The end for IP telephony provider Vonage?

[echarcha]

Those of you who have Vonage phone service (which uses the high speed internet connection to provide phone service) should check this out.



"The latest in Verizon vs. Vonage (http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8OB69KO0.htm) is in. The judge has basically stopped Vonage from accepting new customers. From the article: 'A judge issued an injunction Friday that effectively bars Internet phone carrier Vonage from signing up new customers as punishment for infringing on patents held by Verizon. Vonage's lawyers said the compromise injunction posted by U.S District Judge Hilton is almost as devastating as an injunction that would have affected Vonage's 2.2 million existing customers. "It's the difference of cutting off oxygen as opposed to the bullet in the head," Vonage lawyer Roger Warin said.'"

More (http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/07/04/06/1634225.shtml)

[landyaBhai]

ChaPai, I think that was expected ... But you know what these patents can be interpreted either way ... The only problem with Vonage is that it should have changed the way they implemented their systems ... I think they never bothered to check ... If atleast 50% changes were there they stood a better chance for argument ... Infact I am not surprised that the battle did not last long in court ... Compare this vis-a-vis the "I" trademark battle ... I think that lasted long, long enough for an out-of-court mandavli ...

[marvelous]

Sunit, vonage was not much good/better than others, it was way overpriced, Broadvoice is very good for here, bceause they have the best calling plan, not only in the USA also worldwide for a little of 24.95/month; you have unlimited phone calles to USA and 35 other countries.:up:

[2gud]

Those of you who have Vonage phone service (which uses the high speed internet connection to provide phone service) should check this out.

Does this positively affect Cisco's sales?

[2gud]

But Vonage it seems won a temporary reprieve (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/a8fa71ee-e46c-11db-bf06-000b5df10621,Authorised=false.html?_i_location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ft.com%2Fcms%2Fs%2Fa8fa71ee-e46c-11db-bf06-000b5df10621.html&_i_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.google.com%2Fnews%3Fhl%3Den) for signing up new customers pending a full hearing of the infringement suit

So it is not yet ended

[echarcha]

Does this positively affect Cisco's sales?

I dont know about the effects on sales. However, one thing is for sure - the present and future is IP telephony and IP video. Maybe Vonage will have to pay up for patent infringement, but IP telephony cannot be restrained. Its too useful and widely accepted technology to be kept in shackles of patents. I am sure there will be ways to implement the same without infringing patents.