Stuart Henshall

VoiFi - Fails VoIP Rule Number One

March 6, 2006 10:28 AM

Topics: Competitors

voifibeta.pngVoiFi is simply another amateur hour. In one blog post I read that VoiFi technology corporation has been working on the technology for the last 18 months. In another Mr Bhatia is asked why it's simply just so shoddy.

I tested it too on Friday. I checked the blogs for any other review that went further than just repeating that the founder of Hotmail has a new startup in the VoIP space. I probably have a reputation for being scathing about new VoIP clients; particulatly those that don't match up to Skype. And I'd point out so far none do. Some provide some promise. Others remain a mystery. Tello is one. The beta (which I'm a member of is so closed I can't find another contact to make a call.) Still this was first about VoiFi.

If you can get VoiFi logged on you will have call quality that doesn't even compare with the worst cellphone call. Thus failing rull number one. You must at least match Skype on voice quality. (At this time I can think of 1/2 dozen clients that do.) At this stage in the maturation of this space I could spec out a better client in no time flat. So why such mediocrity is being launched I have absolutely no idea. The founder apparently has some money to burn. Still there are many better clients out there that have launched with much less fanfare and are more deserving. I've also raved about clones before and what it takes.

Reaching the blogwaves at the same time is the info that TelTel and Gizmo Project (passes the voice test) have received nice rounds of additional funding. So I did another test on TelTel. Last time I tried it the voice quality was at best PSTN standard. Maybe for their target market that is good enough. My tests again confirmed that TelTel's voice quality was inferior to Skype. Not on a large sample I'll admit. Still if you want me raving about it it better be at least on par with the first call.

What's the lesson?

  • SIP is getting easier to execute on and more clients are emerging. Unfortunately there is no high quality audio interconnect services happening. Thus each one remains an island. As long as that is the case Skype keeps winning.
  • New Entrants continue to miss audio quality install simplicity and how to load a lot of buddies.
  • Skype should move faster on adding some extra features that are clearly obvious to competitors. "Recording" is the most obvious feature that remains "crippled" in Skype and poor for sending voice messages.
  • Market is running on the perception that Skype won't enter the enterprise and small business market. That may be a mistake.




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    Comments

    Posted by: Rick at March 6, 2006 1:04 PM

    My sentiments exactly. I downloaded Voifi and that is as far as I needed to go.

    It's approaching the time Skype needs to switch to SIP. Users won't notice, but enterprisers will. And that's good. They need to run their supernodes on servers and beef up an enterprise package. MS and others are beginning to play their cards. Is Skype going to pay to play?

    Posted by: Cem Dalgic at March 6, 2006 2:58 PM

    Posted by: luca filigheddu at March 7, 2006 3:02 PM

    Posted by: Kris at March 8, 2006 9:03 AM

    NetZero Voice is better than skype in all aspects. check it out.

    Posted by: Ayub Javed at March 17, 2006 1:25 AM

    Its great although it is just like any other messenger service. 1 re feature is interesting.

    Posted by: Venkatesh at April 22, 2006 1:57 AM

    VoiFi still has a long way to go if it has to be compared with other Messenger services like Hotmail, Yahoo or Skype. And where is the hyped re.1 feature. There are no signs of it on the VoiFi website yet.

    Posted by: dou.morrissey@octasic.com;james.awad@octasic.com;fred.bourget@octasic.com;miche.laurence@octasic.com at June 6, 2006 10:15 AM

    An intereting piece on another Skype competitor; Voi-Fi (http://www.voifi.com/) set up by Sabeer Bhatia founder of Hotmail, last year.

    Voice Quality is an obvious issue....

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