Vonage opens SIP credentials

Posts: 192 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Oct 08, 2004 Posts: 192

Vonage opens SIP credentials

A source informed VoIP & Gadgets Blog that Vonage plans to open up their SIP credentials to enable users to configure their own SIP softphones and SIP hardphones to work with the Vonage service at no additional charge. Today Vonage still has kept the SIP credentials "closed" preventing users from using their own SIP devices with the Vonage service. One of the main reasons why Vonage has kept the SIP credentials "closed" is that they charge $9.99/month for their SIP softphone client, which then gives you access to your "personal SIP credentials". It comes with 500 minutes along with a different SIP URI and PSTN number than your main Vonage phone number.

The obvious question is why would Vonage do an about face, open up the SIP credentials and start giving away SIP credentials access for "free" when they currently charge for them?

According to the source, he stated that Vonage doesn't make that much revenue on softphone subscribers. But he stated the main reason for the about face is that Vonage is starting to feel strong competition from the MSOs/cable companies, Packet8, SunRocket, and the other VoIP broadband players. He also pointed out that several Vonage competitors already offer SIP credentials, including Broadvoice, SIPgate, and others.

People are looking to leverage the IP phones they already have with their VoIP service provider. Why wouldn't Vonage want to leverage the millions of Cisco IP phones and other SIP-based hardware phones out there? Additionally, Asterisk is a very popular open-source IP-based phone system that many Asterisk users have configured with SIP trunks for outbound termination. Vonage is shooting themselves in the foot by forcing the Asterisk community to use Vonage's competitors for PSTN termination.

It's worth mentioning that another reason why Vonage hasn't opened up their SIP credentials is "fraud". That is, how does Vonage prevent its users from openly sharing their SIP credentials with others? There are ways of ensuring that users don't abuse an open SIP credential system. You could monitor usage patterns and look for abuse or you can do something similar to what BroadVoice does - they charge the user 3.9 cents per minute if more than one simultaneous outbound call is active using the same set of SIP credentials.

The source summed up his thoughts when he stated, "If Vonage wants to continue to build their customer numbers and retain the ones they have, then they need to continue to innovate. Offering SIP credentials to users is a perfect way to ensure the loyalty of 'techies' and 'teenagers' that also often recommend a VoIP service provider to their parents and friends."

As for a time-frame when Vonage would open their SIP credentials he claimed it would happen at the end of 1Q.

Tom Keating

Posts: 476 · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 2:47 am Post subject:

Awesome.

Posts: 1715 · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 3:42 am Post subject:

I think Broadvoice's method/solution is the best answer to the abuse problem. I wonder if it'd allow me to run multiple adapters rather than having to carry my one single adapter everywhere I go.

Posts: 2257 · Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2006 7:59 am Post subject:

That's pretty cool. I wonder if they will also (at customer request) unlock the devices? I don't want to mess with mine while I'm an active customer if it will violate my TOS (since the device, like a cell phone, belongs to me but is under their control while on their network), but I'd love to be able to set up line 2 on my other VoIP line. Wink

Competition, it's a Beautiful Thing (tm).

Posts: 81 · Vonage Forum Senior Joined: Jan 02, 2006 Posts: 81

I think this would be an awesome step for vonage. I've been thinking of going the softphone route, but I'd rather use that 10 dollars to get two virtual numbers in cities I have friends in.

Plus, I think it would give it a competitive edge. I doubt they would start unlocking devices, but at least you'd have alternative access to your box.

Posts: 55 · Full Forum Member Joined: Apr 15, 2005 Posts: 55

blakadher wrote:

Awesome.

Yes ----- quite AWESOME!!

Please post ANY info once it's released... Very Happy

Posts: 42 · Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2006 7:44 pm Post subject:

Wow! I can't wait! I'm using Asterisk with a softphone account for incoming calls. My main vonage number forwards to the softphone account - a free in-vonage call. I don't make any outgoing calls via vonage though. I use another provider that lets me set the correct callerid number.

I'd been considering porting my main number back out in order to reduce the number of things that can go wrong, but this might change things at long last.

Posts: 15 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Feb 08, 2006 Posts: 15

This is good news! I currently use my UTStarcom f1000 on my softphone account in Canada. This is exactly what I was hoping for.

Posts: 82 · Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2006 10:29 pm Post subject:

Yes, thank you. There is a god. I was looking for another voip provider for a while, so I can use it with Asterisk. Now I will stick with Vonage for a while and see what happens.

Posts: 7 · New Forum Member Joined: Aug 11, 2005 Posts: 7

VonageTPA wrote:

I think Broadvoice's method/solution is the best answer to the abuse problem. I wonder if it'd allow me to run multiple adapters rather than having to carry my one single adapter everywhere I go.

Wow, I really hope this would allow two adapters on one line.. i feel like a geek packing and unpacking my adapter every day