VoIP over Circuit Switched from NetZero

In what has to be one of the worst kept secrets in VoIP, NetZero finally announced their Voice Over IP for DialUp program.

Reports of this have been swirling all over the place for months since an investor conference statement back in the spring.

At first blush it looks more like a long distance take-a-way play, but really it’s the first step for United Online to start to migrate their customers over to broadband in my book. With AOL already in that mode, and Earthlink there too, United Online needs to have an entry point that’s smooth. This gives them that “sampling” opportunity.

I also think the “services” offering approach with “find me/follow me” is a tip off to where NetZero is going too at offering their customers features when they are away from the PC as this paragraph from their release indicates.

A personal telephone number with choice of area code — Up to two GB of email storage — 3-way calling — Find Me Follow Me call forwarding, which allows incoming calls to be forwarded to up to five phone numbers in succession and answered on any telephone