Converged communications devices that let you make calls
Published August 3, 2007 at 8:27 pm · Filed under Features
Converged communication devices that let you make calls over GSM or WiFi sound like a good idea. But how practical are they in reality? To find out, entrepreneur Peter Gradwell spent a few weeks with a Nokia E65. Here he explains how he got on.
I have been involved in the telecoms industry since my university days when I started a web hosting business and have witnessed huge changes in the industry, none greater than the introduction of Voice over IP (VoIP), with which I have been deeply involved through my company, Gradwell dot com.
Established in 2000, Gradwell dot com has played a key role in popularising VoIP telephony amongst SMEs. Thousands of Gradwell customers are now using VoIP to make free or low-cost calls over standard broadband connections, saving money and - in some cases - changing the way they do business (visit www.gradwell.com for examples).
But the VoIP revolution extends much further than office-based communications. The introduction of devices that integrate GSM and WiFi connectivity has implications for communications outside as well as inside offices.
WiFi-enabled devices like the Nokia E65 smartphone make it possible to use the same phone for VoIP communications in the office and on the road. This removes the need for multiple devices, while enabling users to cut mobile telephony bills by making calls over IP in the office and when within range of a WiFi hotspot.
That, at least, is the theory. But how easy are they to use in practice? To find out, I kitted myself out with some of the latest mobile VoIP equipment and “walked the VoIP walk”, moving from place to place with everything switched on to see how it performed up and down the UK. The experience was pretty illuminating.
What I used
On my walk, I used the same kind of mobile VoIP configuration that I already employ in the office, where I like to pace up and down while talking to customers. Because communications is a 24/7 business, I have the same kit at home, too, including:
- laptops with Outlook and 3G cards (such as Vodafone);
- a Microsoft Exchange account;
- Windows Mobile 5 PDA (an HTC Tytn device, for example); and
- feature-rich SIP desk phones working across multiple internet connections.
My diary and contacts book were originally on a Nokia 6230 and not linked into any of the above; nor were they backed-up. For the purposes of the experiment I moved the information into a Microsoft Exchange server, which gave me a single view of my daily life on my HTC Tytn PDA, a laptop running Outlook and a Nokia E65 VoIP phone (version 2, using a Symbian OS platform) with Bluetooth.
So how did I get on?
The Nokia E65 melded well with our IP Centrex-based telephony service - though customers will probably need a specialist to set everything up, because there are a lot of keys to press! VoIP on a PDA worked reasonably well, but signals are not strong enough.
All in all, my new mobile life with VoIP went smoothly. For the first fortnight I tried to answer and make all calls exclusively on the E65 via GSM or VoIP (over WiFi) depending on my location: but if I moved about a lot while making a VoIP call - or the people I was talking to were using Wi-Fi - there were audio problems. The sound can drop out and there were occasional disconnects.
And there were other minor irritations. Although my home and office have identical Wi-fi access points, the Nokia was unable to reconnect reliably if I moved from home to work or vice versa. To reconnect, I had to press seven keys!
I failed to use anyone else’s Wi-fi access points and only rarely found completely open applications that would give me an IP address plus internet connection. Nor was I able to register to use Wi-fi (with, for example, The Cloud) as a generic client is needed when using Nokia.
The verdict
WiFi certainly lacks some of GSM’s good bits - such as signal strength, handover and security - but I have found that if your infrastructure at home and in the office is fine and dandy, then Nokia works well.
Having said that, for the time being I will stick to what I originally set-up and upgraded in 2006, because with the wonderful and very cost-effective world of VoIP, it’s too early to try and fly with Wi-fi.
For more info please visit www.gradwell.com/ or call 01225 800800
