[November 12, 2004]

Zoom Begins Shipping the V3

BY JOHANNE TORRES

Zoom Technologies (news - alert) has announced it’s begun shipping the second major product in the company’s VoIP product line, the Zoom V3, an integrated gateway device. The V3 connects to the Ethernet port of a cable modem or ADSL modem, and includes a router, advanced firewall, 4-port switching hub, and TelePort VoIP port. The Zoom’s TelePort feature lets users make either conventional or VoIP telephone calls from the same phone.

This concept will surely make sense for customers worried about 9-1-1 emergency inefficacy in the VoIP-enabled communication environment. The V3 allows users to make or receive phone calls by using their broadband service, providing a “second phone line” not only for emergency dialing but also for calling toll-free numbers or to have a contingent phone available in the event of a power failure.

“While VoIP adoption continues to grow, many consumers will have a difficult time parting with their traditional telephone service due to its reliability and familiarity,” said Terry Manning, vice president of marketing and sales for Boston, MA-based Zoom. “The Zoom V3 addresses this issue head on by allowing consumers to choose the best of both communications technologies as they see fit.”

Other features of the Zoom V3 include:

• Integrated Firewall with Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) and Network Address Translation (NAT)
• Integration of the voice processing with the firewall in the router ensures reliability of VoIP calls and reduces service provider support requirements
• Uses Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), a popular protocol designed for VoIP calling and other communications over the Internet
• An intuitive browser-based graphical user interface
• Compatibility with any operating system that supports an Internet browser and Javascript, including Windows, Macintosh and Linux
• A 4-port Ethernet switching hub and a USB port, allowing up to five computers to plug directly into the V3
• Flash memory that allows easy firmware updates
• Multi-national, multi-lingual sales and support

“Zoom’s vision of VoIP is about freedom and flexibility for customers all over the world,” said Frank Manning, president and CEO of Zoom. “Zoom’s TelePort lets customers choose whether they want to use VoIP or conventional phone service on a per call basis; and Global Village lets customers choose the language, currency, and billing plan that are right for them. Zoom’s worldwide distribution channels help Zoom to extend VoIP to the many international customers who can benefit most from the cost savings of voice over the Internet.”

Zoom Technologies, Inc.
www.zoom.com