VoIP Death by Taxation

So what's up with telecommunications-related taxes in the USA?

I browsed a bill for DIDs for a 24 hour period with subtotal $204.87 and the additional tax looks like this:

Taxes and Surcharges
====================

01/31 COUNTY SALES TAX 6.32
01/31 FEDERAL EXCISE TAX 1.41
01/31 FEDERAL TRS FUND 0.79
01/31 FEDERAL TRS FUND 0.53
01/31 FEDERAL UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND 9.75
01/31 FEDERAL UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND 4.93
01/31 FUSF RECOVERY 0.00
01/31 LOCAL GROSS RECEIPTS TAX 0.93
01/31 LOCAL GROSS RECEIPTS TAX 2.98
01/31 METRO COMMUTER TRANS. DISTRICT 0.59
01/31 NEW YORK CO. 911 SURCHARGE 0.00
01/31 NY MTA SURCHG ON EXCISE TAX 0.94
01/31 NY MTA SURCHG ON FRANCHISE TAX 0.16
01/31 NY PUC FEE 0.40
01/31 NY STATE EXCISE TAX 3.95
01/31 NY STATE FRANCHISE TAX 0.48
01/31 NY TARGETED ACCESSIBILITY FUND 1.31
01/31 STATE SALES TAX 6.32

TOTAL TAXES AND SURCHARGES $41.79

25% more just in taxes...

... browse some of our team's other blogs at http://blogs.didx.net and http://blog.tmcnet.com/monetizing-ip-communications/. You're welcome to comment, contribute, and collaborate any time.

ThinkMobile, Isn't Everyone?

Looks good... check it out!

ThinkMobile: Mobile Content & Marketing Strategies
March 18-29, 2009, New York City
Produced by Mediabistro

ThinkMobile will unite content business opportunities with successful marketing strategies surrounding the ultimate cross-media vehicle: the mobile device. This event will engage attendees with best-in-class monetization models and case studies. Leading analysts, keynotes and speakers will converge here, sharing strategies and tips on what's next in mobile and how you should spend your money – and how much. Keynotes include Nancy Hill, President/CEO of the 4 A's, Ralph Simon, Founder, MEF Americas, and Marko Ahtisaari, CEO & Co-founder, Dopplr. Other speakers represent Nokia, Microsoft, Opera, Associated Press, Yahoo!, Nielsen, and more.

Add yourself to the event area on Linkedin and Facebook.

For details and to register, please visit: http://www.thinkmobile.com/?utm_source=DIDX&utm_medium=mediachannel&utm_campaign=thinkmobile

ServerPlus Gets Rid of the ISP Pain in the Neck

Thank you, ServerPlus, from us at DIDX, for the great neck massage at ISPCON 2008. Check them out at http://www.serverplus.com!




... browse some of our team's other blogs at http://blogs.didx.net and http://blog.tmcnet.com/monetizing-ip-communications/. You're welcome to comment, contribute, and collaborate any time.

The King of Spain and I Trade Places

Isn't it beautifully ironic that when I visit Barcelona, Spain for GSMA Mobile World Congress, the King of Spain visits my hometown and the Super Technologies, Inc. and DIDX headquarters (Pensacola, Florida)?

http://visitpensacola.blogspot.com/2009/01/king-and-queen-of-spain-to-visit.html

Check a couple posts down for meetups in Barcelona. I can't wait to meet you here at GSMA! We'll be updating where we are and where we are going so we can meet as many of you as possible via http://twitter.com/suzannebowen and http://www.facebook.com/p/Suzanne_Bowen/586485349.

Worst Way to Motivate Employees

Don't try to make your team feel sorry about the bottom line of the company. The best will LEAVE.

Our company has been really lucky since 1999 to have hard-working and extremely self-motivated/intrinsically motivated team and leadership. Our bottom line and number and quality of clients and partners and suppliers have improved each year also.

We would never try to motivate our team in the following manner: I read an email where I was cc'd by a CEO of another company to her employee. She used a threat of the fact that their company was low on money and wouldn't be able to pay bills to push her over-achieving employee to get moving even more.

Hmm... that would not motivate me at all. I think I might be looking for another job. Don't say things like that to your team, especially if that person is one of your top and over achievers.

Guys, Get the Ladies in Your Life a Gift at GSMA in Barcelona

Recipe:
1. Get a DIDXchange mobile phone jacket like this ...

2. From me and Paul Deane (my colleague) at GSMA World Mobile Congress, Feb 16-19, 2009 in Barcelona, Spain. If you can't find us, call my Barcelona, Spain phone number I will use while at GSMA (from a www.DIDX.net service provider) at +34 931845154. No charge.

