Nokia gives telcos the weapons to fight back against VoIP

Stuart Corner
Friday, 01 December 2006 01:01

Business IT - Technology

New technology from Nokia will enable customers of established telcos to make VoIP calls from a PC using their mobile number and receive calls to their cellphone number on the PC or cellphone. Nokia suggest this will deter customers from opting for separate accounts from upstart VoIP providers.

Nokia says it is "building on its strong position in fixed-mobile convergence...[and] giving operators creative options for addressing the opportunities and challenges of an IP world." Roberto Loiola, vice president, marketing & sales, Networks, Nokia said "VoIP is already a fact of life for many consumers...The use of broadband Internet access for voice communication is here to stay, and Nokia recognises that traditional operators - both mobile and fixed - can swim in these waters as well."

Nokia's latest floatation device for fixed and mobile operators that might be finding it hard to "swim in VoIP waters" is the Nokia Communication Suite, announced at Nokia World in Amsterdam. It provides consumers and business users with software that turns their PCs into softphones for accessing a wide range of 'rich call' services over broadband connections - but with the added simplicity of using only one online identity and one billing account, hopefully provided by the VoIP-threatened fixed or mobile incumbent operator.

According to Nokia, "The solution allows operators to offer seamless services across their fixed broadband and 3G mobile broadband networks, bridging these two domains...Users can make and receive VoIP calls and other rich calls from their PCs using their existing mobile number. Calls to their mobile number can be answered with either their mobile or PC softphone." These 'rich calls' can include VoIP calls, video sharing, video calls, instant messaging, presence, file sharing, and other multimedia services.