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The video
phone has been an unrealized dream, dating back to the days of
Star Trek. Electronics consumers have always imagined the day of audio and video in a single communications device, but
until very recently, the market has been littered with failed
attempts—all brought down by limited bandwidth and poor quality
of service.
Thanks to
8x8 Networks,
the video phone is no longer just a fantasy. The Santa Clara,
Calif.-based company is offering a broadband-based
VOIP video phone service.
8x8 is a provider of
VOIP solutions for the
consumer and small-business markets and has made great strides
in replacing landline phone connections with its offerings.
For 8x8 corp, it was just a matter of combining video with its
existing voice over internet protocol service.
The integration was accomplished by combining a
proprietary speaker phone that sports an integrated camera and
LCD screen with 8x8's broadband-based service. The final product
was an all-in-one, easy-to-use video phone.
The only real downside to the company's
solution is that callers on both ends of the connection need to
have a video phone installed. The hope is that in the future,
8x8 will extend its
VOIP and video service
to PC-based soft phones, which will allow users to leverage a
Web camera to access low-cost video phone capabilities. This
functionality would be especially helpful to traveling knowledge
workers.
A solution with these capabilities could cause
the video phone market to explode, with 8x8 readily taking the
lead. With that in mind, it won't be long before other vendors
such as
Vonage and AT&T
roll out their own video services. With work, these technologies
can be used to replace the clunky, expensive videoconferencing
systems found in so many company boardrooms today.
One thing is certain, however: Residential and
SMB
VoIP is here to
stay (barring government intervention) and offers the next big
opportunity for solution providers. The inclusion of video is
just one more reason providers are leaving traditional telcos
behind.
(
source Tech Trek CNR.com)
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