Yahoo to offer new VoIP Service

It looks like the VoIP bandwagon just got a little more crowded with Yahoo announcing that it is entering the market with a service that it say is much cheaper than the leading web phoning provider Skype. This new development is also another sign that the days of traditional landline telephoning is numbered.

The new offering from Yahoo is going to be made available to 180 countries and will link with existing Yahoo e-mail and messaging features. This bundling scheme is quite unique and is set to distinguish the service from its many competitors.
The calling plans for each country will be different but the PC-to-PC calls among Yahoo users will be free. There will also be a “Phone Out” feature that will allow callers to call from their US PCs to public switched telephone network subscribers. The rate will be a penny a minute for US destinations and about two pennies per minute for overseas locations.
The service and its linkage to other Yahoo features will be based on technology developed by Dialpad. This is a company that Yahoo acquired a year ago so it looks like the company made the right corporate choice buying it.
Yahoo is also offering another subscriber feature called “Phone In”. This is a $30 a year feature that allows a subscriber to receive incoming calls after picking out a personal phone number. This is a nifty feature that would surely be a hit with phone call-crazy teens.
I have always thought that VoIP is going to be a big thing and would really shift the paradigm on phoning. I am glad that my vision for the future is fast becoming a reality with VoIP helping usher it in.