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The article reports on the status of voice Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems in the consumer electronics market in the U.S. According to reports, VoIP continues to grow despite of the fact that manufacturers consider 2007 as the worst time for consumer electronics. However, despite the negative news, subscriber and revenue totals increased steadily because of advances by cable companies in rolling out digital voice services. It also adds that in the third quarter of 2007, VoIP providers added 1.5 million new lines, followed by the increase of its subscribers in the U.S. with 13.5 million.

The article deals with the warning of voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) provider Vonage to its investors that its ongoing patent dispute with Verizon could lead to bankruptcy. Vonage claims that bankruptcy is possible if its emergency stay is not extended throughout its appeals process. Decision on the extension will be made by a judge on April 24, 2007 and if not granted, Vonage may be forced to stop signing up new subscribers. Verizon was demanding a full shut down of Vonage's services until it stopped using the former's patented technology.

This article deals with the decision of Uniden to enter several new product categories as of 2005. According to president and CEO Richard Tosi, the company will push Bluetooth and voice over Internet Protocol technology as a means to combat price decline in the flat-lining cordless market. Tosi noted that the company is debt free and would direct its investment in growing its business outside of its core cordless and communications categories. One area being considered is hardware for the peer-to-peer voice over Internet Protocol market, popularized by the free personal computer-based calling service Skype.

The article presents a forecast report from IDC on the growth of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone service from 2004 to 2009. The IDC report noted that there will be 3 million VoIP subscribers in 2005. The growth will be fueled in part by consumers looking to add value to their telephony service. According to William Stolega, senior analyst at IDC, between the hardware and service, residential VoIP will be a $10 billion business in 2009. The key to future success, Stolega said, hinges whether IP service providers can break away from the current model of marketing VoIP as a lower cost alternative to traditional landline telephony. It will also entail a shift in marketing from the cable companies and telephone companies which do not mention that their Internet-based phone service is in fact VoIP. Despite an influx of carriers and cable companies which acquire customers through direct marketing, Stolega said that retail will still play a role in promulgating VoIP as a host of routers, modems and cordless phones become equipped with IP technology. Sales of these dual-mode IP/cellular phones could reach 100 million globally, according to a study from ABI Research. The advantages of dual-mode handsets and services, when they arrive, can be summed up in two words: seamless and economical, said Philip Solis, senior analyst at ABI Research.

This article reports on the entry of AOL to the Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) market in the U.S. as April 2005. AOL has entered the VoIP market with Internet phone service that will be available initially in 40 markets. The offering, made possible through partnerships with Level 3 Communications and Sonus Networks. Among the first cities to have the service are Las Vegas, Nevada; Los Angeles, California; Atlanta, Georgia; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Orlando, Florida; and New York City. According to AOL, additional cities will be added in the coming months. The service requires a broadband connection and a subscription to the AOL Internet service. The company is offering routers and adapters from both Linksys and Netgear. Users sign up for the service online and receive a welcome kit with instructions and either a terminal adapter or VoIP-enabled broadband router. Non-AOL members will be offered an introductory rate for the phone service and AOL broadband Internet service for $29.99 per month for the first six months and $39.99 thereafter. The offer includes unlimited local and long-distance calling within the U.S. and Canada. For current AOL members, the company is offering three calling plans each with three-month introductory pricing tor a $5 monthly savings.

This article reports on the launching of the voice over Internet protocol (VoIP)-enabled UIP1868 multi-handset cordless phone with Packet8 IP telephony service launched by Uniden and 8X8 in April 2005. The UIP 1868 is a digital system expandable to 10 handsets. The base station connects to a broadband modem to deliver VoIP calling to the accessory handsets. The unit only works over an IP connection. Moreover, the UIP 1868 is compatible with products of Uniden such as TCX800, TCX400, TCX440, CLX500 and ELT560 flip-phone accessory handsets. It offers caller identification, call waiting, handset speaker-phone and four-way conferencing. According to the agreement, Uniden and 8x8 will sell the phone through their respective retail channel partners for a suggested retail price of $199.99. Meanwhile, the Packet8 service offer unlimited local and long distance calling to the U.S. and Canada for $19.95 per month with voicemail, local number portability, unlimited in-network calling, call forwarding, E911 and call blocking.

