Vonage Official Announcement - V-Phone

Just a quickie to say that Vonage publicly announced the new V-Phone today. This is the USB keychain phone that I mentioned in yesterday's post. You can read Vonage's official announcement here.

Vonage V-Phone - VoIP calls from a USB Dongle

On June 26, 2006 Vonage chairman Jeffrey Citron announced (at the Convergence 2.0 conference ) that they will unveil a revolutionary new VoIP device this week. The Vonage V-Phone is a USB stick on a keychain that includes Vonage software. Users will be able to make calls from any computer on a broadband internet connection simply by inserting the USB dongle and dialing. Perhaps this neat new innovation will help Vonage bounce back from their recent run of bad press due to stock price dropping, poor balance sheet and many pending lawsuits.

I personally think the Vonage V-Phone is a great idea! What a super way to take your VoIP service with you wherever you go. For users who travel a lot, all that's needed is an internet cafe' to make cheap VoIP calls without the hassle of toting a laptop around.

Vonage Troubles.....

According to a June 19, 2006 article in EWeek - Vonage Hit by Verizon Patent Lawsuit, it looks like the popular VoIP provider Vonage is in for some rough times. In addition to being accused of patent infringement by Verizon Communications, their stock price dropped 44% since last month's $17 IPO price. I always thought Vonage might be spending too much money on advertising - particularly television ads, and it seems I was right. This is part of the reason Vonage now acknowledges it may never turn a profit.

I'm glad I chose Packet8 for my VoIP service, as parent company 8X8 has been around a long time and is much stronger financially. My advice for any small business or residential customer looking for a VoIP provider is to go with Packet8. My number two choice for people looking for really cheap (but high quality) internet phone service is SunRocket. I would steer clear of Vonage for the time being, due to their poor financial condition and upcoming expensive legal battle with Verizon.

Packet8 - Best Value for the Money!

I've used Packet8 VoIP service for over a year now, and have been 100% satisfied with the service, voice quality, all the free features, and especially the price. Most of my friends now use Packet8, and all are equally pleased. At only $19.99 per month for unlimited local and long distance calling within the USA and Canada, Packet8 is $5 less per month than it's main competitor Vonage, and around $20 less per month than most digital phone service offered by cable companies.

Right now, Packet8 is offering a super-duper special "internet-only" deal for new subscribers:
Get FREE activation, a FREE adapter and your first month of service for FREE when you sign up via special links like this one. If you've been thinking of switching to internet phone service, now is a great time. Just go to http://www.savewith8.com to get the discounts!

If you decide to sign up, I strongly urge you to consider getting the Uniden Whole House Internet Phone System (UIP1868P). I use this system and it is absolutely wonderful! You can have up to 10 cordless handsets and can locate the handsets anywhere you want because they do not require connection to a telephone jack. The Uniden system is also designed to take advantage of ALL the free features Packet8 offers, including caller ID, speed dial, voicemail access, etc... Right now, you can get an instant $100 rebate on the Uniden 1868P system when you buy it with a new Packet8 subscription. This makes the phone cost only $79.99, which is a steal (I paid full price for mine, and still think it was a bargain because it's such a great system).