The Gizmo Project produces a SIP-based software phone. I downloaded the Mac version, installed it without a hitch, and made my first call today. The person at the other end didn't think twice about the call.
I've been a Skype user for a while, and though I like the features it has, it is really discouraging that it's so totally non-standard. The IM doesn't interoperate, the voice protocols are secret, and there's generally a lot going on under the covers that's hidden from view. And even though the Skype protocol has been cracked by Chinese hackers, that doesn't fill me with warm fuzzy feelings.
Gizmo on the other hand uses industry-standard SIP signalling and internet standard Jabber messaging. I was able to do an IM session out of the client and it worked just fine. It's said to also interoperate with Asterisk servers, though I don't have any of those handy to bash together.
The really cool thing in Michigan is that you can dial the number it assigns you (my computer's SIP number is 1-747-671-3977) from a Telesthetic VOIP gateway number in dozens of places throughout the state. The local Ann Arbor number is 734-272-0700, and dial 747-671-3977 as the extension, and poof my computer rings (or takes voice mail if I'm not there). I wrote about this two and a half years ago in relation to Free World Dialup, and I can say that the Gizmo software phone is way better than the old X-Lite phone I used back then.
Thanks to John Lodden and Telesthetic for running these gateways - they're the only people I know who are bringing VOIP to Engadine (906-477-2700, pop. 945).
Technorati Tags: skype, gizmo, jabber, sip, skype, telesthetic, voip
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