Engadget http://www.engadget.com Engadget http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/feedlogo.gif Engadget http://www.engadget.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Vonage reports $14 million in income, loses 19,000 subscribers]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/02/vonage-reports-14-million-in-income-loses-19-000-subscribers/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/02/vonage-reports-14-million-in-income-loses-19-000-subscribers/http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/02/vonage-reports-14-million-in-income-loses-19-000-subscribers/#comments Vonage reports $14 million in income, loses 19,000 subscribersVonage may have raked in $216 million in revenue, netting itself $14 million in profit, but things still seem to be heading in the wrong direction for the company. We're not even talking about the sharp decrease in net income -- the $350 million made in the last quarter was thanks in large part to a one-time tax benefit. Revenue remained flat sequentially at $216 million, but was down slightly from the same time last year. What's more, churn had increased from Q4 and, despite signing up 165,000 new accounts, the VoIP carrier managed lose 19,000 subscribers -- and that's after dropping 14,000 last quarter. For more info check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading Vonage reports $14 million in income, loses 19,000 subscribers

Vonage reports $14 million in income, loses 19,000 subscribers originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 22:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>earningsfinancialsminipostnumbersstatsvoice over IPVoiceOverIpvoipvonageWed, 02 May 2012 22:34:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage Mobile app allows free calls and texts worldwide to fellow Android and iOS users]]>http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/08/vonage-mobile-app-allows-free-calls-and-texts-ios-android/http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/08/vonage-mobile-app-allows-free-calls-and-texts-ios-android/http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/08/vonage-mobile-app-allows-free-calls-and-texts-ios-android/#comments
Looking to save some coin on those international calls to your mates in Brussels? Vonage has just rolled out new Android and iOS apps that do just that. The Vonage Mobile app offers free talk and text for corresponding with fellow app users worldwide by way of WiFi or data connection. Need to update app-less Auntie Em while backpacking through the Swiss Alps? The outfit says it'll save you 70% over major carriers and costs 30% less than Skype. For calls to folks without the app, users can add calling credit in either $4.99 or $9.99 increments right from the iTunes store or Android Market. The software also makes use of your existing number and extensive list of contacts without the need to create another username. Right now, calls to any phone in the US of A, Canada or Puerto Rico are free from the app for a limited time -- so long as you stay under 3000 minutes per month, of course. Hit the source link or PR below for more information before heading to your app repository to snag the free download.

Continue reading Vonage Mobile app allows free calls and texts worldwide to fellow Android and iOS users

Vonage Mobile app allows free calls and texts worldwide to fellow Android and iOS users originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidandroid appandroid appsandroid marketAndroidAppAndroidAppsAndroidMarketappappleappsgoogleinternational callinginternational callsInternationalCallingInternationalCallsiosipadiphoneipod touchIpodTouchituneslong distanceLongDistancemessagingmobilepostcrossphonephone servicePhoneServiceunlimited callingUnlimitedCallingvonagevonage appVonageAppwifiWed, 08 Feb 2012 14:12:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage launches Android app for free international calling, still no service to Brodo Asogi]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/02/vonage-launches-android-app-for-free-international-calling-stil/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/02/vonage-launches-android-app-for-free-international-calling-stil/http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/02/vonage-launches-android-app-for-free-international-calling-stil/#comments Just in time for Tante Lulu's birthday in Gstaad, Vonage launched its Extensions app for free long-distance calling from your Android phone. With a quick download, homesick relatives can tap into their existing Vonage VoIP service from a Google-powered phone to call globally without racking up terribly expensive additional mobile charges. The catch? It requires a VoIP international calling plan before you can start dialing friends worldwide. Also, pricing is subject to your existing calling plan and it doesn't support messaging like some other similar apps, including Fring and Viber. For existing Vonage users, it's certainly a sweet added feature, leaving you no excuse but to call Auntie Lulu.

[Thanks, Val]

Vonage launches Android app for free international calling, still no service to Brodo Asogi originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 02 Sep 2011 09:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidandroid appandroid appsAndroidAppAndroidAppsappappsextensionsextensions appExtensionsAppgoogleinternational callinginternational callsInternationalCallingInternationalCallslong distanceLongDistancemessagingmobile callingMobileCallingmobilepostminiphonephone servicePhoneServiceunlimited callingUnlimitedCallingvoice over IPVoiceOverIpvoipvonagevonage extensionsVonageExtensionsFri, 02 Sep 2011 09:04:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage Time to Call app lets you make international calls from your iPhone, pay through iTunes]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/03/vonage-time-to-call-app-lets-you-make-international-calls-from-y/http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/03/vonage-time-to-call-app-lets-you-make-international-calls-from-y/http://www.engadget.com/2011/08/03/vonage-time-to-call-app-lets-you-make-international-calls-from-y/#comments Making international VoIP calls from your iPhone just got slightly less complicated, and slightly more expensive. Vonage's new Time to Call app lets you make short, 15-minute calls to 190 countries with rates ranging from 99 cents to $9.99 per call. Payments are processed through iTunes, so you don't need to create an account with Vonage, giving the app a slight advantage over services from competitors like Skype -- for now, at least. The app works over WiFi everywhere, and 3G in the US and Canada, and you'll pay the same rate when calling both mobile phones and landlines -- so you could save quite a bit if you typically make short calls to mobile numbers. For casual callers, however, the app's most appealing feature is the free call you'll get after installation. We wasted it on a 30-second call to Tokyo that would've cost us three cents to make using Skype, so hopefully you'll be slightly more creative.