This article reports that as voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) technology affects the line between data and voice, a similar eliding of distinctions is occurring in the equipment market as traditional voice vendors are integrating data technologies into their products, and data suppliers pour voice technologies in their own lines. During the International Consumer Electronics Show in January 2005 suppliers will introduce products for consumers and small-office users, who will be confronted with a host of new VOIP-enabled equipment, from simple telephone adapters to multi-handset cordless phones and IP-based videophones. Giant International, under its new Tao brand, will introduce the multi-handset Cordless Dualphone, a combination VOIP/Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) cordless using 2.4 gigahertz digital frequency hopping spread spectrum technology. The unit, for a suggested retail price of $129, ships in the first quarter of 2005 and is expandable up to four handsets. The phones base station connects to a personal computer via Universal Serial Bus for placing VOIP calls and plugs into a RJ11 jack for landline calling. The computer must be on for VOIP calls but does not have to be on for PSTN calls. The phone is targeted to personal computer owners running a soft phone VOIP client software.

This article focuses on the decision of cordless telephone manufacturers to incorporate Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) and cellular technologies into their products that will be introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2005. While cordless vendors have long acknowledged the impact of mobile phones on handset designs and styles, cordless feature sets will borrow heavily from cellular competition. Several major manufacturers, for example, will incorporate for the first time, or expand their selection of products, with downloadable ringtones, large color liquid crystal displays screens, icon-based menus, photo caller ID and slim form factors. Cordless vendors will also take the next logical step by integrating cellular phones directly into landline products. Several other cordless manufacturers will offer products with a similar ability to place cellular and landline calls using a multi-handset cordless phone system, albeit with several differences in how the two technologies connect. In 2005, cordless makers will dive into the VOIP equipment market. Uniden has already announced plans to demonstrate a multi-handset system with the analog-to-digital terminal adapter built into the base station. The company will demonstrate its VOIP solution at the show using its two-line TRU5885 5.8GHz digital system connected to a cable modem and delivering VOIP calling to its accessory handsets.

This article reports that with the rapid roll out of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephone service from cable providers, telecommunication firms and start-ups will use wireless Wi-Fi networking to free telephone from wired modems and wired phones in 2004. Early entrants into the market will be Net2Phone, Viper Networks and Vonage. The underlying functionality of Wi-Fi VoIP is identical to standard VoIP, Voice calls are converted to data packets that are then sent over the Internet and finally onto the public switched telephone network. In the case of Wi-Fi telephony, the adapter will be built directly into the handset, allowing the phone to automatically convert voice to data packets that are transmitted to the Internet via an in-home or in-building wireless network or via a public wireless hot spot. Wi-Fi will deliver greater portability for VoIP users, letting consumers bring the phone to hot spots or wireless networks across the U.S., although it can not offer the true nationwide service of a mobile phone. Vonage will enter the Wi-Fi telephone market, though it will court a different demographic than IDT. It will be seeking early adopters who own their own wireless home networks.

This article reports on the test marketing of voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony in the U.S. Circuit City's announcement that it would sell Vonage's self-installed VoIP kit marks the first national rollout of a VoIP product at retail. VoIP accounts for only a fraction of the residential telecommunications market,but it has been steadily gaining subscribers. Major retailers are test marketing VoIP products in partnership with pure-lay VoIP service providers and anticipate partnering with cable multi-system operators. Best Buy has been test-marketing Vonage in Minnesota, California and Florida. RadioShack has been testing Vonage in the greater Philadelphia market. CompUSA began test marketing Viper Networks' vPhone product, a phone that connects to a computer to place VoIP calls. VoIP works by converting analog voice signals to data and sending that data as packets over the Internet. That data is then reconverted to analog voice signals to travel over regular phone lines to its final destination. The Vonage service lets consumers with broadband Internet access make local, toll and domestic long distance calls over the Internet using their regular landline home phone.

Presents the Voice over IP (VoIP) telephone technology in Las Vegas, Nevada. Features of the phone; Introduction of the advanced-phone technology in the Consumer Electronics Show; Filtration of the VoIp products and broadband Internet access in homes; Increase in the demand of the VoIP in the market; Price information.

The article reports that Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers have turned to small businesses and the emerging category of virtual workers as a potential profit-maker. 8x8 executive Huw Rees said small businesses act a lot like consumers whey they purchase goods and services for their work. The company provides the dial tone and hosted calling features for the Response Point system. Providers say the economic downturn has made the cost-saving promise of VoIP more appealing.

