web 2.0

IntelePeer gets $18M

Doug Mohney — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:01:18 -0500

What does IntelePeer do that all the other "I can make a phone call within a web app" companies don't? Whatever it is, it seems to be worth $18 million in third round venture money lead by Vantage Point.

According to Venture Beat, IntelePeer is sorta like Ribbit. The company has its AppworX open communications platform and a voice peering grid network (OK, Ribbit didn't have a voice peering grid, me thinks) so app developers have the ability to create rich media services while using IntelePeer's hosted services to save money.

IntelePeer is calling its offering a CaaS - Communications as a Service. Customers get to tap into the combo of Web 2.0 and Voice 2.0 capabilities on top of the company's carrier-grade telecommunications voice peering network, and there's a network peering grid infrastructure that reportedly handles "billions" of voice minutes per year and has direct connections with more 50 service providers around the globe.

Don't think Ribbit had the whole voice grid peering thing going...

Anyway, IntelePeer claims Microsoft, WebEx, BT, AT&T, Verizon, Facebook and TMCnet as customers, with the main hook so far being a click-to-call feature within various web apps.

Formerly named VoEx, other investors include EDF Ventures, Kennet Venture Partners, and NorthCap Partners.

For more:
- IntelePeer gets the attention of VentureBeat. Post.

SPOTLIGHT: Real drinks through Facebook

Doug Mohney — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 15:07:00 -0500

Annoyed with those virtual hamburgers and other cheesy Facebook apps that give you no real world satisfaction? Fear not, the newly-launched BarTab service has engineered a way to turn Facebook virtual drink icons into real drinks at participating bars in Arizona at a dollar per send. No, we aren't making this up.

More than 100 bars have agreed to participate in the BarTab program, a combination of social media and a customizable marketing service. Facebook awarded a $25,000 grant to the service as well.

BarTab works by allows users to turn a digital drink icon into a real drink redeemable by cell phone. Upon visiting a designated establishment, the BarTab user presents a text message-based mobile drink coupon in exchange for a drink. The partner bar gets a pay-per-customer model for advertising; bars and restaurants only pay up when customers show up at the bar, and participating bars and restaurants can give away a drink to attract a customer. Bars control the number of drinks they give away, type of drinks, and even the time periods drinks can be redeemed.

The service is launching in the company's home state of Arizona with plans to roll out the application nationally and internationally. Of course, BarTab would also like a crack at a further Facebook grant cash of up to $225,000.

One catch with the Arizona rollout: In Arizona it is illegal to give away an alcoholic beverage. When a Facebook user redeems his/her BarTab drink, they will be required to provide 1 cent in addition to the electronic drink coupon.

For more:
- MarketWire picks up BarTab's press release.
- Or, send a buddy in Arizona a drink by using www.mybartab.com

NXTcomm08: BroadSoft Bulks Up Ecosystem

Doug Mohney — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:04:41 -0400

NXTcomm08, Las Vegas--BroadSoft has announced a couple of new enterprise voice mashups, more than 300 hundred developers, and a channel partner program.

New BroadSoft's Web 2.0 apps include the GotVoice voicemail-to-text service and MobileMax's Enterprise Edition Mobile Client. The voicemail-to-text service is pretty self-explanatory; users can receive all of their voice mail as text and digital audio via email and within a personal GotVoice.Com account.

MobileMax is a fixed-mobile convergence client application that resides in a user's mobile device and extends BroadWorks calling functionality to mobile handsets. The client allows users to use a single number for mobile devices and desk phones, a single voice mailbox, and to route mobile calls through their company's BroadWorks-based phone networks for reduced toll costs.

On the reseller front, BroadSoft's Channel Partner Program expands BroadSoft's existing OEM relationships for the BroadWorks applications platform. Channel partners quality for the program to offer BroadWorks-based business and residential services based on their technical expertise, pre-existing service provider relationships and customer base. Channel partners will also have access to the Xtended Services Interface, enabling them to integrate BroadWorks calling features with web-based applications for creating new services faster.

For more:
- BroadSoft discusses new channel partners and Web 2.0 apps

Related articles:
BroadSoft and JoeDeveloper.NET Mashup Facebook
MetaSwitch makes mashups

Nortel Announces Web 2.0 Engine at The Cable Show

Doug Mohney — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:43:00 -0400

Nortel unveiled its Adaptive Application Engine Software (AAE) at The Cable Show in New Orleans. The software can be deployed as a SIP Application Server, as an IMS application server or as advanced capabilities on Nortel's CS 2000. Operators can choose to run the software on Red Hat Enterprise Linux compliant servers to provide scalability between hundreds to millions of subscribers. AAE provides an open programming environment and web service APIs to allow third-party software developers to easily develop new applications which use call routing, presence and federated IM.

New applications being associated and/or enabled with AAE include unified communications, federated instant messaging, click-to-call in web apps, VoIP over IPTV integration, and mobile UC services; the software also enhances Nortel's recently announced IP Powered Home (IPPH) and IP Powered Business (IPPB) solutions. The IPPH bundles provide a core VoIP offering and three optional offerings to incorporate mobile, web, and TV functionality respectively.

While Nortel's announcement was made at The Cable Show, the Voice 2.0/Web 2.0/NGN core software technology is just as applicable and useful to traditional phone companies while running on any sort of IP transport from vanilla DSL to fiber to WiMAX.

For more:
- Nortel releases on IP powered home bundles and AAE

Related articles:
Nortel, Arcor integrate mobile phones into corporate networks
Verizon and Nortel offer hosted VoIP
Clearwire to offer its own VoIP service using Nortel