Microsoft adds VoIP support to Windows CE

[Guest midnight]

The latest version of the CE operating system for mobile devices will support Internet telephony says Microsoft, as major manufacturers confirm they plan to make Internet phones based on the OS  

The next version of Microsoft's embedded operating system, Windows CE 5.0, will include support for a wider range of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) services than previously planned.  

The software giant announced on Wednesday that it is updating the VoIP platform of CE 5.0. Support for multiparty audio conferencing and unified messaging will be added, as will integration with Exchange Server to help users access contacts and calendar information.  

This move, Microsoft claims, will help telecoms operators and large companies to develop VoIP services that are compatible with existing infrastructure, and make it easier for hardware manufacturers to integrate CE 5.0 onto their devices.  

"The new features in Windows CE 5.0 will support manufacturers with an even more flexible and integrated platform for developing a broad variety of VoIP-enabled client devices," said Scott Horn, director of the embedded devices group at Microsoft.  

With a VoIP-enabled device, a user can make a voice call over the Internet rather than across a mobile operator's network. This is likely to be significantly cheaper, and it's unclear at this stage whether this will deter some network operators from embracing VoIP-compatible devices.  

Microsoft also announced that a number of major manufacturers, including NEC and LG Electronics, intend to create Internet phones based on CE 5.0.  

The first wave of phones from the equipment makers will arrive during the next three months, Microsoft product manager Balz Wyss said.  

The manufacturers are among 22 new licensees announced by Microsoft on Wednesday.  

source: ZDNet

[Guest [email protected]]

"With a VoIP-enabled device, a user can make a voice call over the Internet rather than across a mobile operator's network. This is likely to be significantly cheaper..."

Well, it's still traffic on the operators network isn't it? And who controls the price for usage of said network? As speach becomes pure data the'll naturally uppen the price per MB.

[Guest beersoft]

Grrr, another press release that muddies the water about what voip is

to the best of my knoweldge voip is sending Voice data Over Internet Protocol packets, which to me is a bit like the current switched phone systems which have either ISDN style data or POTS (plain old telephone system) data.

yep, the cost of transporting voice calls over the ip network is cheaper than over a dedicated pair, but it would suck if the only people you could talk to had to have the same software and be on the same network as you.

voip is cheaper for site 2 site calls and cabling costs but it doesn't mean free voice calls, because your call still has to break out onto a pots network at some point and thats going hit you in the wallet.

later

Owen

[Guest R4N6ER5-RE4DY]

If you can make/receive calls using Wi-fi/bluetooth, thereby cutting out your service provider, they should work out cheaper. :)