Tuesday, March 15, 2005

PC'less Skype Router/Handsets Coming...

John Blau, a reporter for the IDG news service, caught up with Niklas Zennstrom at CEBIT and probably without realizing got this little tidbit of info.

IDGNS: But your computer must be running all the time. Some people don't want to have their machines running all day. Are you looking at a product for these users?

Zennström: Many people like to keep their computers on most of the time, so connectivity isn't an issue with them. But, yes, some people don't like to have their machines running all day. So we are working together with a partner on a router-based product to reach out to a larger group. We will integrate our software either into the cordless handset or the base station, which users can then connect directly to their router. We can't say today when we will launch this new product.



So for all the people waiting and wanting a PC'less Skype solution is appears it is in the works. This is bad news for any PoIP service that uses an ATA as a connectivity device to mimic the PSTN. The poor sound resources of POTS limit the rich wideband voice experience you can have with VoIP. Cheap USB phones and wireless options, will create always on network devices needing no PC whatsoever. If your router just happens to have VoIP in it and can connect to anyone elses that also happens to have it, it becomes increasingly more difficult to sell Voice as a service.

No comments: