Gizmo5 Will Go Offline On April 3rd 2011

Gizmo5 Will Go Offline http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/

Google will take Gizmo5 (Gizmoproject) offline on April 3rd 2011 according to a message posted on Gizmo5 site. Google acquired Gizmo5 / SIPphone for $30 Million in 2009.

As of April 3, 2011, Gizmo5 service will be discontinued. If you are an existing Gizmo5 user, please log in to your account to learn more about available options for call credit refunds, credit balance transfers and the possibility of keeping your call-in number.

If you have credit in your Gizmo5 account, you can transfer it to Google Voice account or request a refund at http://my.gizmo5.com. On the money wise, Google Voice calls are actually cheaper than Gizmo5 calls. So it is recommended to create a Google Voice account if you are USA.

Gizmo5 + Google Voice = New Google Voice Desktop App.

Gizmo5 + Google Voice = New Desktop Voice App http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
After Google acquired Gizmo5, things have been quiet, so quiet that we even forgot that Google owns Gizmo5. But according to Techcrunch, there is much happening under this quietness it seems.
Google is testing, internally, a desktop voice app that combines the capabilities of Google Voice and Gizmo5. So what do you get out of this? Well you will be able to make Google Voice Calls from your desk top.

Yes Gizmo5 is a SIP based P2P Voice service, just like Skype and you will be able to free SIP calls using any SIP or POTs user with it. Even your iPhone or iPad!
Want to make Google Voice calls from your iPhone, simply install any SIP client that allows you to enter your own credentials and configure you Gizmo5 to use Google Voice, follow the instructions we gave last year. Viola, your iPhone and Google Voice is one. No matter how Steve Jobs listen to AT&T.
TechCrunch

Gizmoogle, Google Gets Gizmo5 / SIPphone For 30 Million

Gizmoogle snapvoip.blogspot.com
Gizmo5 has been disruptive from it's beginning and supplying SIP based communications to the masses. It was also assumed source of replacement for the Skype had the IP Litigation between Ebay and Joltid turned sour. But Ebay and Founders of Skype settled, leaving Gizmo5 in a seemingly unpopular place. Gizmo5's SIP infrastructure was basically could have replaced the Skype's backbone if needed to be.
But the assumptions of the many turned out to be unfounded as there seem to be an agreement (unofficial) between Google and Gizmo5 / SIPphone. Google will take Gizmo5 in to it's folds for $30 million cash deal.

The deal will provide Google with solutions to a number of products in the IP Telephony arena. It will bring together Googletalk (or gooletalk as it was mistakenly got embedded here) and Google voice together. It will provide PSTN gateway for Googletalk and it's millions of the users but Google Voice stand to gain the most.
The much talked about iPhone Google talk saga will find a backdoor solution, until there is a solution for real Google Voice Client for iPhone, rather than the Google Voice Webapp. Gizmo5's SIP capability and SIP clients on iPhone might be a short cut to get iPhones on Google Voice. Something that Apple cannot block.
Millions of Asterisk users will have capability of using Google Voice as AstGizmo like services already interface Asterisk to Gizmo5.
Google Voice will also receive the means of getting out confinements of US and enter the international arena when the the time is ripe. I am sure Google got it's money's worth!
Via TechCrunch

GUAVA For Android, GoogleVoice Unauthorized Android Voice Application.

Update:
Sipdroid Project has left a comment as well as another reader regarding the GUAVA. I have had no time to investigate the issue further but I will. This is not the first time Micheal Robertson made me say "HUH", I did not like what he did with Lindows, but again it was his idea, his product and his company. Above link displays a letter from I will keep a tab on this story and followup
The creator of the SIPdroid, I-P-Tel GMBH also provides Free SIP Accounts. Need to Add them to my The Free SIP Account Provider List
GUAVA For Android
So the Gizmo people have released the GUAVA, GoogleVoice Unauthorized Android Voice Application for Android and now you can make calls for free over the wireless connection using Gizmo5 and Google Voice (Grandcentral). It seem to work even witout a SIM card in the phone.
In order to use GUAVA, you need:
- Gizmo5 software
- A Google Voice account
- An Android phone
- GUAVA for android software
Once you have got that combination together, using the wireless connection from the Android phone, you can do many things, according to Guava;
- GUAVA lets you make free calls to any US number using your Google Voice and Gizmo5 account.
- GUAVA lets you receive calls to your Google Voice number from wherever you have a net connection.
- GUAVA lets you make free calls to Skype users
- GUAVA lets you make free calls to Googletalk users
- GUAVA lets you send free SMS messages to US phones.
- GUAVA lets you read incoming messages (via the browser)
- GUAVA works fine without a SIM card in fact that's how it was tested.
- You can get GUAVA software from www.gizmo5.com/guava
So check out how a GUAVA tastes without having to go to Hawaii!

