Free, Cheap, Convenient IM/Voice: VOIP, SIP, Skype, software or web-based

I was fascinated with communication ever since I was a child. Some of you might be old enough to remember playing the tin cans connected by strings game 🙂

I have been reading a lot of information about the many technologies that emerges within the last 5 years. I used to use Dialpad back in the dotcom era. I have been using Skype for a while now and am satisfied with its quality and price, especially “unlimited” calling within the US and Canada. I am playing with Gizmo5 now, as it promises to combine Yahoo Messenger, SIP, Gtalk, AIM, and other services in the convenience of one program. I use GrandCentral to direct calls to both my landlines/cellphone and Gizmo 5 client, also known as the Gizmo Project (answer online so I can save my minutes:).

I will post another time about the results of my research into using Asterisk (and variations like trixbox, which have sugercrm integrated) for a flexible and powerful PBX box. There are others in the market as well (like SIPfoundry; ), but Asterisk seem to be the most popular and widely used. You can read more about open source PBX at this website.

For now, I am also testing out TringMe. This service allows visitors to a website to call me or leave a message by simply clicking on a button and talk. No need to install any software or dial any number.
Try it below: