christcorp
Premium
join:2001-05-21
Cheyenne, WY
 ·VOIPo
| [General] VoipO getting ready for Launch
I know we haven't talked much about it lately, but VoipO is getting ready to launch publicly. I've had PM's and other emails wondering if VoipO was still going to exist. I've been personally working with VoipO for almost 2 years. (20 months). That sounds like a long time, but it can be looked at positively. VoipO has had the money to be able to do this, and do it right. Their goal is that VoipO wasn't going to be a "Work in Progress" for the customer, where every month features were being added, prices changed, etc... They want it to work as soon as they offer it. And, if you talk to any of the beta testers, you will find that the quality and reliability of the service has been great. I want it known however that I am NOT A PAID EMPLOYEE of VoipO. I'm just someone who's been in the telecom/IT business for 30 years and I've been able to help test and troubleshoot the VoipO system.
Like I said, I just wanted to start a thread to let those who were curious and asking, that VoipO is still very much alive; and getting ready to go live. They have a lot of features; besides the normal ones. Things like custom caller ID, Inbound and Outbound call routing, telemarketing block, SIP URI, fax from file, and a host of others. Plus other add ons like virtual, 800, etc...
I've seen a lot of voip providers in my business. Some good, some bad, some that started bad and evolved into good ones. And I know I'm a little biased with VoipO because I've been working with it from the beginning. But I have to say that it is definitely a service worth looking at. Anyway; VoipO is alive and well; it's releasing to the public. And if you've got any comments or questions about it, post them. There's quite a few Alpha and Beta testers who have been using the service that also visit this forum. I know they can answer any questions. Later... Mike.....
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ropeguru
Premium
join:2001-01-25
Hollywood, FL
clubs:
| Cannot wait to read their TOS/AUP when they go live. Mainly because of the statement on their current web site, "VOIPo.com will be the sole and final arbitrator regarding any or all disputes regarding promotions, contests, or terms surrounding the VOIPo VIP program or related services. " |
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christcorp
Premium
join:2001-05-21
Cheyenne, WY
·VOIPo
| That's pretty much a standard type statement by any voip, isp, cellular, etc... Basically saying that if there are any problems that you work it out with them and not in court. But, FWIW, that doesn't apply to some things such as a class action suit like verizon went through over their bluetooth connection on the v710 phone. Individually, it is at the discretion of the company, but collectively it's a different matter.
I don't know what the "Final" TOS says at this time. I'm sure however that it will be similar to all others. Later.... Mike.... |
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Test99
Premium
join:2003-04-24
San Jose, CA
·InPhonex
 ·DSL EXTREME
| reply to ropeguru
I nominate the CallWithUs web site for the best legal fine print:
Fine print: All prices are final, there are no bogus fees and unfees. Period. Only SIP/IAX devices that have already been created can be connected to callwithus.com to make calls. Please ensure you only use devices approved by you (Please do not try and connect using two tin cans and a piece of string as we do not yet support this, but we may support this in the future). Callwithus.com monthly subscription charge of $0 must be paid in advance and does not include tax of $0 which also must be paid in advance. You will be billed an activation fee of $0 plus tax and this must be paid in advance. Calls made incur tax at the rate of 0% each month and must be paid in advance. On cancellation of service you will be charged a one time only disconnection charge of $0. Additional features such as caller ID with name on incoming calls will be billed at the additional rate of $0 per call. All **YOUR** rights reserved.
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50775@fwd.pulver.com |
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soitgoes2
join:2005-01-14
·Future Nine Corpor..
| reply to christcorp
said by christcorp  :That's pretty much a standard type statement by any voip, isp, cellular, etc... Basically saying that if there are any problems that you work it out with them and not in court. Not in my experience. What is standard is saying that disputes should be resolved by binding arbitration, but saying that "we make all the decisions and determinations in disputes" is a bit different than that (not to mention probably not legally enforceable). |
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montano
join:2001-04-29
Central Cali
·VOIPo
·callwithus
·ViaTalk
| reply to Test99
CWU does indeed have the best TOS 
I've been using VOIPo for well over a year and a half now. I have tested many, many different providers and have to say that VOIPo just works. Period. I have already ported 1 number to them and a second number port has already begun. Sure they have some nice features, but what's important to me is a dial tone. And a dial tone is what I've had every single time I have picked up the phone. |
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B
Premium,MVM
join:2000-10-28
| That's nice. But how many active users/subscribers do they have on the system? 200? 2,000? I remember a time when Viatalk "just worked" too. Unfortunately it was before I joined. 