Continue reading Vonage Time to Call app lets you make international calls from your iPhone, pay through iTunes

Vonage Time to Call app lets you make international calls from your iPhone, pay through iTunes originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 19:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>callingcallsinternationalinternational callsInternationalCallsphone callsPhoneCallsroamingskypetime to callTimeToCallvoipvonagevonage time to callVonageTimeToCallWed, 03 Aug 2011 19:22:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage Extensions makes mobile international calling a free-of-charge affair]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/27/vonage-extensions-makes-mobile-international-calling-a-free-of-c/http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/27/vonage-extensions-makes-mobile-international-calling-a-free-of-c/http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/27/vonage-extensions-makes-mobile-international-calling-a-free-of-c/#commentsHey Vonage customers, your VoIP service of choice is about to get a bit of a mobile value-add. Announced today, the company's new Extensions service links your existing home internet calling plan to extra phone numbers -- like a cellphone-- for free, so you can make that long-distance call to Tante Lulu in Gstaad on-the-go. Okay, so the feature isn't exactly gratis -- you're still required to sign up for an unlimited international calling plan, but the bucks literally stop there. All it takes to get started with this "virtual calling card" is an access number and some foreign digits. Sound too complicated for you? Don't fret, official iPhone and Android-compatible apps are scheduled to hit their respective markets in the coming weeks. So, go ahead and ring ol' Lu for her 89th birthday. She'll be glad you called.

Continue reading Vonage Extensions makes mobile international calling a free-of-charge affair

Vonage Extensions makes mobile international calling a free-of-charge affair originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appappsExtensionshdinternationalinternational callinginternational callsInternationalCallingInternationalCallslandlinelandlinesLulumobile callingMobileCallingphonephone servicePhoneServicesmartphoneunlimited callingUnlimitedCallingvoipvonageVonage ExtensionsVonageExtensionsWed, 27 Jul 2011 17:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage offers unlimited VoIP calling to mobile phones in 42 countries]]>http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/19/vonage-offers-unlimited-voip-calling-to-mobile-phones-in-42-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/19/vonage-offers-unlimited-voip-calling-to-mobile-phones-in-42-coun/http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/19/vonage-offers-unlimited-voip-calling-to-mobile-phones-in-42-coun/#commentsIt's been a while since we've heard much from the ever-embattled VoIP provider, but it looks like Vonage might still have a couple tricks up its sleeve. The company's latest service plan, known as World Premium Unlimited, offers unlimited calling to mobile phones in 42 countries -- and landlines in 80 -- for $55 a month. This plan also provides for unlimited local and long distance service in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, and requires callers to use a touch tone phone, hooked up to the internet by way of a Vonage adapter, to make calls to places like the UK, Mexico, and Brazil. It may not be an ideal primary calling solution for most, but it could be enough to put Vonage back in our sights. Full PR after the break.

Continue reading Vonage offers unlimited VoIP calling to mobile phones in 42 countries

Vonage offers unlimited VoIP calling to mobile phones in 42 countries originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 17:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You remember Vonage right? The trailblazing VoiP company is still around and appears at first glance to have instigated a bit of coup in the battle for VoiP calls over AT&T connections. Unfortunately they haven't, at least not yet. See, the free Vonage Mobile app just added to the iTunes App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch has been approved for making international calls over AT&T's cellular network (take that Skype) in addition to WiFi. Unfortunately, we're not talking about SIP calls over EDGE/HSDPA data. Like the rejected Google Voice app, if you're out of WiFi range but still have voice service then Vonage Mobile will redirect your international call (entered directly into the App or selected from your address book) to a local access number in the US -- you're then using your AT&T minutes while being charged Vonage Mobile's discounted worldwide calling rates. The app is strictly pay-as-you-go for the moment and will not give free global calling to those who subscribe to Vonage's $25 per month Vonage World plan -- Vonage says that will come before the end of the year. The Vonage Mobile app for BlackBerry only works over your carrier's voice network while the iPod touch app only works over WiFi, naturally. Also, BlackBerry users will revert to Vonage's lower rates anytime they make an international call whereas iPhone users must launch the Vonage application first.

[Thanks, Ricky B.]

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Vonage Mobile iPhone and BlackBerry apps available for download originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You remember Vonage right? The trailblazing VoIP company is still around and appears at first glance to have instigated a bit of coup in the battle for VoIP calls over AT&T connections. Unfortunately they haven't, at least not yet. See, the free Vonage Mobile app just added to the iTunes App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch has been approved for making international calls over AT&T's cellular network (take that Skype) in addition to WiFi. Unfortunately, we're not talking about SIP calls over EDGE/HSDPA data. Like the rejected Google Voice app, if you're out of WiFi range but still have voice service then Vonage Mobile will redirect your international call (entered directly into the App or selected from your address book) to a local access number in the US -- you're then using your AT&T minutes while being charged Vonage Mobile's discounted worldwide calling rates. The app is strictly pay-as-you-go for the moment and will not give free global calling to those who subscribe to Vonage's $25 per month Vonage World plan -- Vonage says that will come before the end of the year. The Vonage Mobile app for BlackBerry only works over your carrier's voice network while the iPod touch app only works over WiFi, naturally. Also, BlackBerry users will revert to Vonage's lower rates anytime they make an international call whereas iPhone users must launch the Vonage application first.

[Thanks, Ricky B.]

Vonage Mobile iPhone and BlackBerry apps available for download originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appblackberrybreaking newsBreakingNewsiphoneipod touchIpodTouchsipvoipvonagevonage mobileVonageMobileMon, 05 Oct 2009 06:33:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage gets an infusion of cash, changes in the boardroom]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/25/vonage-gets-an-infusion-of-cash-changes-in-the-boardroom/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/25/vonage-gets-an-infusion-of-cash-changes-in-the-boardroom/http://www.engadget.com/2008/07/25/vonage-gets-an-infusion-of-cash-changes-in-the-boardroom/#commentsVOIP provider Vonage is doing a bit of reshuffling at the top, while putting the finishing touches on a $215 million infusion of cash from Silver Point Finance LLC. Dry enough? Perhaps, but we're sure Jeffery Citron, CEO and current interim chief executive of the recently embattled company will be pleased to get the helping hand. Citron is currently preparing for a swap of duties as well, taking a step back from the day-to-day -- which will probably provide a welcome respite from the flurry of legal hits the provider has taken. Enjoy your vacation, Jeff.

