3G. Wireless Communication Solutions

Avaya will soon transform from a VoIP solutions provider to a VoIP services provider. Sometime this week, Avaya will launch the Avaya On Demand service, which Avaya’s channel partners, including XO Communications, Sprint and Cross Telecom will host.

Based on Avaya’s Communications Manager IP PBX platform the hosted VoIP service starts at $25 per month per user. The service has 700 call features. It supports onsite IP phones and gateways, including call processing and public switched telephone network (PSTN) termination in the hosting company’s data center.

It will cost $5 per month extra for a voice mailbox add-on. Avaya also offers a Contact Center On Demand for small and medium sized businesses and costs from $50 to $150 per month per agent.

Avaya plans to launch MultiVantage Express - an all-in-one IP PBX, messaging server and gateway. The company also plans to introduce the S8400 Media Server - a Linux-based blade server card that slides into legacy PBX or gateway voice equipment, converting the gear to IP.

MultiVantage Express comes on a Linux-based appliance and includes Communications Manager IP PBX software, Audix voice mail and desktop-management applications, IP softphone support, autoattendant features and limited call center capabilities for up to 50 agents.

The S8400 Media Server card fits into either a Definity Prologix PBX chassis or a G645 gateway. The blade runs Avaya’s Linux-based operating system and Communication Manager 3.1, with support for as many as 900 phone lines and 400 IP trunks. The card also can support digital phones still attached to line cards in the Prologix or G650 chassis, as well as any IP phone or endpoint from Avaya or its partners.

Read more: Avaya hosted VoIP service

Lycos has launched of Lycos Phone, the internet’s first-ever VoIP softphone application to combine robust entertainment features that fulfilling users’ communication and entertainment needs by converting their laptops and desktops into second phones.

With Lycos Phone, users can make free calls from PC to PC. They can also make free PC to PC video calls and receive unlimited free incoming calls from any landline or mobile phone, from around the world. Users also receive 100 free minutes of PC to landline and PC to mobile phone calls, and can earn additional free minutes through various promotional offers with Lycos Phone.

Key Features:

What’s the catch? you may ask, that is one - Lycos Phone displays advertisements and offers at the bottom of the client, similar to what MSN Messenger and other clients do. Also, if you take any of these offers you earn additional credits to make both domestic and international calls.

This is certainly a whole new benchmark for VoIP set by the Lycos so, what is next for Skype, Google Talk, Microsoft Live and Yahoo Messenger?

For full review of Lycos Phone with Tom Keating and free to download Lycos VoIP soft phone here