(2004-09-16) Udell Voip Interop

Jon Udell compares the VoIP InterOp potential of Vonage and Skype. It caught my eye because lately I've been investigating Skype, which turns out to be far more proprietary than Vonage. It's true that massive adoption, such as Skype is now experiencing, has a way of trumping standards. It's also true that a viable voice-call alternative "that just works" is a necessary precursor to the new breed of voice-and-data applications that we need and want. But if cheaper calls aren't the endgame, and if it's the apps that ultimately matter most, then shouldn't the mechanisms for creating those apps be built in rather than bolted on?