The Call 23 - 11/29/2004
From Michael Robertson, CEO and founder,
SIPphone.com
The Call: Hooray for Microsoft...kind of
Hundreds of millions of people use IM around the world every day. Each of the four major networks has some limited voice and video capabilities, but only one has implemented the SIP standard protocol. You will never guess which one.
Believe it or not, Microsoft, the company that has made tens of billions of dollars fighting industry standards in favor of their own proprietary solutions, is the first and only IM client to implement the SIP standard! And for that they deserve a pat on the back.
Starting with Windows Messenger 5.0 (not MSN Messenger, mind you), Microsoft's IM client for their enterprise customers, people can add their SIPphone account information to make SIP and PSTN calls.
Of course, like every version 1.0 feature from Microsoft, there are some major issues that make it practically unusable. The three biggest are:
1. Everyone knows how to dial and answer phone calls. But instead of implementing voice calls in a telephone style, Microsoft strangely implemented them as instant messages. This means the universally accepted ringing signal which indicates to one party that someone is calling and to the other that the call is going through is non-existent. It's impossible to know if a call goes through and if you receive a call there's no auditory feedback - just silence. You have to be looking at the screen for a cryptic text IM message saying someone is trying to make a "connection" to be able to answer it.
Microsoft Messenger should mimic the way the trillions of phone calls have operated that consumers are so familiar with. When calls are received, the computer should ring. There can be a setting for the user to turn off the ringer, but it should ring to grab their attention. If placing a call, a ringing should indicate that the call has gone through and you're awaiting a pickup on the other end.
2. The user interface for making calls is awful. Again, calls are treated as a type of instant message, but worse. Messenger coughs up all sorts of ugly messaging when you try to make a call. And of course, it doesn't understand SIP numbers nicely, so you have to type in a number like this 17474745000@proxy01.sipphone.com instead of something which looks like a telephone number: 1-747-474-5000.
3. There is one serious flaw which may give the perception that Messenger is not working when in fact it is. After a receiver answers a call, the sender must start talking before either party can hear anything. So that introductory "hello" is not heard and in fact nothing is transmitted until the caller begins speaking. Our tests have revealed a flawed implementation of noise suppresion causes this rather serious bug. It should be something easy to fix which I hope Microsoft releases a patch for.
Over the years I have had my fair share of issues with Microsoft, but in this case Microsoft has done the right thing, and I want to be the first to say it. Their implementation of SIP may not be pretty, but its an important step. Eventually, all the other IM guys will be forced to follow suit.
So for those adventurous types with a Win XP or 2000 machine and a SIPphone account, we have posted a page with easy step-by-step instructions.
Give it a try and let us know what you think.
**Michael Robertson
CEO and Founder
SIPphone.com
