Business Phone System Reviews | SE Telecom

A month ago, The first generation Flip MinoHD, a pocket sized digital video camera, was dominating a market with only a few other competitors. Now, after launching the second generation of the device, the Flip is likely to only reinforce their top position.

The original Flip MinoHD more-or-less created the pocket-sized digital video recorder market, offering a product that was inexpensive, easy to use, extremely portable, and a snap to transfer between other computers. In the way that pocket-sized digital cameras changed the way people shoot pictures, the Flip did the same for video.

Other companies, such as Kodak, tried to piggy-back the Flip’s success, but no one could usurp it from ultra-portable digital video recorder’s top spot. Now, with a second generation that launched in the US last winter, and again in Canada this month, Flip is looking to strike back and build on their advantage.

The new Flip has a larger display (it’s now 2 inches), as well as a brighter screen that has better resolution and is more clear under direct light. The new design is similar, albeit a little sleeker and more rounded on the corners. And the device now comes with a HDMI output, allowing users to watch videos directly on a big-screen TV without first transferring it to a computer.

The new Flip stays pat shooting 720p instead of 1080p, a distinction that only matters to some of the more advanced gear-heads. The price too has stayed pretty consistent – it’s now $239.99. Clearly, with a relatively similar albeit upgraded model, Flip is going with the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach that’s worked well for companies like, among others, Apple.

The question that faces the new Flip MinoHD now, however, is whether the portable digital video recorder market that they top will continue to thrive like it is currently. As more smart phones are starting to shoot HD quality video, and people start to use their smart phones for more and more uses, even the best sole-purpose video shooter may become obsolete.

The challenge for the Flip going forward, then, may not just be leading the market they more-or-less created. It may be keeping the market relevant in the first place.

INQ, a U.K. upstart, just pushed out a brand new cell phone. This new phone goes by the name of the INQ Chat 3G. You can find this new device at Koodo and Telus. Don’t go running to the store for a sweet new smart phone just yet.

The INQ Chat 3G targets the 16-to-25 age groups. INQ believes this group to be the premier target for the INQ Chat 3G. This is due to the INQ Chat 3G being a phone designed around social media. This new phone includes apps to easily connect to social media services like Facebook and Twitter.

Why did INQ market this new cell phone to the younger crowd? INQ believes the INQ Chat 3G is cheap enough to appeal to this age group. Most of the people in this age group rely heavily on social media. INQ is hoping to cash in on this niche.

INQ also believes this lower priced phone will make a big impact due to cost. Their target audience is at a point where smart phones might cost too much, yet the customers want social connectivity with friends and family.

INQ is using this phone as a way to break into the Canadian cell phone market. INQ has plans to bring higher end phones to Canada over the next year. The hopes and dreams are that INQ will become a major player in the Canadian cell phone market.

One question that lingers here is what INQ has to offer that so many other cell phone manufacturers already provide. Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and Motorola all produce phones that offer up the same kind of connectivity as the INQ Chat 3G.

The other issue arises in the dwindling cost of smart phones. Smart phones are dropping in price every year. If INQ can create a niche for its products, it is sure to succeed. At this point, INQ has a long hard road ahead of them.

A phone sitting on the desk has been the primary mode for communication for decades. This one device has been on people’s desks almost as long as the pen and paper. Sadly, the desktop phone is slowly losing its grip as a staple for desk decoration everywhere.

The desktop phone has seen its fair share of tweaks and upgrades. The latest upgrade has been to IP based phones. These phones provide a greater amount of information, while taking up little to no more space than previous analog phones. Sadly, IP desktop phones have taken a severe downturn in sales.

Just how bad are the numbers? Revenues for IP based phones declined by an amazing 26.5 percent. That comes out to $1.89 billion in revenue. Still a good chunk of change, but quite a bit lower than it was last year.

There are many factors playing into this decline. The economy is easy to point a finger at. IP phones carry a substantial cost. All that technology requires a lot of R&D funding.

Another factor is a movement to eradicate the desktop phone that started back in 2008. This movement has only grown with UC, mobility, and PC softphone vendors growing in size.

PC softphones and UC clients saw rapid growth in 2009. Total shipments of these devices had a 362 percent increase in one year. That equates to right around 12 million units shipped. The biggest company taking advantage of this shift is Avaya. Perhaps all that mass marketing and partnerships are beginning to really pay off for Avaya.

That desktop phone is unlikely to leave your desk anytime soon. It has been a faithful companion for many years. Yet, there is change looming on the horizon. Cell phones in particular are becoming the lifeblood of how business is done. The move to PC softphones is another notch on the desktop phone coffin.

In a very non-literal battle for the top spot among smart phones — between Apple, Google, RIM, and others — a new and powerful voice has logged their vote. The United States Armed Forces.

As the Globe and Mail reported on Wednesday, the company that makes the Patriot missile defense system, Raytheon, is working on a smart phone application that could potentially aid future soldiers in the field. The operating system of choice? Google Android.

Our guess is that the Apple app store was too restrictive to allow an app that shoots real missiles. But all kidding aside, the software that is being developed could be used to help soldiers spot the enemy, scout terrain, focus in on people and cars from satellite imagery, and more.

