VoIP and Vista

The two technologies in the title don't have much to do with each other except for complaints. VoIP supplier SunRocket is getting slammed for pulling a disappearing act faster than cockroaches in the kitchen when the lights go on. Vista gets slammed for not being any better than XP to the point doing the same jobs on Vista is actually slower than XP. But just to bring the topics together, Microsoft's VoIP solution for small businesses hast some detractors as well.

At least SunRocket seems to be directing customers toward other vendors, finally. Complicating the problem are the dedicated phone to broadband adapters that only work with SunRocket's servers. Lock-in on a "free yourself from Ma Bell" product just seems wrong, but all the Voice over Internet providers do it.

Speaking of Vista (and we were way back in the first paragraph), the Linux world continues to squander their best chance for mainstream business adoption since Linus Torvalds started coding that cold night in Helsinki. Yes, they're making gains, but not nearly as much as they should. Giving potential customers 200 choices overwhelms them, but that's what you get with Linux. Great for techs, tough for real people.

One word of advice, Linux people: don't let Novell carry your flag. They have, historically, shown the ability to mis-manage and mis-market the best products in computing down to a footnote in the history books. If you rely on Novell for marketing leadership, put on your lemming suits now and hurry and finish your new Harry Potter novel. Following Novell means you will have outstanding technical products sold by vendors out standing in fields, all by themselves, wondering why the customers are back in town. Pick a new leader, any other leader, and shed the red of Novell for someone else.

• SMB
• Linux
• Novell
• Vista
• VoIP