VOIP Tech Chat → [Equipment] Ooma uses GIPS, what does that mean?

I found an article here - »saunderslog.com/2007/07/ ··· visited/

which states Ooma is using GIPS. I tried to google about it a bit, but wasn't able to understand what exactly this means for Ooma.

Would a VOIP expert / guru please explain what GIPS means for Ooma.

Thanks

So they use iLBC...

»www.voip-info.org/wiki/view/GIPS
»www.ilbcfreeware.org/

Not a bad choice quality-wise, but from what I understand it tends to hog CPU. In other words they'd need extra powerful (and costly) servers to take the load. A server that would handle 1000 calls with G711 would only take 100 calls with iLBC. (not scientific, just a general estimate to give you an idea)

Bandwidth-wise, it is a very low bandwidth codec.

PAP2 does not support iLBC. The closest for PAP2 would be G729. But really unless you have bandwidth issues, the best quality is going to be G711.

Thanks for the links and information. Over here - »gipscorp.com/files/engli ··· gine.pdf is an information file. It says there are two versions of GIPS voice, iSAC seems to be for wide-band, and iLBC.

The GIPS VoiceEngine seems to support SIP. It looks like Ooma got the ATA VoiceEngine which claims to run on any platform and under any operating system.

Here is a description for the ATA VoiceEngine - »www.softfront.co.jp/prod ··· _ATA.pdf fax support is optional.

My guess is eventually some Linux person will break open the Ooma hub, and we'll have a lot more information about what it can do.

Edit, I found the following which seemed interesting and decided to just add it to this post. The link is here - »www.gipscorp.com/files/e ··· iSAC.pdf

The following is from the link above:

iSAC is an adaptive VoIP codec, part of the GIPS MediaWare™ voice processing software suite, specially designed to deliver wideband sound quality in both low- and high-bit rate applications.

Even at dial-up modem data rates, iSAC delivers better than PSTN sound quality by adjusting transmission rates to give the best possible listening experience for the existing connection speed.

Because of this high quality user experience, iSAC has become the codec of choice for wideband VoIP communications, and is deployed in hundreds of millions of endpoints.

The codec automatically adjusts transmission rates from a low of 10 kbps to a maximum of 32 kbps. This flexibility makes iSAC well suited for VoIP calls with wideband quality, real-time multimedia, conferencing, distance learning and multi-user gaming using IP network connections. It also handles non-speech audio, such as music and background noise, exceptionally well.

iSAC performs well under packet loss, especially when used in conjunction with GIPS NetEQ™.

This combination can deliver high quality voice, even in unmanaged, high-jitter and severe-packetloss environments, delivering a greatly improved end-user experience while minimizing delay.

Didn't i2Telecom just issue a patent on this "technology" (adjusting transmission rate according to bandwidth)? If Ooma is actually using it they'd be up for some pretty big royalties...

Gee... No VoIP company would ever use technology covered by another company's patent. And if they did, they would certainly settle it in a gentlemanly manner.

If you ask me, something like this shouldn't be patentable to begin with.

Doesn't stop the USPTO from issuing out reckless patents to everyone who desires, and doesn't stop patent trolls from abusing this fact.

Isn't GIPS responsible for any patent issues.

Patent trolls are everywhere. It is so bad that patent troll defense probably has to become a part of most business plans.

Patent laws basically say that both GIPS and anyone that uses the technology are potentially liable. Yet another reason why patent trolls are out there- it's just so easy to sue, and you can sue everybody for the same so-called violation.

Lets hope GIPS is on solid ground.

At least we now know the codec Ooma is using, and can better understand why the audio quality seems so great.

The more information I find about Ooma technology, the more it looks like they used packages to assemble a Linux box.

Eventually the box will be opened and it may be possible to use it as an ATA. With any luck an ATA that supports better than usual sound quality.

iLBC is OK if the servers are not loaded. If and when they get overloaded voice quality will be poor. Not the best choice of codecs long term IMHO.

On the upside- pretty much any open source switch supports iLBC, so there's a good chance Uma will play nice with Asty.

There is also iSAC from GIPS, it claims to work with broadband and deliver better than PSTN sound quality.

Eventually we will learn more.

I can tell you that the quality and fluidity of calls between Future-Nine and Ooma tend to favor Ooma. Future-Nine has great call quality, Ooma has excellent call quality.

You can't deliver better-than-PSTN sound quality when you go through the PSTN. That's a myth.

Yes- you can deliver better-than-PSTN if you go User->Ooma->User directly, but the same thing can be said for PAP2->provider->PAP2.

Glad to hear you like them. Enjoy it while it (they) last.

Global IP Sound owns the GIPS VOIP codecs and related software. The narrow band iLBC is made available under a restricted, free license. The wideband codecs are royalty encumbered.

Unless you develop all your own technolgy, your company is most likely paying licensing fees for (multiple) technology used in day-to-day operations,(even if just the licenses for basic software running on your PCs if you're not using free, open source software). Not unusual at all; It's deductible as a business expense so it's not a big deal. FYI--Skype supposedly licenses one of GIPS VOIP wideband codecs. .

Here's another article, if your interested in reading up on the technology. »www.tmcnet.com/it/0203/0 ··· labs.htm

Thank you very much for the link. The 16kHz sampling was a surprise. No wonder Ooma sounds more line landline. I guess that is why Ooma claims to sound better than PSTN.

Do you know anything about the security of this class of codecs? I'm wondering how well privacy is handled.

Again- the PSTN is 8khz so even if you sampled at 16khz this shouldn't increase quality (at least not significantly). If you're going Ooma->Ooma you will get better quality.

AFAIK, the old Ooma's are 8khz- hence their "HD Voice" claim with the new units (which will be 16khz).

The sound quality is very good. I wish we could get an Ooma representative on this forum to offer some information about this device and future devices.

They're all busy helping the executives with their house and jet shopping and offshore banking transactions.

I thought they are busy planning themselves to acquire more $$$ from the FEDs stimulus project.

So much to spenddo, so little time....