OTT Voice Calling Challenges

One of the benefits of the traditional landline from the by-gone era was reliability. Not only did your landline just work, its quality was pretty much the same regardless of where you were. It wasn't until the arrival of the PBX and in-building wiring from third parties before we started to see issues with call … Read more

Is It A Text or Not?

The FCC has given mobile operators more power surrounding SMS, and in doing so have actually classified the service as different from texting applications and services like GoogleVoice, WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal and all the rest of the alternatives, including Apple's own iMessage. I say this because they went to great lengths to not include the … Read more

Alexa Reading Email is Webley, JFax Deja Vu

News flash. Alexa can now read your email to you, and reply too. For me, reading the story was like Deja Vu. No, not the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young LP by the same name, but a flashback to the 90s when I was first using services like JFax (now J2) and Webley (now CommuniKate) … Read more

Era of Hyper Growth Of Smartphones is Over

I was not at all surprised to read that the smartphone era has hit a slowdown. What's causing this are a few factors. First smartphones are increasing in price at the top end. When an iPhone is over $1000 it's becoming a status symbol as much as a communications appliance. Even rival Samsung is at … Read more

Special IT Expo Discount To VoIPWatch Readers

Are you planning on attending IT Expo's #SuperShow in Fort Lauderdale, January 30th to February 1? If you are, you can receive an immediate 10% discount off any registration level by simply using the code ANDY10. This year's event has gotten bigger, with more tracks, more speakers, more topics and more exhibitors. Ever since the … Read more

Oh Gee, 5G Is A Ways Away

Maybe it's me. Perhaps it's a sign of the times, but given how fragmented 5G is starting out in the USA I'm not exactly buying into the hype. Yes, it will be game changing, but that impact won't be beneficial until 5G networks are ubiquitous, the way LTE has almost become. For those on the … Read more

The Age of Influence Online

In 2005 Martin Geddes asked me to outline how Nokia could use bloggers to help properly introduce their upcoming line of smartphones, dubbed the "N Series" to overcome the challenges faced by their USA Country Comms team and Global Comms worldwide. In the past they had tried to work with bloggers and never got past … Read more