PC Magazine on VoIP - Many Paths to Follow

The current issue of mega-pub PC Magazine has a terrific full feature on residential VoIP. This is a much more extensive piece than last year's, by the same writer, Cade Metz. I am cited in both articles, but the length and nature of the current piece says a lot about how far VoIP has come in a year.

As with many mass market articles on VoIP, the focus is on saving money, which is understandable. Being geek friendly, this piece also gets into the various routes you can take to subscribe and install your VoIP service. It's good fun, and the online version even has some short slide shows with a step by step storyline of how techies would install VoIP, vs. how regular folks would do it.

It's a wide ranging article, and brings Skype into the picture - and finally, someone in the mainstream who positions them correctly as a POTS complement, not a replacement. There are also a few related features, such as a lengthy listing of VoIP services and ATAs, along with requisite checklists and Editors Choice picks.

Overall, it's great exposure for VoIP, and at least this article gives the consumer something they can use. The moral of the tale is simple - you'll save money with VoIP, but you get what you pay for. Generally, the cheaper the offering the more technical problems they found.