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There are two new products available for the first time this week that
I am excited about. One is from Lindows and the other from SIPphone (my
other company).
Call-in-One
Starting this week, a brilliant new device is making its worldwide
debut at SIPphone.com
which I'm predicting will make Internet
calling practical for millions. Last year I started a company around a
technology called SIP, which I'm convinced will revolutionize telecom.
SIP
gives consumers power over their personal telephone, much like MP3 gave
them
control of their music libraries. But the problem with SIP is that a
special phone or a PC has been necessary to make these high-quality
Internet
calls. Nobody wants a second phone on their desk just for 'Net calls.
Computers are great, but too heavyweight for the phone experience.
Dealing with headsets and making sure the software is installed and
running is bothersome. What people want is a way for their existing
phones to receive and dial net calls. So last year I met with a company
called LeadTek and asked them to build a device that I could plug in at
my home that would allow me to do SIP calls. Most importantly, it had
to be invisible to my wife. I wanted her to be able to make and receive
SIP calls with no change to her existing phone experience. I wanted to
be able to use the same cordless unit and dial numbers exactly as she
is accustomed to. (You might know LeadTek from their popular line of GeForce
graphics cards.)
LeadTek delivered a paperback novel-sized unit known as the "Call-in-One" to
fit the bill. My wife suggested this clever name when I described how
this device would permit the same phone in our house to make regular
calls and
free SIP calls. To use the Call-in-One, simply
connect it to your broadband Internet connection and a line from the phone
jack on wall. Then you plug the same phone you currently use into
the
Call-in-One box instead of the phone jack in the wall. Presto! You've
added free worldwide calling to your phone. Because the Call-in-One
uses plug-n-dial technology, the device is auto-configured and an
available SIP number is assigned upon first use. After just a few
seconds, you'll be ready to dial any SIP number in the world by first
dialing the # key, or receive calls from more than 100,000 numbers on the
SIPphone network. Of course, regular calls are dialed and answered
exactly as before. The Call-in-One adds free worldwide SIP calling as a
new feature to your phone and best of all, it does it an elegant and
easy-to-use way.
Anyone currently paying long distance bills - especially those who make
international calls - can save a bundle by using a Call-in-One. Because
calls are transmitted over the Internet there are no per minute or
monthly fees for SIP-to-SIP calls. You will need to make sure that the people you
call the most also have a SIP number, so you can maximize your savings.
Every Call-in-One or SIP adapter comes with a free SIP number which
will look something like 1-747-123-4567. In addition, my.sipphone is a
free service provided to Call-in-One users, so they can manage their
phone book, track call history and adjust features like voice mail all via
email.
Would you spend a one-time fee of $89 to buy a Call-in-One to add free
unlimited worldwide 'Net calling to your existing home or business
phone? The first manufacturing run of these units was only one thousand
units, which are now in the SIPphone warehouse, so you'll want to get
your order in quickly to be one of the first to get this phenomenal
money-saving device.
Enterprise Assessment Kit
The other new product is from Lindows, and it demonstrates the increasing
interest from enterprises for desktop Linux. Many are eager to
determine how well Linux will work in their business or school, but are
unsure where to start an evaluation process. The $149 Desktop Linux
Enterprise Assessment Kit is a toolbox that allows you to experience state-of-the-art desktop Linux products, and survey the functionality and the
cost-savings from desktop Linux.
The Kit includes all the software necessary to perform a complete
technical analysis of desktop Linux. There's over 4 gigabytes of our
best-selling software along with a special
program that we have used internally, but never talked about. This
easy-to-use program performs tests and reports on hardware
compatibility (video,
sound, modem, etc.) for any computer. The Desktop Linux Enterprise
Assessment Kit is unique because it can be used as a boot disk on
any computer with a DVD-ROM drive, so you can experience Linux and test
compatibility with no installation. Plus it comes with many Linux
products which can be installed on desktops, laptops and developers'
computers, enabling a thorough examination. Purchased individually,
these products would cost hundreds of dollars, but we're selling them
in one complete package for just $149. We also include a membership to
the CNR Warehouse so the evaluator can examine one-click downloading and
installation of the most popular Linux titles.
If your job responsibilities involve assessing the current state of
desktop Linux, or you simply want to build a reference library of the
latest Linux desktop products, you will want to make the investment in
the Desktop Linux Enterprise Assessment Kit. It will help you
ascertain the suitability of desktop Linux for your organization.
-- Michael
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