8×8 Inc.’s VoIP application, called Packet8 MobileTalk for iPhone, doesn’t use wifi but does use the cellular voice network to carry calls between the handset and the VoIP network. To do so, the app eschews the downloaded client software that 8×8 uses to provide MobileTalk to users of other cell phones (which also means that it’s not actually an App Store application). Instead, Packet8 MobileTalk for iPhone employs a Web portal, which is accessible through the iPhone browser, that mimics the iPhone dialer.

To establish the connection once the user has entered the number, the portal reads a cookie that the browser has stored in order to determine who is making the call. The portal then sends the browser an instruction that causes the iPhone to dial a local Packet8 access number. From there, the call travels over the Packet8 VoIP network. The portal-based approach is necessary because third-party apps cannot directly access the iPhone dialer, according to 8×8’s vice president of engineering Ramprakash Narayanaswamy.

JAJAH’s iPhone App: Coming Soon

JAJAH Inc.’s iPhone VoIP app — like many iPhone apps of all kinds — is still awaiting Apple’s OK before users can download it through the App Store, but it should be impressive once it is released. According to JAJAH co-founder Roman Scharf, the app will allow iPhones to make calls that travel over 3G, EDGE or wifi data networks to reach the JAJAH VoIP network. A call goes over the data network if the quality of that link is sufficient or if the user specifies that it do so regardless. Otherwise, JAJAH calls the iPhone and the overseas number that the user is trying to reach and connects the two calls via a VoIP link — a classic VoIP callback approach.

iCall App in Beta

ICall Inc.’s planned iPhone application is still in beta testing. Like Truphone’s app, it will use wifi links to access the VoIP network. A unique feature is the app’s ability to switch from a cellular call to a wifi call without interrupting the conversation. ICall claims that such transfers will happen “seamlessly.” CEO Arlo Gilbert said that the application should be available in early August 2008.

For many cost-conscious users, the most important iPhone apps will involve VoIP, which will let them avoid the high cost of calling overseas from a mobile phone. But as is the case with all mobile VoIP solutions, iPhone VoIP will come with trade-offs.The iPhone has certainly been at the center of the news recently. Apple Inc. introduced the new iPhone 3G model and sold more than 1 million of the devices the first weekend that they were available. And through its online App Store, Apple for the first time began to offer third-party applications that can run on both new and earlier iPhone models (the latter requires users to upgrade to version 2.0 of the operating system).

Packet8 MobileTalk for iPhone

On the other hand, 8×8 Inc.’s VoIP application, called Packet8 MobileTalk for iPhone, doesn’t use wifi but does use the cellular voice network to carry calls between the handset and the VoIP network. To do so, the app eschews the downloaded client software that 8×8 uses to provide MobileTalk to users of other cell phones (which also means that it’s not actually an App Store application). Instead, Packet8 MobileTalk for iPhone employs a Web portal, which is accessible through the iPhone browser, that mimics the iPhone dialer.

To establish the connection once the user has entered the number, the portal reads a cookie that the browser has stored in order to determine who is making the call. The portal then sends the browser an instruction that causes the iPhone to dial a local Packet8 access number. From there, the call travels over the Packet8 VoIP network. The portal-based approach is necessary because third-party apps cannot directly access the iPhone dialer, according to 8×8’s vice president of engineering Ramprakash Narayanaswamy.

Truphone’s VoIP App

Truphone was the first company out of the gate with a new iPhone VoIP app. Software downloaded to the iPhone lets Truphone’s app make calls over the company’s VoIP backbone network from wifi hotspots. But the app doesn’t allow users to connect to the VoIP network via cellular voice links, as they can with Truphone Anywhere, a service that the company introduced in May 2008. If it did, iPhone users could make their cheap overseas calls even when they weren’t near hotspots, paying only for local cellular minutes plus Truphone’s low international VoIP rates.

iCall App in Beta

ICall Inc.’s planned iPhone application is still in beta testing. Like Truphone’s app, it will use wifi links to access the VoIP network. A unique feature is the app’s ability to switch from a cellular call to a wifi call without interrupting the conversation. ICall claims that such transfers will happen “seamlessly.” CEO Arlo Gilbert said that the application should be available in early August 2008.

JAJAH’s iPhone App: Coming Soon

JAJAH Inc.’s iPhone VoIP app — like many iPhone apps of all kinds — is still awaiting Apple’s OK before users can download it through the App Store, but it should be impressive once it is released. According to JAJAH co-founder Roman Scharf, the app will allow iPhones to make calls that travel over 3G, EDGE or wifi data networks to reach the JAJAH VoIP network. A call goes over the data network if the quality of that link is sufficient or if the user specifies that it do so regardless. Otherwise, JAJAH calls the iPhone and the overseas number that the user is trying to reach and connects the two calls via a VoIP link — a classic VoIP callback approach.

Source: http://www.voip-news.com/feature/iphone-voip-apps-roundup-071708/

VOIP can connect you to the world. But what can you do to keep the bad guys from listening in on your calls?