-- B
--
In a realm outside causality and function |
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gbh2o
join:2000-12-18
Greenville, NC
·VBUZZER
·STANAPHONE
·Voxee
·VOIPo
·Embarq
·callwithus
·MyPhoneCompany
·Axvoice
·Packet8
| reply to ropeguru
said by ropeguru :Cannot wait to read their TOS/AUP when they go live. Mainly because of the statement on their current web site, "VOIPo.com will be the sole and final arbitrator regarding any or all disputes regarding promotions, contests, or terms surrounding the VOIPo VIP program or related services. " I'd say that is a pretty standard speech for all _give-a-way_ programs! You're not paying for anything, so they retain all the control over the what, how, when , and where they're giving it away! |
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christcorp
Premium
join:2001-05-21
Cheyenne, WY
·VOIPo
| reply to B
Excellent question "B". I can't give you an exact number, but I can say that it's quite a few. One of the business partners in cooperation with the CEO of VoipO has been also using the service through the test period. I can't tell you if it's just a few hundred people or a couple of thousand.
I do know that as with any voip provider, a lot of the quality issues come from the customer's ISP connection, that ISP compatibility with the voip, and the customers equipment. Just from working with voipo for so long I've seen how much they have put into making their service compatible with the many different ISP technologies. We've got DSL, cable, wireless, and other dedicated circuit users. Everyone pretty much has the same high opinion of the quality of service.
Basically, anyone can set up a voip service with a trix/asterisk box. But what will make the service good or not are your connections to the outside world. How much bandwidth; the latency of said bandwidth; jitter; running the RTP traffic from the provider vs from the customer; etc... Also, the equipment used; backup SIP/RTP traffic servers; good contracts with quality connections to the gateways; etc... VoipO has put in a lot of time and money to cover all these bases. So, while I can't say they have 1000-10,000 customers using the service, I do know the technology they are using. I use a lot of it myself. It is quality. FWIW; my monthly leased circuits bill is about $300K a month.
Personally, I put about 70% emphasis on the service working as described and reliably. Another 25% for customer service, billing, tech support, etc... for when something does go wrong. And the final 5% is for the features they provide. I am not a power features user, but the features they offer seem exceptional, they work, and some of the features I don't see from many other providers.
But you do bring up a good point that a new system with only 100 people on it would be easy to maintain and make dependable with high quality. I know they are currently doing much more than that. How much, I don't know. But with the time, money, and equipment they have put into place, they seem quite capable of adding as many customers as would ever want to sign up and as many as the clecs can provide numbers for. Later.... Mike.... |
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no_one
@QWEST.NET
| reply to christcorp
said by christcorp : Their goal is that VoipO wasn't going to be a "Work in Progress" for the customer, where every month features were being added, prices changed, etc... They want it to work as soon as they offer it. And, if you talk to any of the beta testers, you will find that the quality and reliability of the service has been great. Sounds good but even large telcos add bogus fees from time to time. So prices may not change under a contract term but they can change. It is good they have a solid feature set coming out that is tested. |
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christcorp
Premium
join:2001-05-21
Cheyenne, WY
·VOIPo
| Good point no_one. I know that besides a monthly fee, there will be a discount for paying quarterly and semi-annually. As far as additional fees, there will be the additional USF and 911 fee. (911 is usually provided by a 3rd party company like Intrado). As far as other fees such a mandatory state tax and such, that is still being decided on. Not sure if they will just incorporate it into the advertised price or break it out. Personally, I like having it broken out if you're going to charge it. This way I can look at my online statement and see what the voip provider is charging me and how much the government is. I have no problem contacting and complaining to the government.
I.e. Some states mandate that a sales tax is charged. Each person's town is different on 911 fees for count/city 911 centers. These are all fees implemented by agencies outside of the voip provider.
Now, whether or not these become an all in one price or itemized is still to be determined in it's final form. You can believe all you want that there's all these "BOGUS" fees being added by the telco. But you are incorrect. Having worked FOR THE TELCOs, and having worked for the government, I can tell you that there is only really 1 bogus fee charged. That the regulatory recovery fee. That is indeed a bogus $1.50 charge. (VoipO isn't charging that from what I have seen). All other charges such as USF, 911 state, tax, are all fees imposed by the government. The money doesn't go to the voip provider. These are legal and mandatory charges. They are not part of doing business.
