Dell Strikes VoIP Relationship with netTALK

Dell is pushing into some interesting territory with a recent promotion of the “phone company in a box” solution by netTALK DUO. It’s available now on Dell.com, and carries with it some implications for VARs not just as resellers, but also as users themselves. Everyone’s phone bill could use a little trimming, so read on for the details …

First, what is netTALK? netTALK is a VoIP company that specializes in USB dongles that allow VoIP calls to be made from a computer. The netTALK DUO, however, doesn’t require a computer to make calls — the device comes outfitted with a phone jack and a Ethernet jack, so users plug one end into a phone and the other into a router, and they’re off to the races.

netTALK bills the device as a way to make free nationwide calls and super-cheap international calls, but the device actual retails for $69.95, which includes one month of service. It’s $30 a year after that and there are no other fees and no contracts to sign. Much like the introduction of the Square payment device to the Apple.com store, the introduction of the netTALK DUO is part of an ongoing trend in consumer IT products that can add lots of value for a relatively cheap price tag.

In November 2009 fellow blogger Matt Weinberger wrote about his experiences with netTALK and MagicJack. At the time, Weinberger (who favored MagicJack) — who tested the TK6000 device — noted the voice quality was sometimes lacking. Fast forward two years, and one can only hope the netTALK DUO technology is improved.

netTalk, which is available at Dell.com, is Dell’s first foray into non-mobile telecommunications, and both companies are looking for a symbiotic relationship that will propel both companies. There are whispers of ongoing innovations from both companies in the upcoming month — which hopefully will include deeper technologies for Dell’s partner base.

We’ll keep our eyes scanning the Internet horizon for what’s next.

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