“We’re trying to take advantage of smartphone technology to tailor for what soldiers may need in the field,” Mark Bigham, vice president for defense and civil mission solutions at Raytheon. “Google has helped us push the limits of the phone.”

The software would also be designed with a social aspect, connecting soldiers in the field through a ‘buddy’ system, and allowing them to connect to home through networks like Facebook and Twitter. The applications would also be designed with security and remote shut-down features included, in the case the phones fell into enemy hands.

The news that something like this is in the works begs some instant questions. First, when can I get my hands on this sucker? I think I might then have a word with my neighbor with the annoying dog. Also, what protections are installed to ensure soldiers keep focused on battle, rather than brick-breaker?

From a telecommunications perspective, what does it mean that Google Android got selected as the platform for this development? Even though government contracts are usually sizable, if not huge, the impact to Google’s bottom-line isn’t likely to be the biggest benefit.

But the message it sends — that these are the phones the Army depends on — as well as the boost in development spurred by these type of applications, may spur independent development on the Android platform even further ahead of where it is now. That’s a momentum-builder.

Google might be the Jedi Master when it comes to advertising and Internet search. People may flock to new services like Google Voice, Chrome, and Android based devices. One thing Google is not so good at is cell phone sales.

It has been six months since the world saw Google push out their phone. The Nexus One was the spawn of phone, Android, and Google’s hopes and dreams of entering the cellular market. Today marks the slow death of the Nexus One. The Nexus One is no long available for sale directly from Google, and it appears that Google has stopped ordering new phones from HTC.

This should not be a sign of doubt though. The Nexus One is still on sale in places like the U.K and Australia. The phone just won’t be on sale through an official Google outlet.

The Nexus One is a storied phone. It created a lot of hype. Masses flocked to it only to find that Google could not handle the influx of customer service calls. Top that off with plenty of other Android based phones coming out in recent months, and Google’s Nexus One just did not stand a chance.

There is some good here though. Android is starting to take root and become a real contender to Apple’s iOS. More and more devices are starting to show up with Android as the operating system. This includes e-readers, phones, and soon tablet computers.

Google has no plans at this point to try to make another phone. This is probably a smart choice by Google to focus on the Android operating system while other companies worry about silly things like making phones, setting up cell phone contracts, and dealing with customer service. The Nexus One lasted a strong six months, but in the end we saw bigger and better phones in the likes of the HTC Evo 4G and the Droid X. Rest well Nexus One, you have done your job and promoted Android well.

Cell phones are sprouting up like weeds in a meticulously maintained garden. Cell phone plans are getting so cheap that just about everyone in the family can carry a phone for that “just in case” emergency. There is a growing problem with all this proliferation of phones. There are not enough numbers to go around.

Just how many phone numbers are seeing the light of day? So many that Toronto could run out of area codes by this time in 2015. The solution to this problem is to add on a third area code to the mix.

Toronto already enjoys two area codes. Suburbs in the surrounding Toronto area, or the 905 belt as it is so lovingly called, will be the first area to enjoy a new 365 area code. This new 365-area code could be active as early as March 2013.

This is not a unique problem. Numerous areas in the United States have run out of area codes over the years.  The culprit is the blazing growth of the wireless market. Many metropolitan areas have already had to adopt two, or three, new area codes to keep up with the need for phone numbers.

A bigger numbering problem remains on the horizon. This problem will hit the entire continent though. The problem is a quickly dwindling nine-digit phone number system. Estimates are that by 2039 all nine-digit phone numbers will be used up. When this happens, the invention of the 12-digit phone number appears to be immanent.

Sure, this may not be that big of a deal at the moment, but adding new area codes always causes confusion. Just imagine what will happen with a 12-digit phone number become necessary. You may have problems remembering your loved ones number now, but it is only going to get harder. Maybe it is time to go back to using a can on a string.

Landlines have become the remnants of times past. Today, basic wireless service is often cheaper than those landlines of history. Yet, in a market growing in early termination fees, data package price increases, dropped call hooplah, there is a company set to offer free wireless service.

Sprint is looking to make a big impact on what it offers. Sprint is the grand daddy of four prepaid wireless phone companies. Virgin Mobile, Boost Mobile, and Common Cents Wireless all owe their success to Sprint. Now sprint is adding Assurance Wireless to the list.

Assurance Wireless started in New York, and has since grown to eight other US states. Assurance Wireless is a special kind of cell phone company. Assurance Wireless focuses on those people who might not really be able to afford a high priced cell phone plan.

Assurance Wireless offers up free basic cell phones to customers who live below federal poverty guidelines, or live off Food Stamps or Medicaid. The free phones come with 200 free minutes per month, caller ID, call waiting, voice mail, and 911 access. This free plan also includes expandability for customers who might be able to afford items like additional minutes.

This is not all charity work from Sprint. Sprint receives a kick back for every Assurance Wireless customer it obtains. This subsidy comes from the Universal Service Fund. The Universal Service Fund is a federal charge that shows up as a line item on every cell phone customer’s bill.

Sprint is planning to expand Assurance Wireless to more states. Sure, Sprint is profiting from this free wireless service. Yet, this free wireless service allows a group of people a way to communicate with family, receive calls for job interviews, and save money on their phone bill. In these times of big phone companies sucking every dime they can from customers, it is nice to see one company help out those in need.