The article reports on the sales performance of YMax's MagicJack voice-over Internet protocol (VoIP) phone. According to Dan Borislow, founder of YMax, it is projected that the telecommunications firm is on its way to acquiring 550,000 subscribers by the end of June 2008 and starting July 2008, it will be selling the VoIP phone through QVC. Borislow added that around 8,000 units of the device are sold each day and that each of the device, which costs $40, comes with a year's worth of unlimited calling.

The article evaluates the new voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) phones from Snom Technology and the Aura SoHo duplex conference speaker phone from Spracht.

The article discusses the results of research by TeleGeography on the number of U.S. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) subscribers. According to the research, subscribers will near the 20 million mark by the end of 2008. It also adds that VoIP revenue increased sharply from $2.6 billion in 2006 to $5.7 billion in 2007. The report also notes that stand-alone VoIP firms or enhanced service providers (ESPs) accounted for 3.5 million subscribers up 14 percent from 2006. With this, Stephan Beckert of TeleGeography says that there is pressure on ESPs to heighten their differentiation through technology.

The article offers information on the IP-Enabled Voice Communications and Public Safety Act, a bill passed by the U.S. Senate, requiring all current and future Internet Protocol (IP)-enabled telephony services to offer 911 and E911 calling. The proposed law will vest the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) with the authority to mandate that all Voice over IP (VoIP) providers offer 911/E911 services to their subscribers, including new communication services as they become available. E911 is the ability of a communication service to automatically send location information to emergency call centers during a 911 call.

This article reports that some phone manufacturers have decided to step back from voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) services to focus instead on core public switched telephone network (PSTN)-based offerings in 2008. According to Noah Hershman, audio and video director at Amazon.com, the market is still deciding how it will utilize and interactive with VoIP. Uniden is discontinuing its Windows Live Messenger model because of lackluster sales, Uniden President Brendan Morris said. Other companies that will also discontinue their VoIP offerings are Netgear and Linksys. However, not everyone has backed away from the VoIP market such as Skype. The key challenge facing VoIP marketers is an appeal to the mass audience.

The article reports on the move of Wal-Mart Stores to increase the number of stores selling Skype-certified Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) hardware in the U.S. in October 2007. The move will expand the number of stores carrying Skype gear and calling cards from 1,800 to 3,400. A spokesperson for Wal-Mart says the company thinks the timing of the expansion right before the holidays will provide more customers with more savings on their communication needs. Skype has seen a major corporate restructuring as co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Niklas Zennstrom stepped down from his role.

The article reports on the impact of the legal battle between Vonage and Verizon on other pure-play Voice over Other Protocol providers in the U.S. The author said that this case may mean more customers for other providers or it may be a hint of what is to come once they grab enough business to get the attention of big telephone companies. According to Packet8 vice president Huw Rees, there is also a chance to capture customers who may be eyeing alternatives now that the future of Vonage is cloudier.

The article reports on the decision of Panasonic to use the joip Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service of Deltathree on its VoIP phones. Deltathree chief executive officer (CEO) Shimmy Zimels says Panasonic has already paid them to launch an exclusive service for use with Panasonic's phones. The joip phones will have a button that would allow users to switch between VoIP call and landline calls. Deltathree stresses that its service has no features that would alert users when another joip user is available for a call. Among the VoIP phones from Panasonic are the BB-GG1540 and the GT1500B.

The article reports on the increasing number of Voice-over Internet Protocol subscribers in the U.S. The author states that the number of U.S. people using the service has improved from 9 million in the third quarter of 2006. The author adds that international calling is affecting the use of client-based instant messaging services, with such users reporting that 52 percent of their calls are overseas versus just 6 percent for cable or adapter-based providers. The author also notes that more than 51 percent of the subscribers said that they use the service for personal and business transactions.

The article features several products and applications for users of Skype, a peer-to-peer Internet telephony network, including SkyQube, Skype-embedded motherboards and the SkyPad voice over Internet protocol (VoiP) system.

The article reports that residential voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) subscriptions will increase from a base of 38 million users worldwide to more than 267 million in 2012. According to broadband analyst Michael Arden, cable operators and broadband providers will drive VoIP subscriptions in the U.S. Comcast announced that in February 2007, it added over 1.5 million Digital Voice customers in 2006 compared to 290,000 in 2005. Verizon reported that it lost more than half a million in residential phone lines.

The article reports on the launch of a new product category of Internet phones by Skype at the International Consumer Electronics Show in January 2007.

