VOICE OVER INTERNET PROTOCOL

It looks like Voice over IP is catching on big time. I have used different versions of internet telephony programs during the years, e.g., Microfsoft's NetMeeting, Dialpad and Net2Phone.

I recently installed Skype's Linux version and I am trying to figure out how to use the program. I can hear the other person, but I haven't managed to use the headset microphone properly. My Skype user name is Lyceum1776. Read Anita Campbell's post, Skype Free But Not Practical -- Yet (02/06/04).

I have GnomeMeeting installed on the computer. Read Howard Wen's interview (Inside GnomeMeeting) with Damien Sandras.

In the news:

• Defense agency switches on VoIP - USA Today.
• How ISPs plan to quietly kill VoIP upstarts - CNet.
• Internet Calling: New Friends, Old Problems - New York Times.

Here is an excerpt from Mitchell Levy's (HappyAbout.info) article, Ten Trends for 2005. [Via Small Business Trends.]

1. Voice-Over-Internet Protocol (VOIP) Goes Mainstream
"Right now, VOIP, while widely heralded, is not particularly widely adopted. Free services such as Yahoo Voice (offered through Yahoo Messenger) and low-cost services such as Skype are beginning to break down the barriers to adoption. In 2005, we'll see more and more people abandoning traditional phone service for a combination of internet-based telephony and a cell-phone. (SandHill.com, 03/21/05.)