BuddyTalk is a SIP-based voice Internet communicator
developed by InnoMedia, creators of InfoGate VoIP
hardware products, and InnoSphere, InnoMedia's global
Internet telephony service network. Using InnoSphere to
link its users, BuddyTalk provides services targeting "online
PC users." InnoMedia's VP of Marketing, Robert Selzler,
whittles down its target market by saying, "We envision
it [BuddyTalk] as the perfect communication tool for
teens and young adults, as well as helping friends and
families to stay connected." Additional product-related
materials TMC Labs received seemed to indicate that
InnoMedia is also positioning BuddyTalk as a SOHO and
distance-learning tool.
BuddyTalk is freeware available at www.buddytalk.com
that combines PC-to-phone and PC-to-PC calling with
instant messaging and multi-party voice conferencing
services. Billed as a "4-in-1" communication tool,
BuddyTalk was designed to alleviate the task of managing
multiple communication programs. Any Internet surfer
with a PC meeting the minimum system requirements (see
Installation) can download a copy of BuddyTalk and use
all of its features free of charge for a limited time.
Twenty minutes of PC-to-Phone calling and ten hours (or
45 days, whichever comes first) of multi-party
conferencing are bundled with the 2 MB download. At the
time of this product review PC-to-PC calling and the
instant messaging feature did not have a cost appended
to them after the trial period expired. Additionally,
BuddyTalk is also available for PC manufacturers, PC
peripheral manufacturers, service providers and other
OEM partners interested in offering this solution to
their customers.
INSTALLATION
At the time of testing we downloaded version 1.0.34 of
the 2MB application from InnoMedia's Web site to three
of our in-house test machines. All of the test machines
met or exceeded the minimum system requirements deemed
necessary by the online documentation. BuddyTalk
operates in a Windows-only environment according to its
reviewer's guide, running on Windows 98, Windows ME, or
Windows 2000 operating systems. The guide also advises
that a machine suited for running BuddyTalk should
possess 7MB free hard disk space. Other necessary
hardware includes a CD-ROM drive (if loading the
freeware from an installation CD), a 28.8kbps Internet
connection, and a full-duplex sound card. To use the
multi-party conferencing feature, the host machine must
have I.E. 4.0 (or above) installed. Finally, each end
user must have a means to both hear and transmit voice
through the sound card via a microphone and speakers, or
a headset.
If all the system requirements are met, there aren't
too many steps left. Log onto the BuddyTalk home page
and download the .exe file. If you've got the
installation CD, open your CD drive, and follow the
installation wizard.
The installation of the BuddyTalk client is really
very standard fare that requires little more
description. Once the software's installed users are
required to fill out the device configuration form. When
inputting your information into the fields, be
particularly careful to use a real e-mail address. An
account number and password will be sent to that very
address, both of which are essential to begin utilizing
the service.
DOCUMENTATION
InnoMedia's BuddyTalk documentation is above average.
TMC Labs received a hard copy of the Quick Install
Guide, which is all anyone should need to get up and
running. You're bound to have more trouble filling out
the device and user information forms than installing
and operating the software. That is, with one exception.
If you're behind a firewall and especially if your
firewall employs Network Address Translation (NAT), you'll
have to contact your IT Administrator to open several
ports (8481 and 8995). In addition to that, IT has to
map your computer's address to receive requests from
those (now open) ports. The bottom line is this, if you're
planning on using BuddyTalk to banter back and forth
with your golfing buddies at work, without telling the
IT Dept.--forget it. Download AIM or something. The
documentation does a superb job of outlining and
explaining these issues and providing a workaround for
some hardware.