The only difference you see is that some providers INCLUDE all these fees in their 1 price. making you think it's not being charged. But the provider is being charged. I prefer it itemized. If my state DOESN'T charge tax, which they don't, I don't want to be contributing to others. Same with my 911 fee at $0.75 and someone elses being $2.40. Later.. Mike.... |
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jay_rm
join:2002-04-12
Netville
·ViaTalk
 ·Fox Valley Internet
| reply to christcorp
I've been waiting for them for a long time. Looking forward to seeing their pricing structure.
I signed up for their "Launch Group" ages ago through »voipo.com/ - will I see any pre-release info through that ??
--
3500/512 5.7 GHz Motorola Canopy Wireless; FoxValley.net
"Peace through superior firepower" |
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christcorp
Premium
join:2001-05-21
Cheyenne, WY
·VOIPo
| You may see some email contact being you signed up. But there will be a staged public release and it will be well published. When I say "Staged"; I am referring to stages of release. There's obviously a lot of current beta testers; other business partners; etc... I'm sure that a lot of these folks will be able to establish their "Permanent" accounts as they roll out to new customers. Either way, you'll see it advertised.
As far as pricing, I prefer to not mention exact dollars directly. As I mentioned in a previous post, there is still finalizing going on as how VoipO will factor in some of the fees that they have no choice about. e.g. USF, 911, state tax, etc... There are certain fees the provide has to pay. Normally, these are passed onto the customer. I.e. With a flat rate price for everyone; because the provider decided to INCLUDE ALL FEES; why should a customer like me who doesn't have state tax be contributing. Also, if my county 911 fee is $0.75 and yours is $2.40, and we are paying the same monthly price, then aren't I subsidizing you? People see these all inclusive prices like sunrocket and some others promoted as being a good thing. They think they AREN'T being charges "BOGUS" fees. They are. It's just factored into the price with all customers paying the same. Personally, I find it to be a billing nightmare. My current packet8 bill is itemized. It shows my service, 911, usf, etc... I like that. I get to see WHO TO COMPLAIN TO.
Also, until that's figured out, I wouldn't know how to say a quarterly or semi-annual price. Would it be inclusive or not? So; let me confidently say, that the price structure I am aware of is very competitive to other providers. While it isn't the cheapest out there, it is definitely not one of the more expensive ones either. It allows a savings to the customer for some pre-pay. Remember, the objective of any company is to make a profit and the goal is to be able to stay in business and continue to grow. That was one of SunRocket's biggest problems. They thought that because voip isn't linear in cost; I.e. It doesn't cost twice as much to service 1000 customers compared to 500; that they could go lower than anyone else, free equipment, eat all government fees, etc... and that they would have so many customers that it would easily be the leader and stay in business. They were wrong. Just like there are some that complain about companies like Packet8 as being expensive; even though they aren't the highest; yet the company has been in the business longer than just about any other provider currently offering service. They did it right. I personally think VoipO has learned from Sunrocket, Vonage, packet8, Viatalk, Zingotel, etc... and have figured out a way to offer the price, quality, reliability, dependability, and service; and still make a profit and stay in business. Obviously, that is their goal. Later... Mike.... |
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VOIPoTim
VOIPo.com
Premium
join:2006-06-06
Houston, TX
edit:
May 7th, @06:29PM
| reply to jay_rm
said by jay_rm :I've been waiting for them for a long time. Looking forward to seeing their pricing structure. I signed up for their "Launch Group" ages ago through » voipo.com/ - will I see any pre-release info through that ?? said by jay_rm :I've been waiting for them for a long time. Looking forward to seeing their pricing structure. I signed up for their "Launch Group" ages ago through » voipo.com/ - will I see any pre-release info through that ?? Yes, all members on that list will be getting an e-mail next week with specific information and an invitation to join our beta.
It's certainly been a while, but we knew there would be issues initially and wanted to work them out in a voluntary/private setting.
In terms of the pricing questions, we have posted "tentative" pricing (along with a feature list) in a public area on our BETA forums at forums.voipo.com. Please keep in mind this does not reflect any specials that are in the works. This should be looked at as "standard pricing".
