Conscious Manifestations

I have been looking into the whole Internet Telephony or Voice over IP (VoIP) stuff recently and have found several solutions.

Currently the most well-known solution is called Skype. Skype uses a proprietary format and this does not come with the source code. In addition, the proprietors of Skype are attempting to monopolize the market by using their own protocol in order to achieve vendor lock-in. This is not the best idea as it is a closed door.

Today Slashdot released an article about an up-and-coming competitor called The Gizmo Project. The Gizmo Project uses SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), which is an Open Source protocol and is widely used. SIP supports hardware such as sipphones and Linux phones (kphone and linphone). It is also compatible with Mac and Windows XP. In addition, it is a simpler, and more flexible protocol.

To use SIP, you can register with an SIP server, such as Free World Dialup.

Most of the info here came from this article, which covers a lot more than I do here. I suggest reading it before delving into the world of VoIP.

Mac users can download kphone for Mac and register with Free World Dialup for a unique number.

This article from Uninett provides a great list of VoIP clients for various operating systems, including Gnome Meeting, a very popular solution for Linux users.

Finally, you can find out a lot of info about VoIP at VoIP-Info.org.

It's always to be informed! Happy VoIPing!

Addendum: The rates for calling landlines and cell phones from these applications are very competitive. The Gizmo Project offers CallOut and their rates can be found at this link. They are offering a 25 US cent free credit for creating an account. Skype offers SkypeOut and the rates can be found here.

Both of these options also offer a way to have a number where people can dial you from landlines and cell phones. Gizmo has CallIn which goes for US $5 per month. SkypeIn includes Skype Voicemail and goes for €10 for three months, €30 for 6 months.