The article considers the increasing number of cable companies in the U.S. offering the triple play bundle to land voice subscribers. According to TeleGeography, cable companies account for four of the top voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) providers. To endure against the onslaught of cable companies, stand-alone VoIP companies like 8x8, SunRocket, deltathree and others will have to emphasize more advanced calling features in addition to cut-rate pricing. According to TeleGeography research director Stephan Beckert, the fact that independent VoIP providers have a national market while cable firms are limited by their own regional footprints will allow the independents to own roughly 40 percent of the total VoIP subscriptions by 2010.

The article reports on the continuing increase of voice over Internet telephony (VoIP) subscriptions and the poor retail performance of this technology in the U.S. The disappointment over the retail performance extends to both landline replacement products and to those geared at the personal computer (PC) services, according to said John Lostroscio of Office Depot. VoIP adapters and routers are typically merchandised with other networking equipment while cordless VoIP telephones and dual-mode medals that connect to a PC are sold along with conventional telephones. It is said that the growth of cable-delivered VoIP may drive retail revenue.

The article focuses on a survey from In-Stat which deals with the growth of the voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) market. Worldwide IP phone shipments are forecasted to grow from 10 million units in 2006, to 164 million units in 2010. According to principal analyst Keith Nissen, most of the growth will be driven by businesses filling in their PBX seats with IP-enabled phones. As a result of the growth in IP-enabled handsets, camera-equipped cellphones will rise but wireless-fidelity chipsets costs will decrease to the point where phones makers will bulk IP-enabled phones away.

The article reports on the collaboration between voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) provider SunRocket and Thomson with regard to the launch of GE-branded VoIP phones for use with SunRocket service. According to the companies, the partnership would entail promotional activities to expand the presence of SunRocket's VolP services, alongside GE-branded hardware to leverage various feature capabilities available through SunRocket Internet phone service. Thomson's distribution could be used by SunRocket in order to place its models on store shelves.

The article reports on the expansion of the distribution system of voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) provider 8x8. The company decided to establish its Virtual Office in Office Depot, launch a line of Systemax PCs preloaded with its soft-phone software and partner with the broadband comparison site Broadband National. According to John Lostroscio, Office Depot technology merchandising VP, while the market for residential VoIP services at retail has been disappointing, the company think VolP is a good small-business solution.

The article reports on the decision of voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) provider Vonage to offer in-store activation for its Internet telephony service. Owing to the company's partnership with Circuit City's GetConnected kiosks, Vonage consumers can now get their rebates instantly and make the purchase of a VolP device similar to buying a cellphone. According to David Goodwin, Vonage sales VP, the kiosks will continue to offer other digital subscription services and possibly other VoIP services, in addition to Vonage's plans.

The article reports that over 1,200 Best Buy, Circuit City and CompUSA stores will display endcaps featuring Windows Live compatible hardware from Plantronics, Uniden and Microsoft's own branded-line of communications products. Microsoft will promote its Windows Live PC Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and messaging platform with a new retail end-cap showcasing hardware designed for its revamped communications service. The move by Microsoft marks an expanded push by PC-based VoIP services into retail.

The article reports on the letter sent by Voice over Internet Protocol provider 8x8 CEO Bryan Martin to the company's shareholders which stated that the company would resume sales of its Packet8 videophone. The videophone which costs $199 will be available through the company's Web site. The letter aimed at easing the concerns of stockholders regarding the volatility of the company's share price. The volatility according to Martin, was due to the resignation of company chief financial officer James Sullivan.

The article provides information on the flip-style Wireless-Fidelity Phone launched by networking manufacturer D-Link in 2006. The company designed the telephone to work with Serial Interface Protocol-based Voice over Internet Protocol service providers. The telephone not only places calls over wireless home networks, but can also support Wired Equivalency Protocol, Wireless Protected Access (WPA) and WPA2 encryption for accessing secure wireless networks. The unit's features include color displays, 100 name/number address book, echo cancellation, caller identification, polyphonic ring tones and support for redial, mute, hold and text messaging.

The article features the V-Phone, a combined universal serial bus (USB) drive and a voice over Internet protocol (VOIP) phone. The V-Phone can store data files similar to a typical USB flash drive. It has an audio processor for improving call quality and it comes with a 2.5 mm headset phone jack for its ear-bud headset. The calling software of V-Phone launches automatically when it is inserted into a desktop or laptop computer. It retails for $40 and is compatible with the existing calling plans offered by Vonage.