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Vonage gets an infusion of cash, changes in the boardroom originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>jeffery citronJefferyCitronsilver point llcSilverPointLlcvoice over ipVoiceOverIpvoipvonageFri, 25 Jul 2008 11:44:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage to resell Covad DSL, call it Vonage Broadband]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/08/vonage-to-resell-covad-dsl-call-it-vonage-broadband/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/08/vonage-to-resell-covad-dsl-call-it-vonage-broadband/http://www.engadget.com/2008/05/08/vonage-to-resell-covad-dsl-call-it-vonage-broadband/#comments
After a good bit of hand-shaking and check-writing to close out last year, Vonage has managed to remain out of the press for the majority of 2008. Now, however, the firm is sneaking back out from its cocoon in order to announce a partnership with Covad Communications. In essence, it seems that Vonage has inked an agreement to resell broadband packages using Covad's nationwide DSL network. Jeffrey Citron, Chairman, Chief Strategist, and Interim CEO even went so far as to say that the newly coined Vonage Broadband would enable the firm to "respond to the demand it hears from customers who prefer the Vonage brand." Really? You've got folks who prefer the Vonage brand? Maybe we missed the comeback.

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Vonage to resell Covad DSL, call it Vonage Broadband originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 May 2008 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>agreementcovaddslinternetpartnerpartnershipresellingvonageVonage BroadbandVonageBroadbandThu, 08 May 2008 11:33:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage updating V-Phone with Mac support, Bluetooth?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/vonage-updating-v-phone-with-mac-support-bluetooth/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/vonage-updating-v-phone-with-mac-support-bluetooth/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/10/vonage-updating-v-phone-with-mac-support-bluetooth/#commentsEmbattled VoIP provider Vonage continues to push forward with plans for the future, first announcing the LCD-equipped V-Portal router, and soon -- if the company's booth reps know what they're talking about -- an update to the V-Phone USB dongle that will allegedly bring both Bluetooth and Mac support. Blogger Michael Puhala reportedly approached a Vonage employee on the show floor to inquire about the future of this VoIP-on-a-stick product, where he was informed that an OS X-friendly version would be introduced in Q2 -- surely good news for customers accustomed to using Boot Camp for getting their telephony on. Make sure to hit up the Read link for more info and a few additional claims.

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Vonage updating V-Phone with Mac support, Bluetooth? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>applebluetoothCESces 2008Ces2008os xOsXrumorsv-phonevoipvonageThu, 10 Jan 2008 13:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage kicks off MyVonage strategy, intros V-Portal]]>http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/vonage-kicks-off-myvonage-strategy-intros-v-portal/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/vonage-kicks-off-myvonage-strategy-intros-v-portal/http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/07/vonage-kicks-off-myvonage-strategy-intros-v-portal/#commentsYeah, we did actually wonder if Vonage would be around to chat about as 2009 rang in, but apparently, the firm is gearing up to make the comeback of the year (or something). Announced today, the outfit is kicking off its (admittedly unclear) MyVonage product strategy with the introduction of the V-Portal -- a "digital voice adapter and single port router with a built-in LCD." Reportedly, the screen can be used for "caller ID, timing calls, call logging, easy access to Vonage service numbers and for displaying the date and time," and while we're not sure what the future holds (particularly with this company), it is aiming to kick out even more Vonage-branded wares as time goes on. Also of note, it's busting out the first iteration of Contact Book, which is being hailed as a "one-stop communication hub" for users. As for pricing, the elusive V-Portal will be available on Wednesday to new customers for $9.99 after a $70 rebate, and if you're interested in more details on all of this, head on down to the read link,

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Vonage kicks off MyVonage strategy, intros V-Portal originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Jan 2008 12:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CESces 2008Ces2008digital voice adapterDigitalVoiceAdapterMyVonageV-PORTALvoipvonageMon, 07 Jan 2008 12:13:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage, Nortel call a truce -- no cash changing hands]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/31/vonage-nortel-call-a-truce-no-cash-changing-hands/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/31/vonage-nortel-call-a-truce-no-cash-changing-hands/http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/31/vonage-nortel-call-a-truce-no-cash-changing-hands/#commentsAlthough the press release issued to announce the settlement between Vonage and AT&T earlier this month is still the shortest we've seen in all of 2007, we're pretty certain the one doled out to trumpet the truce between Vonage and Nortel is holding down the two-spot. In just five wee sentences, we learn that the two have agreed in principle to end the litigation pending between 'em, and though no cash will be changing hands, the agreement does involve a limited cross license to three patents per firm. Way to put the past behind before entering into the new year, we say.

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Vonage, Nortel call a truce -- no cash changing hands originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Dec 2007 22:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vonage, AT&T settle -- on what, we've no idea originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 21 Dec 2007 19:36:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>attbreaking newsBreakingNewslegalpatentsettlementvonageFri, 21 Dec 2007 19:36:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage loses appeal, now owes Verizon $117.5 million]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/17/vonage-loses-appeal-now-owes-verizon-117-5-million/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/17/vonage-loses-appeal-now-owes-verizon-117-5-million/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/17/vonage-loses-appeal-now-owes-verizon-117-5-million/#commentsA follow-up to our earlier story regarding Verizon's patent lawsuit against Vonage: the latter company has lost its appeal against the former, and is now looking at having to pay the full $117.5 million settlement, plus $2.5 million to charity. It's been a bad few days for Vonage indeed, with the company's shares dropping 87 percent since IPO, and a tenth of its workforce out of a job. When you've hit rock bottom, the only way is up, right?

[Via Slashdot]

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Vonage loses appeal, now owes Verizon $117.5 million originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Nov 2007 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Big bucksBigBucksLawyersVerizonVonageSat, 17 Nov 2007 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage talking with AT&T, hopes to settle patent suit soon]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/08/vonage-talking-with-atandt-hopes-to-settle-patent-suit-soon/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/08/vonage-talking-with-atandt-hopes-to-settle-patent-suit-soon/http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/08/vonage-talking-with-atandt-hopes-to-settle-patent-suit-soon/#commentsThe roller coaster ride that is Vonage's litigation trail is hitting yet another high point, that is, if you consider paying out "just" $39 million a positive. Reportedly, the internet telephony firm is "in talks" with AT&T to settle a patent suit filed just last month, but no hands have shook on anything just yet. If you'll recall, this would be the fourth settlement reached by Vonage in the last two months, but alas, it'd still walk away from the table a cool $39 million lighter. No, we don't know if this nightmare will ever end for Vonage, but at least it looks to be headed in the right direction (if only momentarily).

