It seems like once a quarter, we go into overdrive on encouraging news for the emerging communications space. This past week qualified with flying colors.From funding to exits, from products launching to products maturing, and from opinion pieces to hard facts--everywhere I turned this week, the fire hose was pointed my way. Some highlights to feel bullish about...
Hosted VoIP for Business Continues Upstream:
* For the second time in just over three months, Comcast dipped (this time big time) into the Hosted VoIP business services market with its take-over of NGT.
* Ironically this news came only days after this piece circulated on how Hosted VoIP is finally moving upstream, and that consolidation is coming. This prediction of VoIP reaching near 80% penetration in a few years didn't sting either.
More money for integrating voice into the Web:
* ViVox, the company that deeply blends voice into online gaming, social networking and other interactive web sessions got what it deserved: almost $7m. Not long ago, the roles were reversed.
Video gets thumbs-up from the Enterprise...and plots its assault on the home:
* A recent survey added validation to what we already know: the enterprise is buying more and more video communications gear. Just wait 'till they use it for more than conferencing.
* Between Skype on TV, and the promises of video calling on the Ipad, the home market never looked so good. The Ipad will put video firmly in the kitchen, where we love to talk.
Iphone Apps that actually have voice in them:
* Andy's right when he says that Cisco's Voice App is me too. But he's also right that it will drive the market. Moves mobile VoIP deeper into the enterprise, while giving users what they want--UC on their mobile, not their desktop.
* Call recording is obscure right? Maybe not anymore. Cogi--an innovative company destined to make archiving voice conversations no different than saving a Word file--launched their Iphone app. The dictaphone is back, and it's better than ever.
Stay tuned for more.
