Project Gizmo Challenges Skype

Cabaal

Interesting news...
Taken from /. see below or use direct link.

"The Register is offering an interesting introduction to Project Gizmo, a new player in the Voice over IP field, poised to challenge Skype with its ability to interoperate with others thanks to the SIP protocol it complies to. Whereas Skype has selectively licensed usage of an API that offers limited insight into a closed protocol, a closed ecosystem solely controlled by one organization, the SIP protocol is open. Free open-source proxy/server implementations are sprouting up, and many developers are actively working on SIP clients. The Gizmo Project is the first to bring a truly-usable, user-friendly, cross-platform SIP client (Mac, Windows, Linux coming soon) to market. Meanwhile, theappleblog.com is already offering a Gizmo Project Wish-List
to promote better interoperability between current and upcoming SIP providers, to make it more practical for users of disparate SIP clients to communicate with one another."

Skype will have to change their setup otherwise their going to start loosing users

[edit] I just noticed on the Gizmo site, "Create an account with Gizmo Project
and automatically receive 25¢ in CallOut credits!" while its not muchg its certainly a good idea to get people's feet wet when it comes to calling landlines

causal

Cabaal wrote:

Skype will have to change their setup otherwise their going to start loosing users

It's good to see open standards turning the tide against proprietary closed standards
I'm interested to see if Skype do move to support SIP - they used to say on their website that it was a possability but the last time I looked I couldn't find the statement.
I can't imagine they thought they'd beat SIP so I suspect they have something up their sleeve - or they just resigned themselves to being a flash in the pan.

causal

Cabaal

Just downloaded Gizmo and have had a quick play about with it.
Tried my mobile = no luck
Tried my 051 number = no luck
Tried sip:####@blueface.ie = worked

(replace #### with your blueface ext)

There does appear to be abit of a delay but I havn't had a full conversation with anyone yet so maybe I'm just picking at it.
It certainly seems very promosing

causal

I was able to phone:
- blueface number sip:XXXX@blueface.ie
- landline number 003531XXXXXXX (i.e. my 01 Dublin number which is ported to blueface)

I wasn't able to phone
- mobile phone - it said I needed more callout credit (it gives you a quarter free)

The call quality wasn't great (the indicator on the bottom left of the sip client indicated that my connection was poor) but the delay was minimal and at 3:00am in the morning I was able to have an intelligible SIP call with my headset in one ear and my dect phone in the other (how sad )

Not a bad start for Gizmo - which is basically the SIP and open standard alternative to Skype.
For anyone wondering what difference that makes - one difference is that with Gizmo you can phone any SIP number for FREE - something you can't do with Skype.

Gizmo is long overdue but now it's here it is very welcome

causal

daveirl

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Cabaal

daveirl wrote:

This post has been deleted.

Calling a blueface 01, 051 etc number would cost the same as calling a standard 01 or 051 number, Gizmo can't tell if that number is a VoIP line or not.
However if you know someone's blueface extention just call it as its free ###@blueface.ie

causal

daveirl wrote:

This post has been deleted.

No the call to the Dublin landline wasn't free, nor would a cellualr call.
But calls to SIP numbers are free - which imho is the real beauty of gizmo over skype.

hth,
causal