Where Skype is the real winner is in bringing “presence” to telephony. While it was prevalent with IM, a whole new network of Skypers has tied new behavior to making voice calls. Example, most Skypers start their call with a chat. What we are also learning is the transformation of communications may take a little longer. Embedded Skype --- anyone know when that is coming? By contrast SIP Wi-Fi phones are here and ready now.

PhoneGnome Strategy?:
So I’ve been asking myself is there another way to help and enable the transition. What products and services are available that will:

1)Speed VoIP adoption
2)Retain the security and tradition of 911 while we develop and transition to future VoIP solutions.
3)Continue to offer the benefits of local dialing?
4)Enable new VoIP services on your Home Phone (traditional landline)
5)Don’t require a number transfer
6)Provide a better migration path for telephony.

I’ve come to the conclusion that there is only one device currently that does this. It does it by adopting your home phone and making it part of your VoIP network. The device is PhoneGnome and its strategy is very different to Skype.

1.Link the PSTN / Home Phone service to VoIP.
2.Drive down traditional phone costs
3.Make the Home phone available anywhere
4.Use SIP and open standards to enable and encourage interconnect.
5.Provide a feature set currently not available on the home phone; voice mail, telemarketing spam, forwarding etc.
6.Migrate users to PC based experiences using a soft client. Begin with a phone only. Then add the presence and texting features.
7.An opportunity to integrate with mobile suppliers will turn up as well.
8.Move users into an application environment. Enable users to combine surfing with making calls for free on their home phone.
9.Develop presence and add text and location capabilities.

There remain a whole lot of features I’d like added to PhoneGnome. However as a device priced at $119 it appears to be a bargain. It will pay out in well under six months. Grow the network and sell your friends on PhoneGnome and it will take even less time.

Will this device last forever? That’s unclear. The traditional telephone has been here one hundred years. What’s more important is the open network that is being created here. In the end many services will be complementary to your PhoneGnome. I think it makes sense for one of the Major IM companies to interconnect with PhoneGnome. It’s the fastest way to capture the traditional phone numbers.