Do-It-Yourself VOIP

All VOIP, all the time seems to be the mantra these days. What with Vonage raising another US$40 million, it's hard not to believe investors have got a bad case of VOIP fever. One of the biggest issues I have with consumer flavors of VOIP is that it's great if you're a young, tech-savvy person with a cable connection – but not so user-friendly for the rest of us with kids and multi-phone houses. Sure, VOIP service providers contend it's plug-and-play but that's just good marketing tactics. Until VOIP becomes easier to use, it will be a niche service. That said, there are some interesting technologies on the horizon. One of the more intriguing is from DataLogic, which has VOIP calling device technology that telephone makers can use to build VOIP/TDM phones, thereby eliminating the need for a VOIP adapter. There are also reports Intel is going to build VOIP capabilities into a computer chip. Expect a flurry of new, cool VOIP technology as the market gains momentum.