VoIP on the iPod Touch

We love innovation here at Iridiacom and especially when it stretches a product to do something it was not originally designed for.

Have a look over at http://touchmods.blog.com/ where a group calling themselves the iPod Touch Mods are about to release a SIP VoIP application for the Apple iPod Touch – they have had to overcome the limitation of no built in microphone and have developed a plug in circuit for an external microphone that looks pretty neat and is even the same colour as the Touch.

It seems the application is based on one produced by Samuel over at http://svsip.free.fr/ that was originally developed by him for the Nintendo DS.

We will watch this one with interest and maybe we can justify buying an iPod Touch for business use (or maybe not !)

Here is a screen-shot and make sure you donate if you are going to use it.

Have a look at some more screen-shots here http://bananenoeffnen.de/VoiPod/VoIP-Test.html

There has been so much hype about if the iPhone was going to support VoIP or not and it is great that a small group has produced something that we guess Apple did not even think about – well done guys !

Here is a recently updated URL http://touchmods.wordpress.com/ 

Wireless VoIP or DECT ?

Many users who are looking at implementing on site wireless communications naturally look at VoIP over wireless, but it seems a lot of companies are concerned about the security and reliability implications on Wireless.

A survey from SAS Group of 100 IT and Telecoms Managers, revealed a lack of in house skills to support VoIP technology, this really is not surprising but 21 percent of firms mentioned reliability and 18 percent highlighted security concerns. The SAS Group believes that this lack of faith in wireless VoIP is to be expected, as the technology is outside the comfort zone of many IT departments, putting voice traffic over a wireless network requires specialist skill sets to implement and manage.

From our experience in the IP PBX market we see many users at a crossroads where they need on site wireless communication and they have to make a decision to either use the proven DECT technology or opt for Voice over WiFi. DECT is a technology designed in the early days of GSM and handles wireless voice very well with a wide range of handsets available, if a user wishes to implement WiFi then they have to set up an extension to their fixed data network and ensure that the network is optimised for voice as well as being secure – there is still a relatively small amount of handsets available (compared to DECT) but with manufacturers such as Nokia including WiFi SIP support in their new handsets then this will change.

So this blog entry does not actually answer the question posed but trys to give a balanced over view of the two technologies to help users choose.

Is the SIP Protocol Too Open ?

We regularly talk about Security issues on VoIP systems and we have seen a report over on lightreading.com that is saying as SIP is such an open protocol it is also open to security problems. With a loosely defined standard like SIP, interoperability issues occur, So whatever security measures might apply to one SIP implementation won’t necessarily work for another.

There appears to be an almost willing ignorance of SIP’s vulnerability issues on the part of VOIP network operators and users, say security vendors. Users of SIP applications either don’t understand or don’t care that their voice communications are prone to the same types of malicious viruses that affect email systems or other IP-based networks.

We always need to be careful with these statements and think who is making them as security vendors would not say that VoIP vendors are protecting themselves as it means they do not sell much product – for sure the real picture lies somewhere in the middle.

The following is a very concise table detailing the types of attacks that we should be aware of – Click Image to Enlarge

View the full report here

Are GSM Gateways Legal to Use ?

We distribute a range of GSM Gateways (often called FCT – Fixed Cellular Terminals or Premicells – an old Nokia trade name) and we are often asked if they are legal to use or not.

 The short answer is yes, OFCOM who are the industry regulator have confimed is is legal under UK law for organisations (whether businesses or consumers) to purchase, install and use GSM gateways for their own ‘private use‘.  In simple terms this means that the gateway can only be used by the end user/organisation actually making the calls.

It is not legal if an organisation want to use the Gateway as a means to resell the minutes used across it so carriers are preventing from using this method.

We have found that some people try to suggest to customers that the use of a gateway is illegal and this is usually when someone does not want to lose the mobile minutes that are being used over regular landlines