With VTech and Vonage announcing a bundle that incorporates VTech's IP 8100-2 Broadband Cordless Phone System ($100 after a $50 mail-in rebate) with Vonage's Voice Over IP (VOIP) Service, as covered in a Fortune article by Peter Lewis called, "Let (Cordless) Freedom Ring," I thought it timely to offer up a link to a post that I previously wrote on my blog for O'Reilly called, "Tawkey Tri-Mode: reinventing the cordless phone."
The Tawkey post is a good read if the SLOW innovation in the cordless phone market relative to cell phone technology irks you. A couple of key takeaways from the post include:
- The need for a "phone book" function that is on a par with the capabilities provided within cell phones.
- The likely emergence of wi-fi and VOIP based phones, as well as 'tri-mode' phones that can "connection switch" between POTS, VOIP and cellular (i.e., the cell phone that can replace your home phone).
- The opportunity for a re-envisioned cordless phone to drive demand for value added communication services like push to talk, instant messaging, and enhanced directory services.
Check it out.