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Vonage talking with AT&T, hopes to settle patent suit soon originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Nov 2007 11:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>vonageThu, 08 Nov 2007 11:13:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage settles with Verizon, owes up to $117.5 million]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/25/vonage-settles-with-verizon-owes-up-to-117-5-million/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/25/vonage-settles-with-verizon-owes-up-to-117-5-million/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/25/vonage-settles-with-verizon-owes-up-to-117-5-million/#commentsThe world's favorite ATM is being hit up for even more coin today, as Vonage (presumably begrudgingly) agreed to resolve the patent lawsuit between it and Verizon. Reportedly, the actual amount that the VoIP provider will be forced to pay "depends on how the Court of Appeals decides Vonage's pending petition for rehearing regarding two of the Verizon patents." The breakdown is like so: if Vonage wins rehearing on either patent in question "or if the injunction is vacated," it'll owe $80 million. If the outfit doesn't win rehearing on either patent or "if the stay is lifted reinstating the injunction," it will soon find its thinning wallet a full $117.5 million lighter. Sounds like a prototypical lose-lose situation (or win-win, depending on perspective).

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Vonage settles with Verizon, owes up to $117.5 million originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T slaps Vonage with yet another lawsuit originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Oct 2007 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>vonageSat, 20 Oct 2007 12:02:00 EST<![CDATA[Switched On: Cap'n magicJack's port of call]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/16/switched-on-capn-magicjacks-port-of-call/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/16/switched-on-capn-magicjacks-port-of-call/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/16/switched-on-capn-magicjacks-port-of-call/#commentsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:


Inventions and incentives have fueled the those using voice over IP to battle the imposing inertia of landline incumbents, as well as the cellphone's continued cannibalization of long distance. The list of disruptive newcomers is long: cable companies offer adapter boxes for analog phones; a variety of companies have extended Skype via solutions that are both tethered to the PC and that operate over WiFi networks; and recently, Ooma (which will be discussed more in a future column) has made the tempting offer of free domestic long distance for life with the purchase of its $400 Ooma hub, which delivers additional benefits such as web-based voicemail and the functionality of a second line without a second phone number.

Into this crowded field has jumped magicJack, the brainchild of Dan Barislow, who developed the "10-10-xxx" phone numbers that enabled consumers to bypass their long-distance carrier more than a decade before the first Skype icon emitted its ascending loading tone. About the size of a double-wide USB flash drive, magicJack has a standard phone jack on its back that allows you to plug in any standard touch-tone telephone handset from a leading-edge DECT phone to an old princess design.

Continue reading Switched On: Cap'n magicJack's port of call

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Switched On: Cap'n magicJack's port of call originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2007 10:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>featuresMagicJackphoneRoss RubinRossRubinSwitched OnSwitchedOnUSBV PhoneVoIPVonageVPhoneTue, 16 Oct 2007 10:24:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage settles long-standing Klausner litigation]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/12/vonage-settles-long-standing-klausner-litigation/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/12/vonage-settles-long-standing-klausner-litigation/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/12/vonage-settles-long-standing-klausner-litigation/#commentsOne step forward, two (or more) steps back. That seems to be the recurring theme for Vonage these days, as just hours after officially requesting a review of the Verizon patent decision, the firm is now settling its legal dispute with Klausner Technologies. The settlement is the second this week for the outfit, and while no financial terms of the deal were discussed, Vonage was granted "a patent license related to voice messaging." Another one down, who knows how many to go.

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Vonage settles long-standing Klausner litigation originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2007 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>courtinternet telephonyInternetTelephonyKlausnerlawsuitlegalpatent infringementPatentInfringementvonageFri, 12 Oct 2007 09:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage requests rehearing of Verizon patent ruling]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/11/vonage-requests-rehearing-of-verizon-patent-ruling/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/11/vonage-requests-rehearing-of-verizon-patent-ruling/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/11/vonage-requests-rehearing-of-verizon-patent-ruling/#commentsVonage, who has been hit up with a bevy of legal trouble in recent months, is officially seeking a review of the September 26th Verizon patent decision. Reportedly, the internet telephony outfit "filed a motion for a review by the original three-judge panel or the full panel of the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit." According to Vonage Chief Legal Officer Sharon O'Leary, the move "represents the next logical step for Vonage in managing this litigation and continuing to move its business forward," and she also stated that the firm would "continue to explore all legal options available to put the Verizon litigation to rest."

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Vonage requests rehearing of Verizon patent ruling originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2007 10:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>courtinternet telephonyInternetTelephonylawsuitlegalpatent infringementPatentInfringementsuitverizonvoipvonageThu, 11 Oct 2007 10:16:00 EST<![CDATA[Sprint hits up Vonage for another $80 million]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/08/sprint-hits-up-vonage-for-another-80-million/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/08/sprint-hits-up-vonage-for-another-80-million/http://www.engadget.com/2007/10/08/sprint-hits-up-vonage-for-another-80-million/#commentsVonage, everyone's favorite "gettin' sued by The Man" company has taken another beating in the Sprint-Nextel patent suit, agreeing to settle the case and license the telco's internet-calling technology for the tidy sum of $80 million. This comes hot on the heels of last month's ruling, which stipulated that Vonage was to pay $69.5 million to Sprint over six patents which the mobile phone company says it had infringed. "We are pleased to resolve our dispute with Sprint and enter into a productive future relationship," said Sharon O'Leary, General Counsel for Vonage, though it's possible she wasn't as ecstatic as that quote would have you believe. This is just another money-siphoning event for the VoIP company, which in March was hit up for $66 million from Verizon for illegally using some of its patents. If you're keeping count at home, that's $215.5 million paid out. If this keeps up, they may not even be able to afford those snappy commercials anymore. [Warning: read link requires subscription]

