I have the feeling that Dan might have thrown the BYOD plan out the window
the FAQs at the magicJack.com used to mention the availability of BYOD "soon". That info is now gone from the FAQs. I guess Dan is planning to make it rich by just selling the MJ devices and not selling phone number for $2 to be used with the to-be-offered "BYOD" plan as he once promised.
Anyone else heard anything different?
Anyway, please cast your vote to let Dan know what users really want!!!
Note:
BYOD = Bring Your Own Device
ATA = Analog Telephone Adapter, a device with RJ-11 jack (like MJ device) but with built-in VOIP/SIP logic so no PC/MAC is required to run VOIP/SIP application. An ATA connects directly to the router or switch/hub via a standard ethernet cable.
I am really not sure why this has come to pass but I am getting the same feeling about BYOD being a pipe dream. It was there and now no mention of it. Gives one a shaky feeling about what else is promised and may go away also.
I really do not understand why on earth using an ATA is against the TOS right now. I mean think of the complaints which would go away if folks could just use their own ATA. It would be fair, to issue a statement, that tech support is not available for BYOD and is discouraged. But, if it is true that people have had their accounts yanked for trying it then that sounds stupid.
At the very least they should allow some to sign up as beta testers or something and agree that no tech support would be available for doing so, in return for being allowed to use their own ATA's without fear of cancellation of their account. MJ could designate one server for the those who wish to try BYOD and let the users who wish to try BYOD fend for themselves there. If they have problems then they could just switch back to a regular server and use the TigerJet hardware.
This would be a win - win since the techies could legitimately use their own equipment as they would choose to do. They could also then be a rapid team to help with testing 729 and other type codecs etc. in a broader environment than MJ itself ever could internally. I can understand why they would not make BYOD and official offering currently since that would mean attempting to provide tech support for it as well. I think they already more than have their hands full in that arena.
Most techie folks don't care that they have to fork out $20 for the device that they wouldn't need; heck look at the money being spent on small form factor computers to host the MJ hardware that is taking place right now, just to avoid breaking the TOS. MJ could still make whatever profit margin is on the TigerJet Hardware sales.
If it is because there is some thought that selling ad space on the softphone is going to be profitable then I believe that is a serious mistake. It will always be easy to thwart that happening using very easy to perform techniques.
If it were me, I would want the technically savvy folks working with me to help improve service instead of devising ways to work against me.
If he offers the BYOD, I would rather pay more what he requires and pay for my own device. BYOD is more reliable, more efficient.
If the jack is $20 a year to renew and $40 to renew for BYOD, I would subscribe the jack and the BYOD yearly fee.
Mr. Boss: Please offer the BYOD, you don't need the tech support for BYOD, all tech supports are here.
You can say that ,"BYOD option is ideal for advanced user and for your own risk to use the service".
If we have the BOYD option, there won't be too much people suffering the problems & problems right now, and also it will reduce the company expense to hire techs to do tsht in the chat room instead of getting more engineers to get more futures to sale and generate company's revenue.
Please offer BYOD, please, please, please!
You get rich, we get reliability.
You are hero, help us to cut the phone bills and going green(ATA).
I like the BYOD idea, however with cheap laptops being very cheap, you can get an old Dell 4000 series and run the majic jack just on that alone, so curious how much would a BYOD cost. I realize there is a great benifit of not having to even install or mess with windows on the laptop if you have a BYOD device.
I would prefer linux support so that people can make their own BYOD devices, and just pay for the service.
I don't care so much about the device as I do the service.
So there is no voting option for unsure ? or need more info or convincing ?
Whats the real benefit of the BYOD before I vote I think I need a little more convincing.
Please advise.
LikeMagic wrote:I have the feeling that Dan might have thrown the BYOD plan out the window
the FAQs at the magicJack.com used to mention the availability of BYOD "soon". That info is now gone from the FAQs. I guess Dan is planning to make it rich by just selling the MJ devices and not selling phone number for $2 to be used with the to-be-offered "BYOD" plan as he once promised.
Anyone else heard anything different?
Anyway, please cast your vote to let Dan know what users really want!!!
Note:
BYOD = Bring Your Own Device
ATA = Analog Telephone Adapter, a device with RJ-11 jack (like MJ device) but with built-in VOIP/SIP logic so no PC/MAC is required to run VOIP/SIP application. An ATA connects directly to the router or switch/hub via a standard ethernet cable.
Very good point. I forgot to mention the cost of an ATA device. It costs anywhere from $20 to $80, with most would cost around $40. Not to mention it's very small, needs very little power to run compared to a laptop or thin client PC or full pledge PC.
