Talk Is Cheap or at least VoIP is cheap

Im still cooling my heels at the inaugural East Coast Interop show. Its not surprising to see folks walking around with Bluetooth headsets clamped to their ears and cell phones in their pockets. Nor is it surprising to see many exhibitors hawking products targeted at these work anywhere & everywhere types. There are a few products that really stick out, though, so I thought Id share them. I actually saw two products from Avaya that piqued my interest. The company announced this week an implementation of their VPNremote software for their 4600 series IP phones. This IPSec VPN client allows enterprises to send their VoIP handsets home (or anywhere) and ensure encrypted communication. Currently it only supports connections to Avayas Security Gateways, but that is likely to change. The other interesting product that I saw wasnt news, but it sure was neat. Avaya Mobile for Series 60 is an application designed to run on Nokia handsets running the Symbian Series 60 OS, extending Avayas IP telephony capabilities to a mobile phone. It also includes the ability to do hand-offs between a desk phone and a mobile phone, and access the corporate contacts directory from the mobile phone. And it was showcased on the Nokia 6682, the latest object of my gadget lust!The other product I saw is primarily focused at the consumer, not the enterprise, but I felt it was definitely worth a mention. IPDrum, a Norwegian firm, has a product called Mobile Skype Cable that allows users with spare Nokia or Sony Ericsson phones to make and receive Skype calls on their extra handset. With the proliferation of family calling and unlimited in-network calling plans, you could easily grab a spare SIM card and stay in touch with your Skype buddies even when youre not on the computer. A simple cable connects the spare handset to your Windows computer and one software install later youre in business.