Monday, November 19, 2007

$20 per year for unlimited calling

Just saw this on cnet Crave, it's a USB device called majicJack from a company called YMax Communications that you plug into your PC and then install the client software (SIP softphone client). After installing the client you then hook up any regular analog phone to the jack on the USB device and you then get unlimited calling in the US and Canada for $20 per year after the first year. The first year is included in the $39.95 purchase price. This product is still in beta according to the majicJack website and was kicked off at Spring 2007 VON Conference from what I can find. If you go over to GigaOM you can read through the various comments to get a flavor for how this product has developed since the Spring 2007 VON launch. Based on the comments is seems most people are very pleased with the Call Quality which is enough to make me give this device a try. I had Vonage for over a year but the Call Quality was poor more times than I care to remember so I finally dropped there service. I have also used Skype at times but overall I have not been impressed with Skype Call Quality either.

The Inventor behind this product is a guy named Dan Borislow who previously ran Tel-Sav,Inc. and has a long history in the phone business. What is interesting is that Dan's new company YMax Communications the underlying CLEC(Phone Company) behind the majicJack has setup 31 SBC(Session Border Control/SIP Gateways) which if done properly should provide great reliability and also should be key in continuing to provide the great Call Quality initial users have experienced.

One question I had and couldn't find on the majicJack website is what area codes are available for local numbers. Well after a quick online chat with one of the very helpful majicJack support people I received this link which lists the currently available area codes and prefixes. Well my area code is covered so I'm going to give this a try, it sure beats Vonage and SkypeOut pricing.

1 comment:

Ray said...

Those are some pretty sweet profile pics. How many companies have a beach setting as a back drop?