Already have an ATA setup to receive calls through a Gizmo/Grandcentral setup. (ex SunRocket customer, liberated the ATA from their settings) Would love to set up the Magic Jack account on this device too, so I can turn the computer off, especially in the summer months when it really heats up the room. Also would like to run Linux rather than Windows, and MJ as of yet will not run on Linux. (Yes I've read about the VM stuff, but haven't had any luck there, unfortunately)
nostrodamus wrote:Already have an ATA setup to receive calls through a Gizmo/Grandcentral setup. (ex SunRocket customer, liberated the ATA from their settings) Would love to set up the Magic Jack account on this device too, so I can turn the computer off, especially in the summer months when it really heats up the room. Also would like to run Linux rather than Windows, and MJ as of yet will not run on Linux. (Yes I've read about the VM stuff, but haven't had any luck there, unfortunately)
Yep I like the BYOD idea, however it this thing could work on linux, then people would be figuring out how to make it work on a flash drive with a live OS and some sort of slimmed down mini computer with no hard drive etc. just flash OS and some cheap similar to an ATA I guess, but really doesn't have to be much of a computer just perhaps 256ram and maybe even 486 old technology processor, or something.
Anyhow it's fun talking about all this.
I'm enjoying my MJ alot, full time phone I have not other phone except my cell for a backup but I've not needed to use it as a backup so far.
Sometimes I'll get a choppy call on occasion but I'll just call the person back and i'ts perfect again. I do'nt know why this happens perhaps it's just waking up my laptop from hybernate mode or something. I'm not sure but I can deal with it.
I run my MJ on a thin client (see my sig) and its got no moving parts. If you are very lucky, you can get a thin client like mine for under $50. I two of them for roughly 45 each including shipping. Of course, that was before I paid for some extra parts to beef them up some, but they both functioned perfectly fine with MJ before the upgrade. As Tim Taylor would say, "More Power!"
Bring Your Own Device. Or a VOIP analog telephone adapter (ATA). Allows you to use the magicJack without keeping the PC/Laptop on all the time. Same device the run of the mill VOIP providers use.
LikeMagic wrote:Very good point. I forgot to mention the cost of an ATA device. It costs anywhere from $20 to $80, with most would cost around $40. Not to mention it's very small, needs very little power to run compared to a laptop or thin client PC or full pledge PC.
it takes many hours tinkering with your ata and many more on forums finding the problems you encounter.
cable modems do not have more than one network jack. by adding a router represents another pain in the neck, because the port may close and block incoming calls. that is more hours in forums finding tricks to setting up your router.
I bought also a sip phone that requires to use a specific feature that will allow you to use the key numbers in touch tone options when you want to press option menus on any call.that took more hours.
So as you can see you would appreciate the plug and play, worry free mj device, my parents would not deal with an ata. Only techies would do this.
Unless they sell mj sip hardware, like skype. Do not expect them to offer service only plans any time soon!
I feel that the single biggest mistake MJ made was trying to make 10 million computer variations function properly with a single USB device.
In case some still don't understand the full ramifications, the little MagicJack USB device causes your PC to run a program in the background which inturn causes your PC to act as a VoIP modum/router. This means that each phone call must be routed directly through your PC, for the full duration of the call.
An Internet phone call might be compared to an Internet picture. The more colors that are in the picture, the larger the file size, and the greater/faster the conversation, on an Internet phone call, the greater the load on your PC.
So, if your computer is limited, or you run several programs simultaneously (such as a work-station), then your PC's overall performance can become greatly reduced.
The reason Vonage and other VoIP companies are so successful is their platform uses a small router (Phone Adapter) connected between your modem and your phone. This allows the VoIP Co. to fully control the box's firmware 24/7/365 with a single program, and leaves the user's PC untouched and functioning at its fullest capacity.
System: XP Pro SP3, Celeron D 3.6GHz, 2GB DDR400
Router: Siemens 5890, SDSL 768Kb/768Kb, static
Phone: Panasonic KX-TG2000B
LikeMagic wrote:I have the feeling that Dan might have thrown the BYOD plan out the window
the FAQs at the magicJack.com used to mention the availability of BYOD "soon". That info is now gone from the FAQs. I guess Dan is planning to make it rich by just selling the MJ devices and not selling phone number for $2 to be used with the to-be-offered "BYOD" plan as he once promised.
My take on why there is no hint of BYOD any more is that they haven't yet figured out how to inject advertising into the voice path.
MJ's deal is so good because they sell advertising on the control panel to offset cost of call completion. Although the ToS says that they also inject advertising into the voice path, as of yet this is not happening (and, Customer Service yesterday confirmed that there is no plan any time soon to put advertising in the voice path).
So, without advertising to defray the cost of providing service, MJ would be left with the same business model as Vonage, and having to charge similar prices.
