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VOIP returns to Windows Live Messenger (in some countries)

Dec. 5, 2008 Paul Thurrott | Paul Thurrott's Supersite for Windows

I believe they used to offer this via Verizon Wireless in the US, but it looks like Microsoft has finally found a new partner to offer VOIP services over Windows Live Messenger again:

Software behemoth Microsoft Corp. has chosen Telefonica, the largest telecommunications provider in Latin America, as an exclusive carrier to provide Voice over IP (VoIP) services to Windows Live Messenger customers in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, the United States and Venezuela, the companies jointly said Friday.

Telefonica, which has the largest telecommunications network in Latin America, has branded the service “Voype” has been chosen from a flock of several operators to be Microsoft’s sole provider of Voice over IP (Voype) services in the region.

Telefonica’s VoIP service works with Live Messenger and would allow Windows Live customers to make calls directly from their PCs to any landline or mobile phone in the world.

Clearly the objective is taking aim at eBay’s popular Skype Internet telephony technology, Microsoft’s Live Messenger VoIP solution may not be such a bad choice.

Thanks, Greg A.

Discuss this Article 12

mikegalos@msn.com
on Dec 5, 2008
FYI, the Telefonica deal was announced on the Messenger Says blog a while back. See: http://messengersays.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!5B410F7FD930829E!50338.entry for the Messenger team's comments.
mikegalos@msn.com
on Dec 5, 2008
Oh, and a minor correction. In the US, the partnership was with MCI and later Verizon and not Verizon Wireless. (Not that it really makes any difference to the user) And here's a tinyurl version of the Messenger Says blog post http://tinyurl.com/5sfvfp
robertsjoe
on Dec 5, 2008
@mikegalos: Since you spend so much time and effort on posting (mostly made up) info on this blog, why not start your own? You seem to be lost following MS. May as well make something of it. Get something for shilling.
tayme
on Dec 5, 2008
@robertsjoe - Hey, school's out!!! You and mikegalos could start a blog together. It would be rather entertaining to read the rants of the extremists from both sides of the fictional OS Wars! --tayme
mikegalos@msn.com
on Dec 5, 2008
tayme You're right. The OS Wars have been over for a long time. (Although I continue to be amused by the people who think Microsoft loses sleep worrying about Apple)
Sevenmack
on Dec 5, 2008
Oh boys, cut it out. Play nice. Sure.
mikegalos@msn.com
on Dec 5, 2008
Back on subject, this was a blast to work on since we had to call people all around the world to test out features. (Even with that, I think I ran up a phone bill that was less than $10)
lotsamystuff
on Dec 6, 2008
"I continue to be amused by the people who think Microsoft loses sleep worrying about Apple" Hence the "I'm a PC" ads, and kiosks at the entrances to Apple stores. No, they don't think about Apple at all. Neither do you, "mikegalos", since you never bring them up in your comments. Welcome to "International Sarcasm Day".
Waethorn
on Dec 6, 2008
"Welcome to "International Sarcasm Day"." Population: lotsa
mikegalos@msn.com
on Dec 6, 2008
lotsa Notice that I'm a PC is about undoing lies spread by Apple and not spreading lies (or even the many unpleasant truths) about Apple. Apple is a non-entity. Apple's deceptive ads are a problem (hence the results of The Mojave Project) If Apple followed Steve Jobs "For Apple to win doesn't mean Microsoft has to lose" statement when Microsoft saved his company and didn't spend half of their budget lying about Windows, then Microsoft would pay as much attention to them as they do to, say, WinZip or Nero or any other niche player.
mikegalos@msn.com
on Dec 6, 2008
Or, to bring it back on topic, if Apple spent their massive ad budget telling people about their products rather than lying about Windows, Microsoft would pay as much attention to them as they do to Skype. (Well, to be fair, Microsoft would also probably continue to produce the best selling commercial Macintosh applications in the world, too.)
shark47
on Dec 6, 2008
Mike, I would agree about the ads, but I do think Microsoft's concern goes beyond those ads. Google and Apple, both worry Microsoft. In a similar manner, both Apple and Google are also concerned about Microsoft. This was evident from Google's moves to block Microsoft's purchase of Yahoo -- I think Google ended up doing MS a favor there -- and Apple's constant mention of MS.

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