Is This the Top?

GetVoIP.com has a list of Top 20 most influential people in VoIP. Two people from each of these companies were chosen: Cisco, Polycom, 8x8, Shoretel and Nextiva. The only Cloud Comm Alliance exec was Dave Gilbert.

Is it a coincidence that the list is aligned with affiliate links on the site? Um, no. More and more, awards are pay to play.

Frost & Sullivan was on the list. And analyst firm??? Frost & Sullivan Recognizes Windstream for its Dominance in the North American VoIP Access and SIP Trunking Services Market. Windstream?!

My understanding of top SIP Trunking is Verizon, XO and Broadvox. I guess it depends on how you define SIP trunk. If you mean an instance of SIP, then I guess Windstream could be up there. I was under the impression that cablecos sell more SIP than CLEC's, which would put Comcast, TWC and Cox among the top performers - since ALL of their voice service is VoIP!

I'm not sure our industry has anyone really out there educating the marketplace about VoIP. Ingate spends a lot of time on educating telecom about SIP trunking and security. Cbeyond's CTO Chris Gatch has been at the forefront, but again educating the industry, not the public. We don't really have a public facing personality.

Some bloggers do a good job of pushing VoIP - like Dave Michels, Jon Arnold, Rich Tehrani and Andy Abramson - explaining how the tech used to used by the people.

After listening to Siemens keynote at ITEXPO in Austin, I'd say that he gets it. The 8x8 CEO has certainly turned on the after burners. M5's Dan Hoffman mixing it up with ShoreTel was a WOW moment in 2012.

I also don't think that just pushing SIP trunks is that remarkable. It's voice replacement bullsh!t. Integrate the voice with an app or make my desk phone just like my smartphone -- those would be influential. Selling POTS replacement isn't. MagicJack did that - and better than most on that list. Doesn't make them influential either.

Who is going to step up in VoIP in 2013? We shall see.

ASIDE

The SIP Forum has a Fax over IP committee. Socket Telecom got a mention from the SIP Forum about their participation in 2012.