I wonder how this will affect the likes of hosted VoIP players like Call Tower and Fonality now that the US Patent Office has issued a patent to 8 x 8 (i.e. Packet 8’s parent company).
Hosted VoIP services are really also what Vonage and the rest of the players offer if you think about it. This could have ramifications, and then again, it may not.
But, then again, 8×8 has 60 other patents, and last quarter, they received $50,000 (yes, that’s correct = $50,000 only). Their most recent venture licensing the H.264 patent with Via Licensing has returned absolutely zero in revenues, and, after speaking with reps at Via, the program is admittedly “not doing well.” They also sued Sony a couple years ago (frivelously, in my opinion), filed an 8-K telling shareholder they were suing Sony for video patents, yet, when that lawsuit was essentially dismissed, they failed to inform shareholders through an 8-K filing because THAT “wasn’t material.”
Who cares how many patents a company holds if they are NOT going to enforce them, and are completely worthless in generating revenues or value for the company?
Andy,
If you think about it though, there is a difference between individual hosted VoIP services that folks like Vonage do, and hosted PBX services like with 8×8’s Virtual Office product. Same difference as a user with a POTS line and Centrex.
Is 8×8 the first company to provide Hosted PBX? No. Are they the first to successfully sell it to end users? Yes.
Very surprised Vonage & CallVantage haven’t come out with this yet. I know they’ve looked into it. I haven’t read the pattent fully yet, but it may have some interesting impact on future hosted PBX / IP Centrex providers.
Packet 8 Patents
PR Newswire is carrying the 88 (EGHT) release about their new patent this morning, which Andy Abramson commented on yesterday. The headline reads 88 Awarded Patent for Hosted IP-PBX Technology, which is causing some confusio…