Windows Phone Thoughts: NY Times Article on Wi-Fi-Enabled Handsets and the Future of Voice-over-IP

"What if, instead of burning up minutes on your cellphone plan, you could make free or cheap calls over the wireless networks that allow Internet access in many coffee shops, airports and homes? New phones coming on the market will allow just that. Instead of relying on standard cellphone networks, the phones will make use of the anarchic global patchwork of so-called Wi-Fi hotspots. Other models will be able to switch easily between the two modes."

We've been talking about Voice-over-IP in the form of dual-mode cellular phones (capable of both cellular and Wi-Fi connections) for quite some time now. Many of you leverage Voice-over-IP capabilities today via free services such as Skype or standard IM clients. Skype in particular has become one of the most disruptive technologies in the enterprise because of the value they bring to global travellers and the scare they put into network administrators.

Anyway, companies like Netgear and Belkin are already manufacturing Wi-Fi specific phones for Skype use and it won't be long before dual-mode phones hit the market. The NY Times article goes on to talk about what companies like Earthlink and T-Mobile also have planned to address this space. Give it a read. If you're not overly familiar with this topic, this is a good introduction into what all the hoopla is about.