Microsoft Teams Up With Japanese VoIP Carrier 32
paritosh wrote to mention an Ars article about the joining up of Microsoft and Softbank to provide enterprise-level VoIP, IM, email, Internet, and groupware to the Japanese market. They are already discussing bringing it to the U.S. if it succeeds there. From the article: "With Softbank BB supplying most of the VoIP infrastructure, Microsoft's primary focus in this agreement will be providing hosted versions of its server products. Some of the products mentioned in the agreement include Exchange 2003, Office Live Communications Server 2005 and SharePoint. I wouldn't be surprised to see Windows Messenger make its way into the mix considering its new PC-to-POTS capability, which can act as a segue into the larger areas of the VoIP market in North America."
messenger? (Score:1)
Re:messenger? (Score:1)
MS and VoIP? (Score:3, Interesting)
On top of the fact there are tons of internet based voip players out there that give people more options than they might ever need. Further, voip over the internet is too flaky for business use. All of these factors hurt anything MS may try in this field, and they aren't equipped to do it right.
Re:MS and VoIP? (Score:1, Insightful)
On top of the fact there are tons of internet based voip players out there that give people more options than they might ever need. Further, voip over the internet is too flaky for business use. All of these factors hurt anything MS may try in this field, and they aren't equipped to do it right.
Grasshopper. How has this hurt Microsoft b
Re:MS and VoIP? (Score:4, Informative)
It's really no different than MS getting into the toaster market. There is a level of expectation people have for appliances, and they freak out when an appliance starts acting up. Add in to the mix that those same people who have a certain level of expectations in their phone systems are business types, and you have to tread carefully.
I know. I do voip stuff ( with asterisk. ask for it by name ), and normal, rational people get very weird when something acts up in a phone system. Even if it's something that doesn't actually mean anything ( like the tones don't echo, or it takes longer to connect a call than they are used to. ). Businesses depend on their phone systems more so than their computers, and with the advent of computers in the work place, the phones are kind of seen as the last bastion of technology that "Just Works", making them that much more precious.
I refuse to setup someone's business using voip over the internet, given how flaky it can be. If that's truly what MS wants to try, more power to them, but they will fail hard. Further, it will damage their already shaky rep.
Re:MS and VoIP? (Score:2, Insightful)
I think you miss an important thing about how Microsoft markets their
Re:MS and VoIP? (Score:2)
Which means exactly Jack and Shit. This is more a problem with how the internet works in relation to how MS works than anything else. Nothing else really matters.
Re:MS and VoIP? (Score:2)
Are they starting to try to compete with Asterisk? (Score:3, Interesting)
so they can listen (Score:3, Funny)
VoIP 'inovation' MS style? (Score:4, Insightful)
The idea of voice over ip is to reuse 'ip' to send voice, not send more cash back to M$.
M$ takes an existing product and extends it.
After dumbing down and corporatizing up what are we left with?
A new generation of beta grade voip software at enterprise rates - no saving for you.
And for 20 year ppl line up and ask for more?
Do you really want to dial 911 and get Clippy telling you about a great new deal?
Re:VoIP 'inovation' MS style? (Score:2)
If you think about it, there's no reason why the telephone shouldn't be considered part of a communications network like email, IM, and faxing. With remote features that Exchange offers, I think it would be pretty cool to have all of that seamlessly work together.
But yes, Clippy would be annoying. Of course, he hasn't been around (by default) for the last two versions of Office.
POTS? (Score:2, Funny)
Personal Computer - to - Piece Of Total Sh!te?
A new feature under Messanger? I thought Windows had had that as a default part of the install for years?
Microsoft + Japanese VOIP = LOL (Score:3, Informative)
Anyone who knows anythign about Japanese VOIP will tell you immediately what a total piece of shit it is. First of all, Softbank is NOT a "VOIP Carrier". There are no VOIP carriers in Japan other than NTT. Anyone who tells you otherwise doesnt know the situation. What happens is you have NTT reselling lines to smaller companies. More on this later.
The real failure with Japanese VOIP (other than per-minute charges for voip calls!) is the whole new "050" prefix where all voip shit goes to. Yes, you can get a new voip number, but it will be some random 10-digit 050 prefix number taht you'll have to tell everyone. Number portability? forget it.
There's the new overpriced hikari denwa service which lets you (finally) have a landline phone # tied to voip but it requires a) expensive and unavailable in 99% of Japan NTT-flets connection, b) still bills 8yen/3 minutes for all calls (and increases with distance)... What the fuck are they thinking?
Then there's like 1000 "ISPs" selling "IP-Phone" services, but all they are doing is reselling NTT garbage. SO you take already expensive NTT rate, add on some extra shit by each ISP, and you got a total failure in the works.
Its actually cheaper to buy voip line from a u.s. company (vonage, broadvoice, etc) because there are no flat-rate long distance plans offered by jap voip - with broadvoice you can even have flat-rate calls INSiDE JAPAN (to landline, not mobile numbers) - for like $30 a month.
What does microsoft have to do with this? Probably nothing, but I thought a good rant on the current situation of Jap voip would be appropriate for this article.
The Way Of The Damned (Score:3, Interesting)
A brief introduction to the art of Japanese business.
1. Express an interest in a new product.
2. Buy new product and see how it works.
3. Make a better one.
4. Own the world.
This time next year, we may look back on this and smile.
I made the VOIP jump @home long ago (Score:2)
The best is that I can cut the land line and not have to give SBC a red cent. But, I'd go back to SBC before I'd go to MS. Actually I'd rather setup my own can and string phone network before I'd give money to either.
Microsoft Teams Up With Japanese VoIP Carrier (Score:2)
The natural result of which should be "Japanese VoIP Carrier sues Microsoft in embrace and extend case"
Deal with someone with Microsoft's history and you'd better be sure your contract's tighter than a shark's arse at 40 fathoms.
As a customer of Softbank BB... (Score:1)
I'm imagining that the Microsoft logo will now appear on my bills. I should hope they don't mess with anything else. Not that I'd know, what with the billing statement being in backwards-Matrix characters.
Just for a moment (Score:3, Funny)
Hells teeth... I read that as "considering its new PC-to BOTS capability" Now I know Windows machines are partial to being Zombified but that would be ridiculous !
Perfect role for the state -- ideally (Score:1)
Microsoft and World Domination (Score:1)
-line cuts off-
MS guy: WERE YOU TRYING TO TELL SOMEONE TO SWITCH TO LINUX?
Guy: No! I swear!
-guy slumps dead as MS agents fire a bullet into the back of his head-