It’s no secret that Internet telephony is vulnerable to eavesdroppers, much more so than conventional phone calls. That’s because IP phones aren’t part of the public phone network, where tapping requires a specific, physical wire connection. Calls transmitted via a LAN, a WAN or the Internet can be easily intercepted by anyone with a protocol analyzer, simply by capturing and analyzing the voice packets. This means that just about anyone can snoop on your business and personal calls, including employees, business partners, competitors, law-enforcement authorities and government officials.

Since you probably don’t like the idea of everybody and anybody listening to your conversations, you’ll want to take action to ensure your VoIP privacy. The best way to accomplish this is with encryption.

As you probably already know, VoIP voice traffic is data that is transmitted over networks. This means, like any type of computer data, VoIP can be protected by encryption. Unfortunately, while VoIP encryption tools are widely available, not many people have taken the minimal time and effort required to use the technology. That’s a shame, because encryption can make it make it nearly impossible for someone to snoop on IP telephony calls. Here’s a look at five different VoIP encryption approaches.

Zfone: Perhaps the easiest way to encrypt VoIP calls is with Zfone. The software’s chief designer is Phil Zimmermann, who created PGP (Pretty Good Privacy), the world’s most widely used email encryption software. The technology is simple enough to be installed and used by just about anyone. The latest beta version of Zfone can be downloaded for free. The software’s biggest drawback is that it requires both callers to install the application. This means that calls to people you already know, at least those who are willing to install Zfone, will be secure. But calls to banks, brokers, government agencies, and various other organizations and strangers won’t necessarily be protected.

Internal Encryption: Many VoIP clients have responded to customer security concerns by incorporating encryption into their software. Skype Ltd., for example, has installed encryption support into its proprietary software. Check your client’s provider to see if any encryption services are available.

TLS (Transport Layer Security) and IPsec (IP Security): TLS and IPsec are handy ways of encrypting VoIP calls. TLS encrypts VoIP data traveling between two applications, while IPsec encrypts information for two devices and all the applications running on them. Both protocols aim to keep unauthorized parties from interfering with or listening to calls, and they are almost impossible to manipulate externally. Both approaches are well worth considering.

SRTP (Secure Real-Time Transfer Protocol): SRTP is ideal for protecting VoIP traffic because it has a minimal effect on call quality. For each call you make, a unique encryption key is created, which makes eavesdropping almost impossible. This attribute alone makes SRTP a good choice for day-to-day calls, as well as highly confidential conversations.

VPN (Virtual Private Network): If your business has a VPN, you can leverage its built-in encryption feature to protect your IP telephony calls. Best of all, this protection is extended to all users — even traveling employees who log in to the VPN from a laptop. Remember, however, that a VPN can only secure the data from gateway to gateway. Once calls are on your LAN, you’ll need additional protection.

People expect their phone calls to be as private as when they’re speaking to someone in their own office or home. VoIP technology by itself can’t guarantee this level of protection, so it’s up to you to provide the safeguard — encryption — that will keep your conversations confidential.

As a small business owner, it could be the best thing that ever happened to your company. Technology, some people fear it, some resist it, and others embrace it. With the technology available today, small businesses are increasingly leveling the playing field between themselves and big business. It used to be that only Fortune 500 companies with hundreds of employees and 10- story office buildings could afford and maintain a PBX telephone system. But now, with toll free virtual PBX services, anyone with a telephone can reap the benefits of this powerful communications tool. A virtual PBX has all the advantages of a traditional PBX and more without the hassle, hardware and expense. With virtual PBX (Private Branch Exchange) telephone systems, small businesses are combining today’s technology with traditional customer service to take their business to the next level.

A virtual PBX allows small businesses to:
* Project a professional, more established company image
* Have one unified number for office phone, cell phone, fax, and pager
* Make information available to their customers 24/7
* Have web-based, real time access to their system

Small and home-based businesses are using all of these features to sound and operate like a Fortune 500 company everyday.

Project a Professional, More Established Company Image
Right or wrong, consumers assume a company with a toll free number is a more established and secure company. When a toll free number is attached to a virtual PBX with an automated attendant, that powerful image is perpetuated. An automated attendant answers all incoming calls with the same professional and courteous message every time, day or night. Professional greetings can be recorded by the business owner themselves, or even by a voice talent, and customized for the needs of the business. It doesn’t matter if the business is operated out of a home office or the Oval Office. The caller hears a professional greeting each and every time they call.

Unified Voice and Messaging System
With a virtual PBX system, small businesses only need one telephone number. This number can be an office phone, cell phone, fax, and pager all in one. Gone are the days of having to put 3 or 4 different numbers on business cards. Now a virtual PBX toll free number can replace them all. When a call comes in, it can be routed to any local number. It can even be programmed to route to different numbers at different times of the day or on different days of the week. That kind of flexibility is unheard of with a traditional toll free number or a hardwired PBX. If the call is not answered, or is sent to voicemail, the virtual PBX system can even send out a page or email to let the user know that there is a message waiting for them.