The article reports on the U.S. House of Representatives defeat of an amendment to the omnibus Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act and its impact on the development of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) telephony. An amendment that would have enshrined so-called net neutrality into law did not pass the House vote. Network companies such as Google, Microsoft and Skype claim that the tiered system would be used as a cudgel against online services, such as VoIP and video services, that compete with similar services offered by the network operators.

The article deals with the continued dominance of Vonage in the Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) market in the U.S. as of January 2006. Despite competition flocking in from cable companies, free PC-based services and telecommunication firms, Vonage continues to rule the VoIP roost. According to a study conducted by Telephia Research, Vonage holds 47.5 percent of the market or 1.9 million households. Its other two major retail competitors, CallVantage by AT&T and the Packet8 service from 8x8, placed third and sixth, respectively.

This article reports on the decision of eBay-owned PC Voice over Internet Protocol (VolP) service, Skype, to launch a version of its calling software, a hardware from third-party manufacturers and partnerships to enhance its personal computer calling features. The Skype 2.5 calling software which was released in beta, builds out the program's ability to call non-Skype users. SOYO, VoIP equipment maker, has joined the service with the introduction of the U201 IP USB Skypecertified handset. Lastly, Skype announced a deal with three music publishing companies to offer licensed musical ringtones for Skype users.

This article reports on the expansion of pure-play Voice Over Internet Protocol (VolP) providers into the retail trade. In line with the expansion is Internet service provider Earthlink with its first retail product and partner, Vonage adding an e-taller, and 8x8 expanding distribution for its Virtual Office package. EarthLink declared that it would market its trueVoice service through retail via a co-branded starter kit with Linksys equipment. While, Vonage added an electronic commerce site, eCost.com, to its increasing network of VolP resellers. Finally, 8x8 announced an extension of its CompUSA partnership.

The article reports that personal computer-based VoIP services from search engines and start-up firms are offering consumers a way to place inexpensive VoIP calls from their personal computers using accessory handsets or headphones and are adding the ability to dial out from the personal computer to reach landlines and cellular phones. 8x8 announced a partnership with Legerity to develop phone-ready personal computers that could call over VoIP network of 8x8. Yahoo announced a Messenger with voice service that will let a user call from a personal computer to a mobile or land-line phone for two cents a minute and receive calls on a personal computer from outside lines for $2.99 per month. Finally, a service was announced by Jajah which promises to marry VoIP calling with traditional analog telephony. Jajah bills its service as Web-activated telephony.

The article stresses the importance of education in merchandising Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Vonage senior sales vice president Matthew Deatrik said the company recognized the value of educating customers in the retail environment where choice is the prevailing goal. Vonage's national advertising effort has been cited by numerous service providers and hardware vendors as almost single-handedly elevating the public's awareness of the category. Given the Internet's centrality to VoIP, e-commerce plays a big role in the market, as consumers turn to the Web for research and to sign with providers directly.

The article reports on the impediments to the adoption of voice over Internet protocols (VoIP) in the U.S. A pair of surveys released in 2006 found that early adopters report satisfaction with the service, yet mass-market consumers are not ready to make the leap and are even wary of the lower prices. It also found that while VoIP awareness had increased, less than half of respondents were familiar with the technology. Moreover, it noted that the strategy of marketing on price has failed to move the business across the chasm to mass-market adoption. Potential buyers view heavily discounted services with skepticism.

The article reports on the Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) products launched by several manufacturers at International CES in Las Vegas, Nevada in January 2006. DalCom introduced the DalFon retail package which bundles a USB handset and works over DalComs SIP-based VoIP network. Multi-Link launched two Skype-certified VoIP products. The TeleVoIP Stick is a phone adapter which connects to both the PSTN and a personal computer. The TeleVoIP Phone is a corded handset that connects to a computer's sound card for calling over any personal computer-based VoIP service. XACT Communication announced that it would target the VoIP phone market in conjunction with SunCorp.

The article discusses the product partnerships announced by Skype, a provider of voice-over-Internet portal (VoIP) services at the 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. The first Wireless-Fidelity phone from Netgear will feature Skype's service. On the other hand, Philips has also announced a Skype handset, the VoIP321. A Skype-enabled handset was also developed by Panasonic. A Bluetooth handset in line with Skype service was also announced by Cellink, a Bluetooth equipment manufacturer.