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Sprint hits up Vonage for another $80 million originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Oct 2007 12:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>infringmentinternet telephonyInternetTelephonylawsuitlegallicensinglitigationnextelpatentsprintsuitsupreme courtSupremeCourtvoipvonageMon, 08 Oct 2007 12:48:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage struck again as court partly upholds Verizon verdict]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/26/vonage-struck-again-as-court-partly-upholds-verizon-verdict/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/26/vonage-struck-again-as-court-partly-upholds-verizon-verdict/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/26/vonage-struck-again-as-court-partly-upholds-verizon-verdict/#commentsWhen it rains, it pours. At least we're pretty sure Vonage thinks so, as for the second time in as many days, the firm has been hit with terrible news on the legal front. Just a day after being ordered to pay Sprint a whopping $69.5 million for patent infringement, the VoIP provider is now hearing that the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit "partially affirmed" the Verizon verdict from March. For those who have forgotten, that case proclaimed that Vonage owed Verizon $58 million in addition to royalties on future revenue, but the appeals court did "direct the trial court to reconsider the verdict on one of the three patents and it vacated the damages and royalty awards." Notably, the "injunction has been stayed pending resolution of Vonage's appeal," but it will go into effect within a month if the outfit can't secure an emergency stay from the US Supreme Court.

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Vonage struck again as court partly upholds Verizon verdict originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2007 16:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>courtinternet callinginternet telephonyInternetCallingInternetTelephonylawsuitlegalsprintsuesuitverizonvonageWed, 26 Sep 2007 16:26:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage ordered to pay Sprint $69.5 million, royalties on future revenues]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/25/vonage-ordered-to-pay-sprint-69-5-million-royalties-on-future/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/25/vonage-ordered-to-pay-sprint-69-5-million-royalties-on-future/http://www.engadget.com/2007/09/25/vonage-ordered-to-pay-sprint-69-5-million-royalties-on-future/#commentsWhile there was once talk of just selling Sprint the keys to the (crumbling) Vonage offices, it's pretty safe to say that those plans are no longer in the cards. Apparently, Vonage Holdings Corp. "was ordered in federal court to pay $69.5 million in damages for infringing on six telecommunications patents owned by competitor Sprint-Nextel," and if that wasn't punishment enough, "jurors ordered Vonage to pay a five-percent royalty on future revenues." If you'll recall, this isn't the first time Vonage has had to cough up major quantities of dough after being sued for patent infringement, and although a spokesman for the firm "declined comment," the company has already announced that it will "seek to overturn" the verdict.

Read - Vonage to pay Sprint $69.5 million
Read - Vonage to Appeal Court Decision in Sprint Patent Suit

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Vonage ordered to pay Sprint $69.5 million, royalties on future revenues originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>courtintenet telephonyIntenetTelephonyinternet callingInternetCallinglawsuitlegalsettlementsprintsuesuitvoipvonageTue, 25 Sep 2007 17:24:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage might have a patent workaround, not promising anything]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/11/vonage-might-have-a-patent-workaround-not-promising-anything/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/11/vonage-might-have-a-patent-workaround-not-promising-anything/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/11/vonage-might-have-a-patent-workaround-not-promising-anything/#commentsWhat's that you say? A faint glimmer of hope on the horizon for Vonage? Surely you jest! But that unlikely-as-it-seems scenario appears to be just the case, with Vonage following up recent Q1 financial results of shrinking losses ($72.3 million, as opposed to $85.2 million last year) and growing sales ($195.9 million, up 64 percent) with news of a heretofore-thought-impossible technology solution to its patent woes. "We will begin rolling these workarounds out shortly, hopefully in the next few weeks, and we believe they will work," says CEO Jeffrey Citron. Analysts point out that Vonage isn't making any promises, and the company is far from out of the woods, but we're guessing Vonage wouldn't be bragging about something like this in the midst of appealing the Verizon patent suit if there wasn't some truth to it. The update will apparently be low-cost, just involving software downloads.

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Vonage might have a patent workaround, not promising anything originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 May 2007 09:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>patent suitPatentSuitverizonvonageFri, 11 May 2007 09:54:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage sees hope in Supreme Court patent crackdown]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/02/vonage-sees-hope-in-supreme-court-patent-crackdown/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/02/vonage-sees-hope-in-supreme-court-patent-crackdown/http://www.engadget.com/2007/05/02/vonage-sees-hope-in-supreme-court-patent-crackdown/#commentsStill consumed in a bitter fight for its very survival, embattled VoIP provider Vonage -- recently granted an eleventh-hour pardon from that permanent injunction -- has announced that it will attempt to leverage Monday's landmark Supreme Court decision in seeking a completely new trial. In what is widely seen as both a blow to patent trolls as well as a tough new barrier in the patent application process, the Court ruled that one auto parts manufacturer had not infringed upon another's intellectual property in designing a new gas pedal, because the original pedal was merely an improvement on older models and should not have been granted a patent in the first place. Under this new, looser definition of "obviousness," argues Vonage, the Verizon patents in question would also be deemed upgrades of existing technology at the time they were issued -- and therefore invalid. It remains to be seen whether the appeals court will agree, grant the recently-reorganized company a new trial, and prolong this soap opera for several months or more, but what is clear from recent Court activity (including a Microsoft victory over AT&T) is that the days of a rubber-stamping patent office may be numbered, and that the NTP's and OPTi's of the world had better find a new way to pay the bills.

Read - Vonage
Read - Supreme Court decision

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Vonage sees hope in Supreme Court patent crackdown originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2007 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>patentssupreme courtSupremeCourtvonageWed, 02 May 2007 09:56:00 EST<![CDATA[Court gives Vonage perma-stay, ok to sign up new customers]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/24/court-gives-vonage-perma-stay-ok-to-sign-up-new-customers/http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/24/court-gives-vonage-perma-stay-ok-to-sign-up-new-customers/http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/24/court-gives-vonage-perma-stay-ok-to-sign-up-new-customers/#commentsThis morning a judge for the US Court of Appeals handed Vonage the best news it's heard in weeks: a permanent stay on the previous court's decision that put a stop to new customer sign-ups during the appeal process of its ongoing patent lawsuit with Verizon. We ran through Vonage's pity plea the other day, and while we're not sure if its sad state of affairs or the potential shadiness of Verizon's patents prompted the judge to give Vonage a new lease on life -- Vonage calls it "business as usual" -- we do know that Vonage isn't out of the woods by any means.