Tags: android, gizmo5, GUAVA For Android, NoSIMCard, skype, googletalk, Free SMS, Google Voice, SIPDROID, The Free SIP Account Provider List

Open Skype? No But Welcome OpenSky

http://snapvoip.blogspot.com/
OpenSky is a free service from Gizmo5, the provider of Gizmocall, which allows any mobile phone, web browser or IP aware phone network (SIP, asterisk, etc) to call or text any Skype users.
According to Gizmo5 site, OpenSky provides the followingl

• There are tens of millions of users of Cisco Call Manager, Avaya and other high end VOIP systems which cannot call Skype users and now they can.
• There are tens of millions of seats using low cost Asterisk, Yate, FreeSwitch, Trixbox PBX solutions which cannot call Skype users and now they can.
• There are more than 10 million Nokia Wifi phones which cannot call Skype users and now they can.
• There are millions of SIP ATA devices and wifi phones which cannot call Skype users and now they can.
• 90% of mobile phones don't have data plans so they cannot call Skype users and now they can.

If you want to try the Gizmo5-Skype call, visit gizmocall and after logging in, enter skype_echo123 and click . This will call the Skype Test Call number where you can test your call. To Make calls to your friends and family on Skype just type in skype_ followed by their Skype Name and click .

For more information on OpenSky couls be found here

Tags: gizmo5, Open Skype, OpenSky, skype, Asterisk, Yate, FreeSwitch, Trixbox, SIP

Send Songs To Your Mobile Free with load2mobile, Courtesy of Gizmo5.

Gizmo5 is treating all it's users to a free gift that lasts for next 30 days! Just for being a Gizmo5 user the Gizmo5 team has arranged free access for 30 days to Load2Mobile service. Load2mobile allows you to send songs from your PC's music collection to your mobile phone. This gives you chance to listen to your favorite tracks while doing IM on any phone through rather funny sounding giz5.com. All this is done without any downloads to your phone.

Snap Voice

Tags: gizmo5, Snap Voice, giz5.com, load2mobile

Gizmo5 SIP Trunks Trixboxed!

If you are a user of Gizmo Project, (Gizom5) and Trixbox CE, for your communications needs, you should be happier now. No more manual bungling to connect your Trixbox to Gizmo Project SIP Service. (We wrote earlier about how to connect Astrisk to Gizmo5)

The Gizmo5 team has released a module that takes care of all of your SIP needs regarding Trixbox and Gizmo Project. This module allows you to manage your account tasks like purchasing trunks, checking your account balance, top off minutes by purchasing. What is more is that it automatically setup your inbound and outbound routes.

You can get the module via Trixbox Package manager and will also be available via future ISO releases.

Following is the press release;

Gizmo5 SIP Trunks

World's Largest Open Source Telephony Community to Benefit From Gizmo5's Leading Standards-Based SIP Trunk Services

September 24, 2008 - Gizmo5, the leading standards-based consumer calling service, today announced Gizmo5 for trixbox CE, the world's largest free and open source telephony community. Gizmo5 is now providing SIP trunk services to trixbox CE, which will help SMBs save up to 98 percent on business calls. The new offering also includes pay-as-you-go and is fully integrated with the trixbox CE open source project. The company has also joined Fonality's FACE program (Fonality Authorized Certified Ecosystem) as a Gold partner to ensure its products are optimized and compatible with the trixboxCE platform.