Nothing special there. We will be doing something I think is pretty exciting in terms of a launch special though...we just can't really give the specifics of that away yet. |
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goodchefro
join:2007-02-21
Macomb, IL
·Logonix Corporation
| reply to christcorp
said by christcorp :I want it known however that I am NOT A PAID EMPLOYEE of VoipO. said by christcorp :We've got DSL, cable, wireless, and other dedicated circuit users. Hmmmmmm...I'm not implying anything. Great "review", nevertheless, and even better to know that another solid Voip company will hit the market. |
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VOIPoTim
VOIPo.com
Premium
join:2006-06-06
Houston, TX
edit:
May 7th, @06:51PM
| said by goodchefro :said by christcorp :I want it known however that I am NOT A PAID EMPLOYEE of VoipO. said by christcorp :We've got DSL, cable, wireless, and other dedicated circuit users. Hmmmmmm...I'm not implying anything. Great "review", nevertheless, and even better to know that another solid Voip company will hit the market. Good catch
Just for some background...
Our primary business is in the web hosting sector (HostGator). We host just over 1.2 million domains, about 6,000 dedicated servers, and have about 60K active resellers. Currently we add close to 1,000 direct customers a day in net growth. This isn't huge, but it certainly has given us the experience to duplicate our processes where we can when it comes to VOIPo.
My partner and I also each have our own misc holdings to diversify (some examples are a bar (Johnnys in Rice Village if you're in Houston), travel company (similar to timeshares), real estate (Oxley Leasing in Houston) and a helicopter tour company that offers tours in Houston (Paradigm Helicopters in Houston), but we don't do anything with internet access....not referring to us there.
I guess internet access would be a nice addition, but we're diverse enough at this point and want to just focus on our cores (HostGator and VOIPo).
Hopefully this gives you some basic background info to think about. |
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goodchefro
join:2007-02-21
Macomb, IL
·Logonix Corporation
| said by VOIPoTim :Just for some background... Our primary business is in the web hosting sector. We host just over 1.2 million domains, about 6,000 dedicated servers, and have about 60K active resellers. Currently we add close to 1,000 direct customers a day in net growth. This isn't huge, but it certainly has given us the experience to duplicate our processes where we can when it comes to VOIPo. My partner and I also each have our own misc holdings to diversify (some examples are a bar (Johnnys in Rice Village if you're in Houston), travel company (similar to timeshares), real estate (Oxley Leasing in Houston) and a helicopter tour company that offers tours in Houston (Paradigm Helicopters in Houston), but we don't do anything with internet access....not referring to us there. Internet access would be a nice addition, but we're diverse enough at this point. I thought the discussion was about a Voip company, and not about Internet access. Unless I missed something along the discussion, your "rebuttal" to my post makes no sense; sorry to say that. Is there any connection with what I said? |
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VOIPoTim
VOIPo.com
Premium
join:2006-06-06
Houston, TX
edit:
May 7th, @06:46PM
| said by goodchefro I thought the discussion was about a Voip company, and not about Internet access. Unless I missed something along the discussion, your "rebuttal" to my post makes no sense; sorry to say that. Is there any connection with what I said?
I noticed the quote quoted from christcorp's post that seemed to cause some confusion when he referenced offering internet access. Not us that's offering it so making sure on confusion there. I could have misunderstood though. I also provided a little more info just to give everyone some background. |
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goodchefro
join:2007-02-21
Macomb, IL
·Logonix Corporation
| said by VOIPoTim :I noticed the quote quoted from christcorp's post that seemed to cause some confusion when he referenced offering internet access. Not us that's offering it so making sure on confusion there. Please read again the quotes, focus on "I'm not" (in the first quote) and "WE have" (in the second quote), then maybe the confusion disappears... |
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goodchefro
join:2007-02-21
Macomb, IL
·Logonix Corporation
edit:
May 7th, @07:00PM
| OK, so to dissipate the ...confusion  , since I noticed you edited your post with "Good catch"...
Actually he was sincere in the fact that he's not a PAID EMPLOYEE, but a "mere"... BUSINESS PARTNER!  (Good catch, eh?)
I don't think I would dissimulate the promotion of one of my "holdings" through the false pretense of a "review".
But that's just me, and probably it doesn't matter. Unless it matters for people who stated that they hardly wait to use the service. |
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