[Warning: subscription required]

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Court gives Vonage perma-stay, ok to sign up new customers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 Apr 2007 15:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breaking newsBreakingNewslawsuitpatentstayverizonvonageTue, 24 Apr 2007 15:38:00 EST<![CDATA[Sprint rumored to be considering Vonage purchase]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/17/sprint-rumored-to-be-considering-vonage-purchase/http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/17/sprint-rumored-to-be-considering-vonage-purchase/http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/17/sprint-rumored-to-be-considering-vonage-purchase/#comments
At the same time that embattled VoIP provider Vonage attempts to reorganize and cut costs during the company's darkest hour, rumors are beginning to fly that an acquisition may be imminent, and at the top of the list of potential buyers is none other than Sprint-Nextel. You see, not only does Vonage need to litigate its way out of the Verizon mess, it's facing yet another potential setback in September (if it even lasts that long) when an infringement lawsuit brought by Sprint is scheduled to begin. So even if Vonage manages to to fight off the impending permanent injunction, Sprint is waiting in line to take a bite as well, and now Light Reading is reporting that company execs may decide that the best way to settle this dispute is to simply sell Sprint the keys to the office. Now it's pretty obvious why Vonage would want to cash out and dump its mess on another firm, but what does Sprint have to gain from such a deal? It's not clear why the wireless carrier would want to get into the internet telephony game at this point, and even if it did, the court may soon rule that in effect, Vonage doesn't even have anything worth selling -- except maybe its customer list. Obviously we'll be keeping our eye on this, because we have to admit, Vonage is a lot more fun to cover now than it used to be.

[Thanks, Travis]

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Sprint rumored to be considering Vonage purchase originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Apr 2007 20:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>lawsuitspatentssprintsprint-nextelverizonvonageTue, 17 Apr 2007 20:31:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage: no workaround, we're pretty much screwed]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/16/vonage-no-workaround-were-pretty-much-screwed/http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/16/vonage-no-workaround-were-pretty-much-screwed/http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/16/vonage-no-workaround-were-pretty-much-screwed/#commentsThings just went from "really bad" to "oh man that sucks" for Vonage. The VoIP provider is requesting a permanent stay on Judge Claude Hilton's decision in the Verizon patent suit, which decrees that Vonage can't sign up any new customers until it figures out a way to provide them service that doesn't infringe upon Verizon's patents. Vonage had already been granted a temporary stay, saying that they'd drum up a workaround, but this new request is much more pessimistic, saying that because Verizon's patents are so broad, such technology would take months to develop, "if even feasible." The unlucky company is making a bit of a pity play as well, saying that even if it "was somehow able to implement a design around, and was able to ultimately prevail on appeal, it would have no hope of regaining its lost customers, or its lost goodwill, and its loss of revenue would be permanent and..." Oddly, the statement cuts out there, because the rest of it was redacted as "confidential material." The whole Vonage statement is in fact riddled with such holes, making it hard to figure out exactly what's going on -- other than the fact that Vonage doesn't like its chances of building a workaround. No mention of that VoIP Inc. safety net either, but perhaps Vonage still thinks it has a shot at doing this the old fashioned way.

[Via GigaOM]

Update: Tier 1 research analyst Daniel Berninger points out that it's actually possible that Verizon's patents may be illegitimate. Apparently the two patents in question, 6,104,711 (filed March 6, 1997) and 6,282,574 (filed February 24, 2000) may themselves use technology openly discussed and published by VocalTec back in 1996. In fact, it may also indirectly include technology input from the likes of IBM, Microsoft, Intel, Nortel, etc. made during the VoIP Forum in 1996, with the businesses' original intentions that this tech be used in future open standards. Can anything be proved here that would give Vonage a get out of jail free card? Well, we're certainly not lawyers (we'll defer to the legally-inclined in our audience), but already this patent he-said she-said is smacking a bit of RIM and NTP's fracas, and we all know how ugly that wound up being for the BlackBerry maker.

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Vonage: no workaround, we're pretty much screwed originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 16 Apr 2007 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>lawsuitpatent suitePatentSuitestayverizonvoipvonageMon, 16 Apr 2007 19:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage shakeup: CEO resigns, cost-cutting announced]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/12/vonage-shakeup-ceo-resigns-cost-cutting-announced/http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/12/vonage-shakeup-ceo-resigns-cost-cutting-announced/http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/12/vonage-shakeup-ceo-resigns-cost-cutting-announced/#comments
In a series of events meant to stir things up at a company that many analysts have already written of as dead, Vonage CEO Michael Snyder has resigned on the same day that the pioneering VoIP provider announced a series of cost-cutting maneuvers, including operations consolidation, a reduction in marketing, and predictably, layoffs. Formerly president of ADT, Snyder led the company since February of last year, when he replaced founder and current Chairman of the Board Jeffrey Citron in that role -- the same man who will once again hold the CEO title while replacements are scouted. The shakeup seems to have buoyed investor confidence somewhat following the courtroom setbacks in that Verizon patent suit, with Vonage shares up as much as 13 cents in premarket trading; however, it's a rather hollow victory when you consider that the ~$3.00 stock went for as much as $17.88 this time last year. So while it's good to see Vonage making some proactive moves in the face of what can only be considered a deathwatch, there's only so much the company can do to affect its own fate, and at this point we could be just a ruling or two away from the end.

[Photo courtesy of CNET]

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Vonage shakeup: CEO resigns, cost-cutting announced originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Apr 2007 11:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ceocost-cuttingjeffrey citronJeffreyCitronlawsuitslayoffsmichael snyderMichaelSnyderverizonvonageThu, 12 Apr 2007 11:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Judge: no new customers for Vonage]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/06/judge-no-new-customers-for-vonage/http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/06/judge-no-new-customers-for-vonage/http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/06/judge-no-new-customers-for-vonage/#commentsOuch, this one's gotta sting a little: after Verizon won an injunction against Vonage for copyright infringement, today US District Judge Claude Hilton has imposed an immediate stay on the VoIP provider's business, disallowing them from adding new customers. Like, seriously, you they aren't allowed to sign anyone up. Vonage will still continue providing service to those customers it currently has; it's obviously planning to immediately appeal the decision, however Judge Hilton also managed to tack on a $66 million appeal bond, which doesn't exactly sweeten their deal at all. Things are definitely not looking good for those guys; we'll keep ya updated. [Warning: subscription req'd for link.]

