The
University of California at San Diego (UCSD) and VoIP startup SIPphone,
Inc. today announce they have interconnected their telephone networks.
SIPphone was started by Michael Robertson, UCSD alumni and founder of
MP3.com
and Linspire, Inc.
By interconnecting the telephone networks, UCSD and SIPphone have
enabled the following:
- UCSD's 10,000 phones can now directly dial any of the
thousands
SIPphone users in over 100 countries around the world, free of charge
- SIPphone
users can directly dial any UCSD phone at no cost using either their
regular phone connected to a standards-based SIP adapter or with one of
SIPphone's free softphones that run on any Windows, Mac or Linux based
computer
- UCSD's staff, students and professors can take
advantage of SIPphone's free, on-the-fly conference calling system,
voicemail to email and other advanced VoIP features
"Just as universities were the birth place of the internet, they're
leading the charge with internet calling," says SIPphone CEO and
founder Michael Robertson. "UC San Diego's phone system is now
modernized to make free calls with the VoIP world using SIP
technology," adds Robertson.
"UCSD is always looking for ways to improve the services we
provide our
faculty, staff and student body," says Dr. Elazar Harel, assistant vice
chancellor of administrative computing and telecommunications for UCSD.
"By interconnecting with SIPphone's free SIP network, no matter where
our students and faculty travel in the world, they will still be
connected to our local phone network. This project is still in an
experimental mode -- we expect to learn a lot and expand features over
time."
International students will enjoy a connection to
family and friends previously unavailable. For example, a student from
India can talk to her family for free as long as she wants. Professors
teaching abroad can keep their UCSD phone number, even if they are
working in China, Europe or the Middle East.
"My family in New
Delhi can't believe it," says Puneet Sharma, a graduate researcher in
UCSD's electrical and computer engineering department. "Calls between
India and the US are normally prohibitively expensive, which means we
have only been able to call sporadically and in rushed calls. Now my
family can call me every day if they like just using a $60 phone
adapter and their broadband connection. It is cheaper for my mom to
call me than it is for her to call my brother who lives in India.
That's crazy, right?"
In addition to extending the UCSD phone
network around the globe, the interconnection immediately boosts the
features UCSD can offer its 10,000 phone network users. By
interconnecting with SIPphone's network a professor can now add a
"Virtual SIP Number" from most major cities in the United States or
even the UK that allows them to have a "local" number in cities like
New York, Miami or Chicago.
About SIPphone, Inc.
SIPphone.com is the leader in
Internet calling. With no
monthly fees,
no setup fees, free PC softphones and SIP adapters for standard phones
starting under $60 (www.SIPphone.com/store),
anyone around the world with broadband access can now enjoy the
benefits of free worldwide calling, clear digital calls, free
voicemail, free conference calling and zero configurations devices
based on SIPphone's Plug-N-Dial standard (www.plugndial.com).
SIPphone's service uses an inexpensive device that sits between your
broadband Internet connection and your standard phone that enable phone
calls via a regular phone.
SIPphone was founded by Michael
Robertson, who also founded MP3.com (digital music) and Linspire
(digital delivery of software). SIPphone (www.SIPphone.com)
is based in San Diego, California.
|