This article features products related to voice over Internet telephony (VoIP) and offers information on features, capabilities, advantages, limitations and cost. The products include the Packet8 SoftTalk voice and video soft-phone computer-calling solutions from 8x8, the VoSKY Call Center developed by Actiontec for placing Skype calls from regular mobile telephones and home telephones, the WIP20K telephone adapter developed by Auvi for use with GlobalTouch Telecom's VoIP calling, the D-Link VTA telephone adapter for use with Vonage's VoIP service, and the GN 4800 public switched telephone network/personal computer headset from GN Netcom.

This article reports that RadioShack will stock Skype-enabled telephony products as of December 2005. Skype is a free VoIP service. The list of products will include the new Motorola H500 Bluetooth headset and PC850 USB adapter packaged in an Internet Calling Kit. The kit will be sold exclusively at RadioShack for a suggested price of $99.99. The kit will also contain 30 free SkypeOut Minutes, which will allow users to forward Skype calls to mobile and landline phones without additional costs. The headset features six hours of talk time.

This article reports on the initiative announced by voice over Internet phone (VoIP) reseller Deltathree to land retail distribution for its residential iConnectHere VoIP service as of September 2005. The company launched a Broadband Phone Starter Kit at a suggested $60 to compete against offerings from Vonage, AT&T and 8x8. The package will bundle a Linksys PAP2 terminal adapter and instructions for signing up for the service, in addition to a $60 mail-in rebate. Amazon.com is the first retailer to offer the kit.

This article reports on the integration of wireless voice over-Internet protocol (VoIP) and cellular capabilities in the U.S. Research firm In-Stat predicts that 73 percent of worldwide VoIP lines and 66 million VoIP handsets will be wireless in 2009. According to analyst Keith Nissen, the trend toward smartphones is pushing the convergence of several technologies into a single handset, thus paving the way for the integration of Wi-Fi into a handset. Wireless carriers will embrace dual-mode products to save on network costs as IP networks are less expensive to operate. The benefit to consumers is the unification of home and mobile communications into a single device with a single phone number, one voicemail and one address book.

This article reports on U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rulings that may increase cost of voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony, as of August 2005. As the FCC moves to envelope VoIP into its regulatory framework, distinguishing cost savings of VoIP will erode. The FCC mandate that VoIP providers support Emergency 911 service for all subscribers was the first step. Emergency 911 refers to the ability to transmit both the caller's telephone number and locations to a public service answering point during a 911 call. The VoIP system's low-cost future is threatened by two and related FCC rulings, collectively known as unbundling. The first frees digital subscriber line network owners from leasing space on their networks at government set rates to other Internet service providers (ISP). The second ruling established that cable multi system operator are not required to lease network space to competing ISP.

This article reports on the retooling of the distribution strategy of voice over Internet protocol (IP) provider 8x8 for its Packet8IP-based videophone as of August 2005. The company pulled its Packet8 IP videophone off store shelves and lowered the price of its videophone with a two-year contract. Selling the phone directly through its Web site, 8x8 saw Packet8 sales surge to the point where it began to pull the remaining languishing inventory from its retail partners. The Packet8 videophone will eventually return to retail store shelves, according to Bryan Martin, CEO of 8x8. For now, the company is finding alternative means of distribution, announcing last week a deal with Melaleuca, an international consumer direct marketing company.

The article reports that Uniden gained new distribution for its voice over Internet telephony (VoIP) network-enabled cordless phones. In one development, Vonage expanded its selection of VoIP-enabled cordless phones with the addition of Uniden's UIP1869V. In a second development, Uniden announced its first distributors for the UIP1868P multihandset cordless phone system that works with 8x8's Packet8 VoIP service. The unit also features call waiting, caller ID, handset speakerphone, four-way conferencing, call transfer between handsets, DirectLink two-way radio capability and a do not disturb setting. The UIP1869V is Vonage's second 5.8GHz digital cordless phone; the other, the VTech ip800, began shipping in May 2005. Uniden initially pitched its broadband phone platform, introduced at International CES, as an alternative to locked IP equipment that can only place calls over a single network. The company has since introduced two locked iterations of the phone: one with provider 8x8 and the other with Vonage. Both are locked into a single IP network. The realities of getting products to market have also hampered an unlocked equipment strategy. Because of activation bounties and retailer commissions, VoIP providers have to have deals in place with retail before Uniden can offer them the phone.