Primus to Provide VoIP for MSN Messenger

Primus Telecommunications Group, Inc. has entered into an agreement with Microsoft Corp. to provide Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) services for MSN Messenger Service customers. Marketed as "PrimusTalk," once a user has logged into MSN Messenger Service, calls can be made by clicking on the "Make a Phone Call" link. A phone dialer will appear where a call can be made to any number -- national, international or mobile.

The McLean, Va.-based Primus will provide PrimusTalk service as an Internet telephony application that can be accessed by any user accessing MSN Messenger Service. Specifically, the PC-to-phone service will be integrated with the MSN Messenger Service as an option that may be accessed by users of Microsoft client software programs.

"Primus is leading the way to a carrier class era of converged communications solutions," said John Melick, co-president of Primus and one of the principal developers and implementers of the company's VoIP initiatives. "As a third-party solutions provider with market leading positions in global voice and Internet services, the advantage of Primus offering a voice service over the Internet's architecture is the added convenience and value available to customers by engaging in communications at their desktop or wherever they are using a MSN Messenger Service-enabled device."

Primus owns and operates its own global VoIP backbone network connecting over 300 points-of-presence in over 80 countries in Asia-Pacific, the Americas and Europe. The network is supported by automated backroom systems and operating control centers. Primus can terminate VoIP calls to virtually any destination in the world where such termination is not prohibited by law.

Operating as a VoIP carrier for more than two years, Primus now has over an six percent worldwide market share for international VoIP traffic, according to a 2001 TeleGeography Report. The company is now expanding through the launch of new products and the formation of third party relationships to extend its VoIP services directly to end-user business and consumer customers who will be able to directly access Primus' global VoIP network.

By owning and operating its own public switched telephone network (PSTN) of switching faculties and fiber optic cable capacity, Primus is able to provide back-up and disaster recovery for its VoIP network. Primus also owns and operates its own global asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) and IP backbone network. As such, Primus maintains peering relationships and Internet network facilities supporting IP services on a higher level than most pure-play VoIP providers.

New AIM Beta Turns On Two-Way Social Networking

A new beta release of AIM's client software moves the instant messaging service ahead on its increasing awareness of the challenges posed by social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook.

With the release of AIM 2.0.222, "Lifestream" features offer users a way to post to their accounts on Twitter, Facebook, delicious, Digg, YouTube and flickr from the client, providing a one-stop location for updates to and from assorted buddies, friends and contacts on those services. AIM has also enhanced mobile integration, allowing users to update their statuses or receive updates from their contacts via SMS.

One-way integration with the services, using the AIM client as a way to receive updates, was introduced earlier in the summer when lifestream.aim.com was introduced.

Setting up a new connection between an AIM account and a service involves clicking an "add" link on the service and stepping through whatever authorization mechanisms it provides. Connecting an AIM account to Facebook, for instance, involves approving several kinds of interaction between the two services, including what kinds of updates can be shared across services.

Once a service is connected to AIM, updates from it appear in a "Lifestream" tab on the AIM client (see the screenshot). The new beta also offers the ability to post comments or responses to updates from linked services. Finally, users can choose to filter the updates shown in the AIM client, limiting them by service or update type.

Reports around the Web indicate that the new update capabilities aren't yet perfected. While it's possible to reliably pull in status upd ates from outside services via the AIM client, sending updates to those services appears to work only some of the time.

By InstantMessagingPlanet.com Staff