Update: We just called Vonage, and their end-user sales reps haven't gotten the memo yet. In other words, if you wanted to jump on Vonage service, today may be your last day to, at least for a while. (If you're really lucky, you might be able to get a rep to rattle off their official memo on the Verizon case, which accuses them of "stifling their competition by using US courts." Very good stuff.)

Update 2: The stranglehold decision made earlier today to stay Vonage and cut off its new customer signups has already been itself stayed, meaning the VoIP phone service provider can continue signing up new customers. (This news came this evening, well after our call into Vonage where a clueless rep hadn't even yet gotten the memo to stop signing up new users.) The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals will consider Vonage's appeal of the injunction and customer-signup stay set forth by Judge Hilton; looks like this one's only going to get more messy, but thew takeaway is pretty straightforward: if you want to sign up for Vonage, you've still got a window of opportunity, so get in now before even more mad legal drama goes down.

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Judge: no new customers for Vonage originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Apr 2007 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>breaking newsBreakingNewsinjunctionlegalverizonvonageFri, 06 Apr 2007 11:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage inks a safety net with VoIP Inc.]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/03/vonage-inks-a-safety-net-with-voip-inc/http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/03/vonage-inks-a-safety-net-with-voip-inc/http://www.engadget.com/2007/04/03/vonage-inks-a-safety-net-with-voip-inc/#comments
Vonage just announced a deal with VoIP, Inc. in hopes of skirting 2 of the 3 Verizon patents they were found to be infringing upon. The two-year deal allows VoIP Inc. to carry calls made by Vonage customers across its nationwide network -- likely under their existing VOICEONE brand. The agreement should provide Vonage (and its customers) some protection should the permanent injunction be upheld. After all, VoIP Inc. claims to own the intellectual property swaddling their network services. Something Vonage also claimed back in the day. Ah, such is patent law.

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Vonage inks a safety net with VoIP Inc. originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2007 08:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>injuctionlegalpatentverizonvoiceonevoip incVoipIncvonageTue, 03 Apr 2007 08:16:00 EST<![CDATA[Verizon wins permanent injunction against Vonage]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/23/verizon-wins-permanent-injunction-against-vonage/http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/23/verizon-wins-permanent-injunction-against-vonage/http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/23/verizon-wins-permanent-injunction-against-vonage/#commentsRuh roh, bad news for Vonage today. In one of the nearly ten million patent infringement suits that we're closely following, a U.S. District judge has issued a permanent injunction against leading VoIP provider Vonage, barring the upstart telecom from using any technology protected by the three Verizon patents it has been convicted of infringing. In response to the ruling, company execs issued a statement attempting to reassure customers and reiterate its intent to appeal, although that didn't stop panicked investors from pushing shares down 6.2% before trading was halted. Specifically, Vonage wants you to know that you "will not experience service interruptions or other changes as a result of this litigation," claiming that it expects to prevail in an appeals process which starts in two weeks. If District Judge Claude Hilton decides at that time to make the injunction effective, Vonage can still plead its case in front of the Federal Court of Appeals -- however, Hilton's analysis of the injunction's potential effects on both parties seems to squarely Verizon, which doesn't bode well for Vonage even in a higher court. In other words, there's no reason for Vonage users to start freaking out just yet, but if we were in your shoes, well, we might at least start window shopping for a new landline network.

Read - Reuters
Read - Vonage PR

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Verizon wins permanent injunction against Vonage originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Mar 2007 14:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>injunctionlawsuitpatent infringementPatentInfringementverizonvonageFri, 23 Mar 2007 14:43:00 EST<![CDATA[Verizon wins $58 million from Vonage, proceeds to seek injunction]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/08/vonage-loses-patent-infringment-case-owes-verizon-58-million/http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/08/vonage-loses-patent-infringment-case-owes-verizon-58-million/http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/08/vonage-loses-patent-infringment-case-owes-verizon-58-million/#commentsIt was definitely not as bad as it could have been, but Vonage just got slapped with a $58 million fine after being found guilty of violating three of Verzion's patents for connecting VoIP calls to the regular circuit-switched telephone network. The big question now is whether Verizon will be able to get an injunction barring Vonage subscribers from using Verizon's technology to make phone calls to regular phone lines. Vonage is already appealing the verdict, but if it stands they'd either have to develop a non-infringing workaround, pay a 5.5% royalty on any revenue derived from using Verizon's technology (assuming Verizon even allows it), or cut off service to all 2.2 million of its customers (they'd still be able to make VoIP calls to other Vonage subscribers, but who'd stick around for that?).

Verizon wins $58 million from Vonage, proceeds to seek injunction originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Mar 2007 21:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>patentverizonvoipvonageThu, 08 Mar 2007 21:07:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage to become Vonage Wireless?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/20/vonage-to-become-vonage-wireless/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/20/vonage-to-become-vonage-wireless/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/20/vonage-to-become-vonage-wireless/#commentsVoIP provider Vonage has already cut a deal with EarthLink to resell WiFi, presumably to go along with some sort of WiFi phone service, but could they have something way crazier (and more costly) on tap? BusinessWeek speculates that Vonage might be getting into the cellular game by launching an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator). It's not hard to imagine them offering something similar to T-Mobile's HotSpot @Home service, which lets you use a WiFi-enabled cellphone to make VoIP calls over WiFi and and then seamlessly switch over to cellular networks whenever you're outside WiFi range. The problem is that launching an MVNO is no small undertaking. ESPN shuttered MobileESPN last year after failing to attract more than a handful of subscribers, and Amp'd and Helio have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to carve out a slice of what is an incredibly competitive wireless market (Apple was working on an MVNO to accompany the launch of the iPhone, but scrapped the whole thing once it became obvious how difficult it would be to gain marketshare). Could they do it? Maybe, but not without spending a TON of money, which is why it's more likely that they'll introduce a more modest Voice over WiFi service.

