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To: ahhaha who wrote (4132)	1/11/1999 10:17:00 AM
From: Boplicity	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 29970

I know Video Phones are pie in the sky as of now, but do you not think T is after that after all these years, and of course will charge more for it? Greg

To: ahhaha who wrote (4132)	1/11/1999 4:56:00 PM
From: Jay Lowe	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 29970

>> Why should VoIP bring in extra revenues? Having thought about it overnight, I see that you are probably right. Suppose we move forward to the future where voice has become an integrated element of hypermedia. Anything we can do with other digital media we can do with voice. At this point, the software required ships with the desktop (same energies as email) ... and there are small markets for alternatives and add-ons ... revenues there go to the software side. Some possibility of increased revenues for the VoIP service offering ... carriers may be able to charge 2X for the service over POTS ... but only in a transition ... unified messaging probably ends up costing the about the same as POTS service does now. Any transitional increase in margin is offset by costs ... and the system settles down with a higher level of value for about the same cost. Is there some area of VoIP-related service that could command an on-going premium (as cable has done over broadcast)? ... I'm not sure I see what that would be for the carriers. Lots of money will shift around in the transition (among the software fellows) but in steady state the carriers position remains unchanged. Bottom line is that unified messaging is a desktop function and will not cost anything measurable. Any increase in revenues from unified messaging must be offset against erosion of POTS-related revenues. Lots of room for funky fun in the transition, though!