The toll free number also acts as the fax number. When a fax is sent, the system recognizes it as a fax and can store it in a fax mailbox for later retrieval, forward the faxed document to a local fax machine, or even send the fax to an email address as an attachment. Unified messaging unchains business owners from their home or small office and allows them the flexibility to get out and build their business while still being available to their customers.

Powerful Automation
No matter how efficient a small or home-based business is, they simply cannot be available to their customers all the time. If a caller has questions they want the answers now. If they don’t get those answers when they call, chances are they’ll look some place else. Making sure information is available, even when a live person isn’t, can be the difference between someone becoming a customer or moving on to the competition.

A virtual PBX allows the storage of an unlimited amount of information for callers to retrieve 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Menus broken down into what kinds of information a caller might need make it easy for them to navigate the system and get what they are looking for. Faxes can even be attached so the caller can request an automated fax back. These automated processes not only save time, but they also make sure callers can get the information they need when no one is available.

Web Based System Access
A toll free virtual PBX is just that, virtual. What that means for a small business owner is that one, there is no hardware to maintain or software to buy, and two, that they can access their system from anywhere with Internet access. Online system access is one of the biggest advantages of a virtual PBX system. Web-based system access allows users to check their voice and fax messages over the Internet or have their messages delivered directly to an email address. Of course, messages can still be checked from any touch-tone phone.

Real time reporting allows users to check the call logs of all incoming calls to their phone number and use the call capture feature to not only capture the phone number of the person calling, but many times their name and address as well. It also allows a user to run reports based on different criteria chosen. For example, reports could be run to show when the busiest time of the week is for customer service or if the call volume increased after a specific ad campaign was released. The applications are endless.

With all these powerful features, and most times more, it’s amazing that virtual PBX systems can be found at a reasonable price. Most providers offer systems that are between $10.00 and $50.00 depending on the capabilities and size of the system. Many providers will offer a varying number of voice mailboxes and features. A quality virtual PBX service provider can also customize systems if needed.

Technology is ever changing in today’s fast paced world. Many of these technologies allow small businesses to compete at a higher level along side their bigger competition. Small business owners should embrace them or risk being left behind.

Source:  http://www.articlesbase.com/home-business-articles/level-the-playing-field-small-business-vs-fortune-500-199743.html

There are great Video Tutorials on VOIP!

Just visit http://www.thinkbright.net/voip_blog/voip-tutorials/

SiteStar is a cooling cabinet that can increase battery life by three times, and reduce the electricity consumed for cooling batteries at a base station site by up to 95%. The life of a battery is inversely proportional to the temperature under which it operates, and is reduced by 50% with a mere 10°C increase above the optimal temperature of 20°C. Service providers therefore have to undertake significant capital and operating expenditure to ensure that the batteries remain cool, or to replace them at regular intervals.It is ideal for countries with extreme climatic conditions and particularly for emerging markets where power supply can be scarce making battery back-up essential.

“SiteStar can replace expensive shelters and power hungry air conditioners which are often needed only for battery cooling,” said Prashant Agnihotri, Head of GSM/EDGE Product Management, Radio Access, Nokia Siemens Networks. “It eliminates the need for expensive indoor sites, while reducing the OPEX of an outdoor site thereby helping an operator not only reduce the cost of roll out and operation, but also its CO2 footprint.”

SiteStar’s unique design provides better resistance against external thermal radiation. This allows it to maintain a constant optimal temperature in very hot or cold climates, and increase battery life by three times in operating temperatures of 35°C, compared to a fan based cabinet. SiteStar also reduces electricity consumption for cooling batteries by up to 95% when compared to traditional air conditioned cabinets as it typically consumes only 40W. It thus helps operators reduce ongoing expenditure in battery replacements, site visits, electricity and diesel costs.

SiteStar’s operating range is from -40°C up to +50°C and it can therefore bring similar advantages in very cold climates too.

Security vendor, Cellcrypt has announced an application which enables encrypted voice calls from smartphones to conventional office landline phones. The Cellcrypt PBX Gateway integrates with commercial office PBX systems and allows users to complete encrypted voice calls from existing landlines to mobile smartphones that are running Cellcrypt Mobile software.

The PBX Gateway also enables encrypted voice calls between landline locations that have PBX Gateway installed; for instance between offices in different locations.

Cellcrypt technology is currently undergoing certification to the FIPS 140-2 standard approved by the US National Institute of Standard (NIST).

“Organisations spend significant amounts of effort and budget securing their data but until now have not had a viable solution for voice data,” said Simon Bransfield-Garth, CEO at Cellcrypt. “While traditional secure voice solutions have provided poor call quality and fail across most international boundaries, Cellcrypt offers unparalleled voice quality, government-specification security and global coverage never before experienced, all using standard smartphone and PBX technology.”

Source: Cellular News