I wonder when we are getting these new features.

Posts: 188 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Mar 07, 2004 Posts: 188

I have cut and pasted the following from a DirecTV TIVO Discusion Group. I am just wondering when Vonage is planning on rolling out their new features and plans to improve their support for modem/faxes. Hope it is soon.

Quote:

Registered: Nov 2004
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 12
AT&T Callvantage VOIP fixed for DirecTivo updates!

All,

I updated my other thread on this topic as well, but could not update the subject, so I'm starting a new one.

I'm extremely happy to report that with the new Linksys firmware rollout 1.00.18 that DirecTivo callouts are now working. This NEVER worked for me on a prior version of the firmware with the Linksys TA. One of my boxes is a DirecTivo box series 2, and I still have to use the external modem to slow down the speed to 9600, but it connects successfully EVERY SINGLE TIME! There was rumor over on Broadband Reports that AT&T was coming out with a new firmware that supports faxing. They were right.....

Dave

POST #1 | Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Mar 2004
Location: Marin County, CA
Posts: 636

I too am very happy with this. I received my update last night, and VOILA!, for the first time since I have had Callvantage my HD TiVO made a successful callout.

I have the D-Link TA, so I suspect the upgrade was on ATT's end.

I also like the new features - such as call filtering, caller ID name line blocking, and safe forward number (forwarding calls to another number if service is down).

Unquote.

Posts: 176 · Posted: Thu Dec 16, 2004 10:33 pm Post subject:

Vonage needs to step up and deliver. Every other VOIP service is realizing that the customer wants a few certain features, TiVo call ins and ACR and they are adapting. I am using Vonage and liking the price, voice quality is excellent, and I won't wait much longer before going to another VOIP provider. They are adding the right features.

Posts: 3 · New Forum Member Joined: Sep 02, 2003 Posts: 3

SuperDave wrote:

Vonage needs to step up and deliver. Every other VOIP service is realizing that the customer wants a few certain features, TiVo call ins and ACR and they are adapting. I am using Vonage and liking the price, voice quality is excellent, and I won't wait much longer before going to another VOIP provider. They are adding the right features.

I ordered my ATT CallVantage kit yesterday. They have ALL the features I want. Being able to use my DTiVo and call filtering is worth the extrat $8 or so I'll pay a month.

Posts: 20 · Vonage Forum Associate Joined: Nov 30, 2004 Posts: 20

Vonage will have to add the features if they want to keep customers from jumping ship, and for attracting new ones too!

Posts: 188 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Mar 07, 2004 Posts: 188

Maybe Vonage should up some it's advertising budget to develope it's features. Then it could let it's features advertise it's service. Looks like AT&T is not sitting on it's A$$. I would hate to see Vonage die after it started this revolution. Mad

Cause you know what will happen if the big telcos gain control of the voip market..... Mad

Posts: 176 · Posted: Fri Dec 17, 2004 8:10 pm Post subject:

They will charge 3 times as much for much less. I see Verizon has the service and they are offering more features also.

Vonage better get moving if they want to keep customers. I read that ATT call quality is awesome and the TiVo can callout no problem.

Posts: 31 · Posted: Sat Dec 18, 2004 6:01 am Post subject:

I don't think it's ATT that Vonage has to worry about. They should worry about Packet8 since they can offer a unlimited calling plan for about $5 cheaper and a few more calling features, such as selective caller ID blocking.
I hate the fact that if I want to block my number from being seen I need to input *72 everytime I use it.

And, have you read some reviews of the call quality of Packet8 vs. Vonage? A lot more complaints are directed towards Vonage.

Don't get me wrong I love Vonage, that's why I'm a subscriber, but unless they get off their arse small and larger VoIP companies will pass them up and customers will flee.

Posts: 188 · Vonage Forum Master Joined: Mar 07, 2004 Posts: 188

Please don't get me wrong, I love Vonage too but I think that they have their priorities messed up. I mean, who cares about video phones? They have been around for years. All most people want are a full featured phone service that is tranparent (meaning that you don't know that you are on a voip). I'm sorry to say that Vonage has lost it's edge. Everytime I get a "Nag" screen on my DirecTIVO about not calling in I am reminded that I am on a voip. Mad

Everytime I receive a phone call from someone that I really didn't want to talk to but had to answer the phone because I don't have ACR I am reminded that I am on a voip. Mad

Of course, everytime I look at my phone bill I am reminded that I am on a voip too. Very Happy

All I am trying to say is that other voips are starting to do it better and that Vonage had better wake up and start coming out with the things that their customers want instead of silly things gimics like video phones. I mean, really, all of my family use dial-up, how is that going to work for me? And do I really want to dress-up to make a phone call? Eek

Get real.

Posts: 38 · Vonage Forum Junior Joined: Dec 20, 2004 Posts: 38

strange_69 wrote:

All I am trying to say is that other voips are starting to do it better and that Vonage had better wake up and start coming out with the things that their customers want instead of silly things gimics like video phones. I mean, really, all of my family use dial-up, how is that going to work for me? And do I really want to dress-up to make a phone call? Eek

Get real.

Well, Vonage? What you say? I am in 100% agreement with this.

Nova Rod (Don't forget the area codes!!!) Mad

Posts: 19 · Posted: Mon Dec 20, 2004 1:36 am Post subject:

strange_69 wrote:

Please don't get me wrong, I love Vonage too but I think that they have their priorities messed up. I mean, who cares about video phones?

Corporations. Where the real money is, not little $25/mo subscriptions like yours and mine.

I've worked for 3 Fortune 100 companies now, and you would be shocked at what they pay for video services. One of the companies was proud that they reduced their video conferencing expenses to $525,000 one year by limiting use. Sadly that figure doesn't even include the telecom expenses to get PRIs out to the remote sites to support the video equipment, just the usage charges.

Vonage is a company that has yet to turn a profit. They are going to continue to focus on the things that will build & maintain their customer base. I'm sure their main objective is keeping the core service quality and stability as high as possible. Look at where they have been spending money as of late:

- Increasing rate center coverage, allowing more areas to get local numbers/port their existing number
- Additional VoiceMail servers were added to address delay / quality concerns
- Additional CSRs were hired to attempt to reduce hold times

The last thing Vonage needs is to implement a feature that causes calls not to be delivered consistently and reliably if there are problems.

It's not just Vonage being lazy about implementing features. They have more subscribers than any of the other VoIP services, so their cost of implementation is going to be greater, as well as increased implementation complexity because they have to deal with call volumes that the other providers only dream about. At the end of the day there is real $$ that needs to go into implementing these features, and unless there is a clear indication on how it will impact their subscriber numbers most options will be rejected. Vonage cannot afford to spend money to implement a feature that will not postively impact their subscriber base.

All this being said, the best way you can get Vonage to implement a feature is if you let them know you plan to vote with your checkbook if they don't get it implemented. If enough people say that they will abandon the service if that feature doesn't get added, you can probably get it bumped up in the queue.

Eric