"Gizmo5 for trixbox CE is delivering great value to the trixbox CE community by providing cost effective phone services that can easily purchased and managed directly from within the trixbox CE dashboard. Users just create an account, purchase credit, and click one of the outbound route setup options and they can be making calls within minutes," said Chris Vuillaume, vice president of channels and business development at Fonality. "Gizmo engineers even went a step further with their module by providing the simplest way possible to setup SIP trunk services and inbound and outbound routes."

New users of trixbox CE or those performing upgrades can now set up a full range of SIP trunking services and be making calls within minutes from the same easy-to-use interface they already use to set up office phone networks. Administrators can purchase inbound telephone numbers from more than 20 countries and quickly map them to their business. Economical pay-as-you-go calling credits can be leveraged by the entire business to avoid costly per line setup or monthly fees. In addition calling credits can be rolled over each month for a more affordable option than phone systems that require a per user fee.

"For over a hundred years the phone company has charged businesses vast premiums for domestic and international business calling without providing any increase in quality. Now, with trixbox CE and Gizmo5 businesses can pay for only for what they use, save up to 98% over the phone company and have superior call quality", said Jason Droege, President at Gizmo5.

The calling service for trixbox CE is pre-configured to use the Gizmo5 calling network and includes a new UI for easy administration. Also included is a Tech Check system that confirms basic setup of a trixbox CE system and notifies users when new Gizmo modules are available.

Snap VoIP

Tags: Gizmo Project, gizmo5, trixbox, SIP, SIP Trunking

Free Calls WIth Asterisk And Gizmo5

image credit 2nm.com.au

Nerd Vittles has done it again with a fine ariticle on how to make free calls worldwide with Asterisk and Gizmo5 (All calls free). According to the article you will be able call any cellphone or landline in the United States at no cost, as long as it is not on AT&T number!
In fact you can check any of the numbers you call are free calls by checking with Gizmo5's back door. Nerd Vittles also explains about the carriers who are using the VoIP for their call terminations. I just checked my sprint number and it is free through Gizmo5 back door dialing. Back door dialing is easily accomplished by adding 0101 to the destination number, Just dial 0101 + 10 digit US telephone number.
While the technicalities are too long for a referring article, you can read all at leisure at Nerd Vittles. In addition, the article also tells you how to add Free Calls to 40 Million Asterisk Servers with e164.org. I am proud to say that four of those Asterisk servers are mine and there are about 100-150 that I helped to implement. You might also want to read ASTGizmo to setup Gizmo5 and Asterisk together.
So head over to; Free Asterisk Calls to Zillions of Phones with ENUM and Gizmo5’s Backdoor Dialing and start making those free calls.

Tags: Free calls, Free VoIP calls, gizmo5, Asterisk, nerd vittles, Gizmo5 back door, free calls worldwide

Jajah To Provide Call Termination and Other Backbone Services To Gizmo5

JAJAH, one of the managed services provider in IP-telecommunications, about whom we have posted articles since it's inception, announced that its platform has been selected by Gizmo5, a widely used free mobile and computer-based VoIP service, to provide handling of all call termination for Gizmo5 as well as additional tailored services including customer care and billing.

Softphones, that people use to make IP-telephone calls (VoIP Calls) directly from Internet-connected computers or mobile devices, and are increasingly being used as an alternative to landline phones by telecommuters and mobile users. The softphone market is poised for significant growth as competition heats up and global unified communications take hold. The ability to connect a handset to a computer via devices such as Bluetooth Headsets, USB Phones as well as wireless phones have made softphones a part of regular computer application, just like internet browser. Mobile users just use their phones, just like any other phone call.

A recent Frost & Sullivan report finds that the percentage of the total VoIP IP Telephony market that softphones represent will increase from 5 percent to 20 percent by 2014. Softphone sales rose to 416,000 units, worth $18.9 million in 2007, a 30 percent increase in dollar terms over the previous year.

Congratulations Jajah and Gizmo5.

The Jajah announcement could be found here.

Tags: jajah, gizmo5, sip, sipphone, gizmoproject, Call Termination, managed services, VoIP Calls, unified communications