3. Give them to the special ladies in your life. I gave them out at ITGulfcoast meeting and to some of my fellow ECRT running team members. They love them. They even fit my Nokia E61i.

(Hey, Debbie, my favorite friend at Paetec. I'm saving one for you!)


... browse some of our team's other blogs at http://blogs.didx.net and http://blog.tmcnet.com/monetizing-ip-communications/. You're welcome to comment, contribute, and collaborate any time.

Parties are Where We Really Network at GSMA

Check here for http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifr the parties right for you during GSMA World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, Spain Feb 16-19, 2009... http://www.mobileslate.com/blog/2009-mobile-world-congress-party-list/


... browse some of our team's other blogs at http://blogs.didx.net and http://blog.tmcnet.com/monetizing-ip-communications/. You're welcome to comment, contribute, and collaborate any time.

Need to be Local at GSMA World Mobile Congress?

GSMA World Mobile Congress in Barcelona, Spain... Feb 16-19, 2009 is looking really good for business development in telephony related areas. We (I Suzanne Bowen) would like to meet you, so call me during the event at my local Barcelona DID phone number +34931845154 or add me on Twitter as suzannebowen and let me know there you'll be at GMSA.

Anyone can be local during GSMA with a Barcelona phone number.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Example:
You can use Fring, Nimbuzz, Truphone, Rebtel* or many others as your SIP agent. If the SIP agent you download does not offer Barcelona DIDs, you may be able to get one from www.virtualphoneline.com (retail, smb, consumer) or www.didx.net (wholesale where there is a minimum of 50 DID to avoid a monthly $50 fee). There are also several 100 more companies out there that offer local international phone numbers!

* I was just talking with Fredrik of Rebtel and have more news for you: "they have local numbers in Barcelona. Sign up and add a secondary phone number to your account. You can register up to 5 numbers to call FROM."

... browse some of our team's other blogs at http://blogs.didx.net and http://blog.tmcnet.com/monetizing-ip-communications/. You're welcome to comment, contribute, and collaborate any time.

VoIP Companies Know How to Score Strikes

Video a bit psychodelic at first but just wanted to share the DIDX Bowling Party with you during ITEXPO East 2009...



DIDX held its IEXPO East 2009 party at Lucky Strike ... see Globalpops (now voip innovations), Mark Hewitt, Mohamed El-Mohri, Comptel team, Rich Tehrani from TMC, the Kimanis, Mauricio Puche, and more. We'll back next year.

We'll be in Barcelona next week at the GSMA World Mobile Congress.


... browse some of our team's other blogs at http://blogs.didx.net and http://blog.tmcnet.com/monetizing-ip-communications/. You're welcome to comment, contribute, and collaborate any time.

Friend Needs Help with Trixbox

I'm copying exactly the problems that my friend Simon describes... anyone care to give him advice?

I have installed a fresh copy of trixbox 2.6.1 CE and then access through GUI and getting below error:

Unable to connect to remote asterisk (does /var/run/asterisk/asterisk.ctl exist?

However I have installed asterisk:
yum -y install asterisk -devel

Upgrade Kernel
yum -y install kernel-dev

then check with below command asterik -r
and its showing asterisk is running

But when I access through GUI I still getting same error
Unable to connect to remote asterisk (does /var/run/asterisk/asterisk.ctl exist?

I am stuck here from last 48hrs.

After all I knock you to get help.

... browse some of our team's other blogs at http://blogs.didx.net and http://blog.tmcnet.com/monetizing-ip-communications/. You're welcome to comment, contribute, and collaborate any time.

Does Someone Keep Stomping on Your Ant Pile?

Ever know you and your team at work are just on it, pumping out great services and solutions so well together almost as if it were all choreographed by angels?

Like...



And then...



Talk with your team about why? And do you want to prevent it? Does it get in the way of progress or make way for new ideas? Do you know that the crazy people who stomp on your ant pile are actually maybe helping you to not get too comfortable? But if it is done too often, doesn't it take minutes, maybe years off your life and lead to high blood pressure and headaches? Do we all take turns doing it to each other at work? (I'm laughing here, sorry.) Ok, Suzanne! Back to work!

... browse some of our team's other blogs at http://blogs.didx.net and http://blog.tmcnet.com/monetizing-ip-communications/. You're welcome to comment, contribute, and collaborate any time.

VoicePulse Makes you Famous at ITEXPO East 2009

... browse some of our team's other blogs at http://blogs.didx.net and http://blog.tmcnet.com/monetizing-ip-communications/. You're welcome to comment, contribute, and collaborate any time.