Forgive me, I'm technically challenged. Where do you get a Skype gateway? What is it?

Hey Rick!

Sorry I was so vague. I am testing it under an NDA by the manufacturer. It is a box just like Actiontec, but instead of connecting your home phone to the Skype Network it connects your PBX. So it allows many people to connect.

Have I helped? If not ask me more questions. I would love to help you.

Regards, Bill

I just read through this:

IM Fone - Bluetooth based device allows using cell phone to make calls via IM
http://www.phoneyworld.com/newspage.aspx?n=1344

It is supposed to work with Skype. Anyone heard about it or used it?

Forgive me for being dense, but why consider Skype for this application when there are already a myriad of protocols and software out there for doing this (SIP, as you mentioned is one)

The only benefit that I can see Skype having is cheap SkypeOut minutes, but a bit of research should find similar prices that can terminate with IAX2 or SIP.

Stuff you'll want to look at:

- DID support. An autoattendant is just ugly.
- Call Admission Control - if the Internet is stinky, down, or you've got too many connections going over it, how does the GW tell the PBX to use the PSTN?
- Dialplan - are all the FXS ports treated as a rotary or can you send to different ports based on DNIS/CLID/etc?

Sorry to sound negative about this, but it seems that you've got a solution in search of a problem, especially when $650US on each end can get you more functionality in an asterisk box or some used telephony cards in a Cisco router.

Sean

Thanks, I understand now. This is similar to what Peerio has done. They have a Skype gateway for businesses for $100.

BTW, Peerio has remainded a mystery to me. I never hear of them doing anything. I know they are targeting businesses with embedded software. I suppose embedded software poses many problems, as opposed to just downloading the software to your PC.

Great discussions.
I believe Skype is going to be the INTERCOM of the world and of the organizations. Mainly because of its flexible penetration of NAT and firewalls.

The target is to eliminate the expensive and committing PBX system by an open structure of low cost multiple devices connecting via the PC and using the PC network that exists in each organization and inherently on the worldwide web.

That's why we've created Chat-Cord™ (http://www.chat-cord.com) as simple as possible.
It fulfills the need for those multiple devices and it uses any normal POTS phone to call through.

I'd like to give you some ideas on what to test, but it will be a long post. Bill, can I get an email for you?

Hey Sean!

You are not dense. I am. I am trying to understand some of the same things you ask about. It appears it will work with Asterisk. I don't take your comments as negative. Just things that need to be looked at and evaluated.

BTW the price point for a 4 Port Skype Gateway looks competitive.

Thanks for the input. I hope your comments will stir others to join in.

Keep coming back... Regards, Bill

Hey Rick!

Good point on Peerio. I am just about to test thier Skype Gateway in parallel with the device I blogged.

Peerio have been quiet lately. They have a nice system though.

Regards, Bill

Hey chesco!

I can't find anything coherent on the IM Fone.

Sorry. I hope one of our readers can help you.

Regards, Bill

Hi my name is Pedro, I'm from brasil.
I have a Panasonic PBX (KX-T61610) at home, with 6 lines and 16 extension. Actualy I'm using 3 lines of my fixed telephone company, and 1 line I plug into Skype with Actiontec Internet Phone WIzard USB. Is working perfect. I make phone call with skypeout and receive skype calls from my buddies.

PBX with ability to author voice xml pages would be great

My interest is to use Skype to provide voice communications via employees, maybe over wireless PDA's, and then intergrate them with my PBX. So manufacturing operators could have mobile, wireless voice communications over there data device to talk amongst themselves but also to PBX users.

I am trying to come up with the hardware I would need and then how to make it all work.

Clay

Hi,
I am very confused. My company has got over
100 employees and they all make a lot of
international calls.



I would like all of them
to use skype through their normal phones via a
pbx. Ohh one more thing they dont have computers
at their desk.



Can anyone tell me how to do this. I am not
a technical person. I rather buy some device
which I need to attach to my pbx/computer
so that I can achieve this.



Regards,

Wish..

How can I use usb skype phone without computer?

I think ability to make voicexml pages with text to speech, similar to voxeo.com. This would be very good.

We use ringcentral.com as our virtual PBX to tie our 4 Skype accounts together.

It would be great to ax ringcentral and have Skype act as the PBX, auto-attendant, routing calls, etc.

I guess Peerio?

How did you get on with your skype gateway. ?
There is a gateway product out there, line in, line out and USB, skypebox. Just press * to switch between normal telephone line and skype... I am going to be using a cisco 2600 FXO/FXS lines to connect the cisco call manager into skype, just take the FXO/FXS out of the router and into a skype box, then I can have a skype line, just need to work out the dialing plan !!! someone must have this working somewhere.

Great note. I'm actually looking for these kinds of solutions. Since you wrote the article in September, how has it come along?

We have two sites and make tons of intl calls. Currently, using Vonage through a 3com NBX with VPN btwn offices. Skype seems to make sense b/c of long distance cost (haven't looked at quality). In any case, is there some sort of gateway to connect to our NBX?

Hi, All:

Here are some products and the links which you might want to know,
especially they are ready to ship.
http://eshop.spin3d.com.tw/index.php/cPath/44
Email: service@spin3d.com.tw
Feel free to ask any question,
or better, use skype and input the account name: spin_callfree to feel about it.

Sorry, typing error.
Correct to Skype name: spin-callfree

Another good solution is Skype2PBX.

Support up to 99 concurrent lines on the same pc.

Gents. Thanks. Great converation.

Skype or similar Internet Based solutions will be the future, even for corporate telephone systems. The need to link to Skype is obvious and needed.

All I really want to say is you have helped me a lot. I now have some ideas on what to do regards this delemma. I will be implementing the gateeay to Skype soon.

One question thouth. Won't this place an overhead on the Corporate Telephone Directory or would you expect users to know the skype user id's? Translations should sort this out. But that will take up a lot of man power managing it????

Thanks

Skyplanck

Dear Bill,

Since you've tested a "Skype PBX Gateway", what are you're experiences with it and what are the advantages or disadvantages?

Would you advice using a Skype PBX gateway in a SOHO?

How does the Gateway tells the PBX to use a BRI connection (Basic Acces) when the internet connection isn't stable. (No guarantee of QoS)

How about the DID support?

Do you think that Skype will stay on the residential market or is it going to break thru on the professional market?

Thanks for the information.


K.P

Given the situation where your employees need to have access to Skype network via their office phones, SkyPBX devices offer a very good solution. They seamlessly integrate with any PSTN PBX and offer very good scalability and require no changes to your existing infrastructure. For more information, you can visit: www.industrydynamics.ca