Earlier this week I reported on the PhoneGnome - iotum announcement where one can use the iotum service simply by acquiring a PhoneGnome appliance and registering for the service. David Beckenmeyer made a very telling comment:

With PhoneGnome, one does not HAVE TO sign up with a VoIP service for handling long distance calls. People can just continue to use their existing wireline service for those calls. Most people elect to sign up to save money on PSTN calls too, but they don't HAVE TO (at last count about 20% of PhoneGnome owners just use it for inbound call features like iotum and voicemail to email etc. and for placing FREE calls, and they do not subscribe to a VoIP to PSTN service).

Great market feedback: In other words, 20% of PhoneGnome purchasers are using it simply to get the enhanced features such as call forwarding, voice mail, etc. Users are looking for applications more than simply seeking lower long distance rates, and they want to be able to manage these services via the web. PhoneGnome is being proven in the market as a platform for delivering new intelligent services under user control, not telco control. Voice 2.0 in action.

Skype and other voice services, whether traditional or VoIP, need to take heed.

Andrew Hansen, after reporting on how iotum would have solved E.T.'s problem in the popular movie of the same name, goes on to articulate how both iotum and PhoneGnome are agnostic platforms designed to enable other solutions. iotum is network agnostic and can just as easily be integrated into Skype or other voice services; PhoneGnome is provider agnostic -- simply add it to any phone line connection to get these services.