VoIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol is a hot new technology for making digital phone calls over the Internet and avoiding charges assigned by your local and long-distance phone companies. Google and Yahoo currently have their mitts in VoIP and now MSN is trying to get elbow deep in the new emerging technology as well.
It looks imminent now that the big search engines are going to go head-to-head with VoIP service providers such as Skype and Vonage along with the cable companies and even the Baby Bells such as Verizon and AT&T, which were slow to market and just now getting their feet wet in the VoIP money pond.
MSN has acquired a company named Teleo Inc., which will be incorporated into the MSN services infrastructure, such as MSN Messenger to allow free PC-to-PC calling. When Teleo first rolled out their beta in 2003, the software allowed customers to use their PC to make VoIP calls to cell phones, regular phone or PCs. Microsoft may also resume some of this same functionality in addition to providing new services.
Microsoft has made this move in order to compete with Google Talk, which is also an instant messenger / VOIP application useful for making free calls over the Internet. Another rival is Yahoo, which has supported VoIP through its messaging service for some time. Yahoo has also been making noise about bringing forth a separate application for making calls over the Internet.
So, just when you thought world domination was on the back burner, the Big 3 search engines vie with the other big players in VoIP, cable and local / long distance markets for a piece of the new, emerging telecom pie. It will be interesting in the months and years to come to watch how the players jockey for position in the VoIP Derby, estimated to be worth millions in cash and prizes.
