The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas was very well attended with an estimated crowd of more than 140,000 and despite all the usual noise, we managed to find a few newsworthy pieces affecting VoIP and unified communications.
IN PICTURES: The best of CES 2012
Ooma, a VoIP service provider, was one of the exhibitors we met and while it doesn’t publish subscriber counts, James Gustke, VP of marketing, said the company has acquired “hundreds of thousands” of customers since it was first introduced to the public in 2007. Like other VoIP providers, Ooma uses an Internet connection to deliver voice to the subscriber. The company makes its profits from selling subscribers a “Telo” gateway (priced at under $200) and there is no ongoing monthly service fee for unlimited domestic calling, although users are obliged to pay applicable taxes and fees. The service comes complete with incoming and outgoing access to the PSTN, number portability, E-911 support and other standard voice features. International calling, wireless handsets, Bluetooth adapters, and Wi-Fi adapters are available for an additional charge.
Among the other exhibitors, Skype was front and center at the Microsoft booth since Skype is now owned by Microsoft. Developers are making progress with integration to incorporate Skype into a variety of Microsoft devices, including the Xbox 360 and Windows OS for mobile phones. Skype also introduced a new device called telyHD that plugs into a TV set’s HDMI port to enable 720p HD video conferencing. The device retails for $249 and it integrates microphones, camera, a remote control, and video conferencing processing.
Nuance, a specialist in voice and language solutions, had multiple announcements including:
• the launch of Dragon TV (a software platform enabling voice-driven control of TVs);
• a strategic collaboration with Intel to bring voice command and control for ultrabooks in 2012 and beyond [also see: “Intel says future ultrabooks will come with touchscreens, voice recognition”];
• a Dragon Go! app now available for Android, giving consumers direct access to more than 200 destinations for mobile content by using their voice.
All in all, the CES 2012 show was (in our humble opinion) more about incremental improvements to existing technologies, with no earth-shattering shifts to expectations. But at least the technology is making forward progress, and if the show’s attendance is any indicator, momentum is gathering.