Besides having all the documentation on their Web
site, InnoMedia has gone the extra mile with BuddyTalk,
which we thought might come in handy for novice computer
operators. BuddyTalk FAQs will put a stop to lots of
common questions in very short order. In addition to
explaining the services of BuddyTalk, the Web site also
provides detail about calling rates, and useful tips and
tricks, a user's guide, as well as other helpful
information. Most impressive -- and one of the reasons
why we commend InnoMedia for their documentation -- is
the knowledge portal. This gives users the option to
query InnoMedia databases for resolutions of past user
issues, which may provide users with the answers to
seemingly indefinable problems.
FEATURES
The presence detection and conferencing GUIs are
launched from the BuddyTalk Dialer interface, which
additionally provides a text-chat record feature. Other
features include the G.723 codec, integrated multi-party
conferencing of up to 10 participants, PC-to-PC calling
(free calling globally), PC-to-phone calling, and text
(instant) messaging. BuddyTalk Servers provide
server-based mixing and full-duplex conferencing
capabilities. Web-based account management and call
detail records (CDRs) are accessible at www.buddytalk.com
with your BuddyTalk username and password. The service
also provides free global PC-to-PC calling between
BuddyTalk users in addition to the Global Search
feature, which allows BuddyTalk members locate other
members.
Dialer GUI includes:
- Systems Menu;
- Call/Hang Up Indicator;
- Call History;
- Memory menu;
- Call status screen;
- Call timer; and
- Address Book.
OPERATIONAL TESTING
Our newly acquired accounts came packaged with some free
calling. Of course PC-to-PC calling is usually free with
most Internet communication tools, but InnoMedia also
bundled 20 free PC-to-Phone minutes and 10 multi-party
conference calls. The product itself being marketed to a
primarily to the consumer-based customer, was not
designed for use behind a firewall. The firewall we use
here in the Lab is equipped with Network Address
Translation, since we've got about 80 PCs or so in our
office. Required to open certain ports and map directly
to an IP address for use behind a firewall, we weren't
able to utilize BuddyTalk with a broadband connection
because our firewall doesn't support this feature. That
said, we dug up and installed a few dial-up modems to
connect to the "Internet cloud." Less any cable or DSL
service, we were unable to test BuddyTalk through the
use of broadband access. It should also be mentioned all
of our test PCs and laptops met or exceeded BuddyTalk
system requirements. That said, we set out to test this "4-in-1"
communication tool.
Text Chat
Though not so long ago text chat or "instant messaging"
was nothing more than a hobbyist's gizmo, it has since
become preponderant, adopted by most "mainstream"
Internet users. From this writer's point of view it has
become a social staple for Internet users of all levels.
BuddyTalk too has joined the ranks by providing its own
form of presence detection and instant messaging, both
of which are built into their client software. The GUI
is able to give indication whether or not a user's "buddies"
are on or offline via a special icon. Double clicking on
a user's name launches a text-chat box, which in
addition to providing two-way text dialogue is also
capable of creating a transcript of the conversation
using the record feature. A time-and-date-stamp appears
at the beginning of each new dialogue, which can be
helpful for transcription purposes. "Chats" can also
take place while a multi-party conference call is in
session.
Multi-Party Conferencing
BuddyTalk's flagship feature, Multi-Party Conferencing
is a VoIP conferencing feature in the consumer space.
This, we feel, is a rather unique and innovative
offering. Multi-Party Conferencing allows users to
initiate a conference call by compiling a list of up to
ten invitees in the "My Buddy Room" from their online
buddies. The invitees must be online, and logged onto
the BuddyTalk servers to participate in a conference
call. The person who initiates the conference must
invite all of the participants in addition to starting
the conference. Other participants may be added while a
conference is in session, but only by the host. In the
same spirit, the host can also mute participants and "Expel"
them from a conference at any time. It is logical that
only the host then, incurs the three-dollar-per-hour fee
for this service.
We tested the conferencing feature with fairly
amiable results. Though the three parties involved didn't
have identical equipment, quality seemed to vary (which
is to be expected). One call in particular the latency
seemed to be considerable. Nevertheless in all instances
this feature did work. We didn't experience any
irregularities such as dropped calls or high levels of
noise, which can make communication laborious.
