Dispatch from GMN Labs:

GMN developing VOIP services for the webXaccelerator satellite router

Sometimes the future comes in tantalizing little tastes. I find this is particularly true when it comes to telecom product development. So it seemed fairly matter of course when my phone rang today. Turns out though that it was the first call using VOIP with the GMN webXaccelerator?satellite router. While VOIP is hardly a new technology anymore, being able to make VOIP calls using the narrow bandwidth required to make it commercially viable over an?Inmarsat Fleet Broadband system, or even VSAT system, took more than a little magic. There are several that do this, few that do it well.

Not only is the call quality excellent, but the webXaccelerator will likely represent a breakthrough on price as well - the amount of data that it looks like we'll be using is many multiples less than the existing solutions - that means a lot more conversation for your money when using Fleet Broadband, and likely means that customers can reduce their price plans when using VSAT.

The webXaccelerator is a complete satellite router, designed for VSAT and other satellite broadband installations, that lets IT managers easily configure and remotely manage the following applications:

• Create a satellite Internet caf?

• Set user-defined Access Codes to generate new revenue or control shared usage for clients, crew or passengers

• Solve installation challenges through load-balancing and on-the-fly failover with any satellite or wireless data feed

• Simplified least-cost routing

Best of all, it's reliable and affordable.

Adding VOIP services is something that has been in our product roadmap for sometime. VOIP over broadband is easy. VOIP over "satellite broadband" is another matter. We have a ways to go to commercialize the service - sorry, no pricing announced yet. But those who read about the webXaccelerator when it was?announced last October will be pleased to hear that more good work is on the way.

Sometime ago, some nice product marketing manager got a call from an engineer announcing the first successful text message. Now, billions of dollars are spent by consumers sending messages over basically free bandwidth to the carriers - text messaging was a game changer, and one that initially came with little fanfare in offices of a wireless telco. Somehow, more than a little of that feeling of the future came to me today with that modest call announcing the first VOIP call.

- John Dark