BIOS: Technology Means Business

Nero, best known for its CD and DVD authoring tools, has introduced a brand-new Voice-over-IP (VoIP) software solution. SIPPS Connect is a consumer application for voice, video and messaging over the Internet.

By now, most people have at least heard of VoIP or Voice over Broadband (VoBB) technology, which lets users use a headset or telephone to send voice communications anywhere in the world for free via the Internet. However, not all VoIP clients are created equal. Nero's SIPPS Connect promises to be the most flexible and highest-quality SIP VoIP application for consumers available today.

'Voice over IP is growing rapidly, and changing the way people view personal communication,' says Udo Eberlein, President of Nero. 'We've proven SIPPS with major Internet telephony service providers and corporate clients, and now we're bringing it to market in a form that anybody can use and enjoy.'

SIPPS Connect covers the basics with 3-way group calling, caller ID, call waiting, and call forwarding to a land line or mobile phone. But Nero jazzes things up by letting you pick your favourite tunes to be your on-hold music. In addition, SIPPS Connect can record and play back an unlimited number of calls, and you can even connect to SIPPS from across the Internet to check your voice mail remotely. A Quick Dial pad should make calling one-click simple, and and SIPPS Connect will even synchronise with your contacts list in Microsoft's Outlook or Outlook Express.

Once bit by the instant messaging bug, many IM users find themselves juggling accounts between different messengers. SIPPS Connect not only provides an IM module able to work on a multitude of messaging networks but can also run conferences allowing users on multiple IM systems to converse freely in one shared chat space.

You can also use your Web camera to bring high-quality video into the conversation, with support for MPEG-4 and H.263 video streams (not the slower, grainier codecs used in most video conferencing products).

With SIPPS Connect, users get their own free phone number, and all calls to other SIPPS clients are always free, no matter what day or time. Nero has partnered with service provider - SIPTalk - to provide users with free PC to PC calls, and various calling plans giving users unlimited calling to anywhere in the US or Canada for only one low monthly charge. Features include call waiting, call forwarding, voicemail, caller ID and more.

Participating retailers now carry Nero SIPPS Connect for $29.99, featuring two SIPPS licenses and a high quality microphone headset. Single-license ESD pricing is $24.99 and can be downloaded directly from Nero at www.sippstar.com.

Nero has today announced SIPPS Free, the little brother of the SIPPS Voice over IP software. Equipped with many of SIPPS' telephony functions, this version is available free of charge and can be used for an unlimited period of time. The functions included are all a private VoIP telephone user needs to make calls to public and mobile telephone networks and to the Internet. The address book' memory can store up to five contacts, the most recent calls are automatically displayed, and three-way conference calls are possible.

In order to make calls to public and mobile telephone networks, users simply have to sign on with a gateway provider. They can chose any provider they like - even the least expensive one. Regardless of provider selected, SIPPS Free permits easy integration of the gateway services.