PC-to-Anything
Both the PC-to-Phone and PC-to-PC seemed to provide
decent call quality. Calls connected quickly while using
the free 20 minutes of PC-to-Phone time and
transmissions were clear. Similar to multi-party
conferencing, we never experienced any dropped calls or
a great degree of noise or static. Additionally, latency
was minimal -- InnoSphere proved to be impressive.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
Though BuddyTalk is a consumer product, it is not
compatible with networks that use proxy servers for
Internet connectivity. Additionally, it's not compatible
with all firewalls. Since our firewall administration
software doesn't allow mapping IP address directly to
specific ports, we had to use computers with modems to
access the Internet. You may also encounter conflicts if
your firewall does support "port mapping" and you've got
more than one BuddyTalk user. Their documentation says
this, "If you are using it behind a NAT firewall with
multiple PCs behind it, note that only ONE BuddyTalk
user may be in a phone call at any given time for
PC-to-PC calls and Multi-Party Conference calls."
You might say, so what? How many consumers install
firewall hardware in their homes? More than you might
think, but that's not the point. Potentially, there may
be a significant drawback in not being able to
communicate through all firewalls. AIM and the current
version of MSN Messenger began as completely consumer
targeted products as well. Many companies have since
adopted them for communications within the office and
between offices as well. BuddyTalk utilizes InnoSphere --
its own private VoIP gateway network -- and not just the
raw unruly routers of the Internet as other
communications tools do. A private network means better
quality voice and more robust VoIP tools than other
freeware, such as conferencing and PC-to-Phone calling.
In short, BuddyTalk is a product that offers more
functionality and seemingly better quality than other
like products. This could be a very costly missed
opportunity, as it could possibly taint InnoMedia's
appeal for potential partnerships. Not to mention it
prevents end-users from becoming more reliant on its
services, if say for example, they could use the
BuddyTalk client at work as well as home.
Additionally, on the FAQ section of their Web site,
InnoMedia says this, "Unfortunately, BuddyTalk will not
be supported when using AOL as the ISP. In our testing
of AOL with BuddyTalk, we were not able to get a
reasonable voice quality when making PC-to-Phone calls.
In addition, we also experienced difficulty in the
registration process." According to a recent article,
AOL was thought to have approximately 23 million members
in the United States alone. That's an extremely large
potential customer base that simply cannot use BuddyTalk
or its services without switching ISPs. For BuddyTalk to
compete with other presence-based services InnoMedia may
eventually have to come up with a workaround for this
issue.
CONCLUSION
BuddyTalk is a "4-in-1," voice-enabled Internet
communicator. It integrates PC-to-Phone, PC-to-PC,
multi-party conferencing and instant messaging in
features into one device, all of which are utilizing
InnoMedia's InnoSphere network. Multi-party conferencing
is an innovative feature and utilization of a private
network such as InnoSphere should resultantly provide
better voice quality. Its dashboard, designed to mirror
a combination of PSTN and cell phone-like controls
renders the device easy to use, creating an intuitive
GUI with a universal appeal. The documentation
additionally, is very good.
InnoMedia has been in business since 1995, which is
longer than many other companies in their space.
BuddyTalk's product maturity at this stage of
development advertises a business with tenure. In
speaking with several representatives from InnoMedia,
TMC Labs learned that the release of BuddyTalk 2.0
should focus on the interoperation with AOL and
alleviation of tricky port mapping behind firewalls.
Further, we're told that multiple PCs will also be able
to communicate through a firewall simultaneously using
release 2.0. Nevertheless, the product at the time of
this review -- version 1.0.34 -- has a strong feature
set aimed directly at keep people connected through the
use of a variety of different methods. Its use of SIP,
quality of design, and healthy feature set along with
its well-put-together interface and complete
documentation have earned it an Editors' Choice award.
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