[Via GigaOm]

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Vonage to become Vonage Wireless? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Feb 2007 23:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>mobilemvnosvoipvonageTue, 20 Feb 2007 23:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage to become Vonage Wireless?]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/20/vonage-to-become-vonage-wireless/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/20/vonage-to-become-vonage-wireless/http://www.engadget.com/2007/02/20/vonage-to-become-vonage-wireless/#commentsVoIP provider Vonage has already cut a deal with EarthLink to resell WiFi, presumably to go along with some sort of WiFi phone service, but could they have something way crazier (and more costly) on tap? BusinessWeek speculates that Vonage might be getting into the cellular game by launching an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator). It's not hard to imagine them offering something similar to T-Mobile's HotSpot @Home service, which lets you use a WiFi-enabled cellphone to make VoIP calls over WiFi and and then seamlessly switch over to cellular networks whenever you're outside WiFi range. The problem is that launching an MVNO is no small undertaking. ESPN shuttered MobileESPN last year after failing to attract more than a handful of subscribers, and Amp'd and Helio have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to carve out a slice of what is an incredibly competitive wireless market (Apple was working on an MVNO to accompany the launch of the iPhone, but scrapped the whole thing once it became obvious how difficult it would be to gain marketshare). Could they do it? Maybe, but not without spending a TON of money, which is why it's more likely that they'll introduce a more modest Voice over WiFi service.

[Via GigaOm]

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Vonage to become Vonage Wireless? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Feb 2007 23:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is totally on the concept tip, and as such may never actually be produced, but Vonage has been showing off a design here at CES for a nifty-looking wireless router/VoIP adapter with an integrated touch screen LCD for displaying caller ID info and assisting with initial network setup.

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Vonage's router concept design originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Jan 2007 13:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>voipvonageWed, 10 Jan 2007 13:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage inks deal with EarthLink to resell WiFi]]>http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/08/vonage-inks-deal-with-earthlink-to-resell-wifi/http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/08/vonage-inks-deal-with-earthlink-to-resell-wifi/http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/08/vonage-inks-deal-with-earthlink-to-resell-wifi/#comments
While this deal has been brewing for some time, it looks like the deed has finally been done, as Vonage has landed a deal with EarthLink to resell wireless internet access wherever it has municipal WiFi networks already in place. EarthLink already has such services setup in places like Anaheim and New Orleans, but we can't help but mention that WiFi in some of these areas can be fetched gratis. Nevertheless, Vonage is hoping that its VoIP / wireless broadband bundle service will help it compete in the ferocious market, and has promised a "next generation Vonage WiFi phone" to go along with the newfangled service. EarthLink doesn't think selling access to its networks will cannibalize its own TrueVoice VoIP service, as it believes that service and support will still sway more customers its way than with Vonage. The deal allows Vonage to purchase internet services "wholesale" from EarthLink for three years, and it seems that Vonage will also be offering whatever hardware and software necessary to get folks up and running with the new addition without much (or any) extra cost. No word on if The 5678's will crank it up a notch to celebrate the agreement. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]

[Via GigaOM]

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Vonage inks deal with EarthLink to resell WiFi originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Jan 2007 11:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>agreementCESdealearthlinkpartnerpartnershiptruevoicevoipvonagewifiMon, 08 Jan 2007 11:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage and D-Link spawn the VWR VoIP router]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/25/vonage-and-d-link-spawn-the-vwr-voip-router/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/25/vonage-and-d-link-spawn-the-vwr-voip-router/http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/25/vonage-and-d-link-spawn-the-vwr-voip-router/#comments

Vonage you dirty, dirty minx you. Introducing the D-Link VWR four-in-one home networking and VoIP solution. This broadband router packs in an 802.11b/g WiFi access point, 4 port Ethernet switch, and two standard phone jacks to connect a multi-line phone to Vonage's service. Nothing we haven't seen before from the likes of Thomson, ZyXel and others blanketing similar territories only without the boost of Vonage's brand recognition. Of course, Vonage was in bed with Linksys back in the 2004 VoIP heyday with the nearly identical WRT54GP2 VoIP WiFi router. With the freshman fat gone, we guess the ol' girl's prowling the mean VoIP streets for tricks again. So go ahead, take her home for a mere $60 bucks for the box plus another $10 for shipping and $30 for activation -- hell, best just offer her a $Benjamin or move along.

[Via Slashphone]

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Vonage and D-Link spawn the VWR VoIP router originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 25 Aug 2006 09:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>802.11broadbandD-Linkd-link vwrD-linkVwrethernetroutervoipvonageVWRwifiwirelessFri, 25 Aug 2006 09:47:00 EST<![CDATA[Vonage sued again for patent infringement]]>http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/11/vonage-sued-again-for-patent-infringement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/11/vonage-sued-again-for-patent-infringement/http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/11/vonage-sued-again-for-patent-infringement/#commentsMove over Verizon, 'cause Klausner Technologies wants a crack at the telecommunication whipping boy du jour, Vonage. In yet another claim of patent infringement, Klausner, a patent holding company with 25 VoIP voicemail patents to its name, is seeking $180 million in damages and royalties to compensate the suffering endured by their private investors. This, after failing to convince Vonage to sign a licensing deal back in January like they did with Time Warner in April for the technology behind AOL Voicemail. And just in case you're taking odds on who'll sue whom next, Vonage just announced that it had acquired three unrelated VoIP patents for the compression of packetized digital signals allowing them to go after, and collect licensing fees from competitors like Motorola, Time Warner, Qwest, Sprint, and you guessed it, Verizon. Oh what a tangled web we weave.

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Vonage sued again for patent infringement originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 11 Jul 2006 09:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>infringementklausnerlawsuitlegallitigationpatentvoicemailVOiPvonageTue, 11 Jul 2006 09:24:00 EST