Google Chrome OS & Hosted VoIP
Google ChromeOS is innovative, cool, and attracting tons of hype. But what we’re really interested in is its implications for hosted VoIP PBX.
Google ChromeOS is simply an Internet based operating system so it really doesn’t have many repercussions for hosted VoIP. The quality of a hosted VoIP phone service is much more dependent on the service provider, Internet connection, and VoIP phones being utilized. While this is true, Google ChromeOS and the Google Chrome browser could affect hosted VoIP PBX systems in specific ways.
Many hosted VoIP systems have integration with third party applications. To start, one area of concern is that Google ChromeOS may not work well with softphones. The main issue is that softphones are generally downloaded and run from your computer, so how will they work with an operating system that is entirely Internet based? Well, it seems that if ample storage is accessible and programs can be easily trigged and launched there should be no issue. But with Google ChromeOS being so new, it’s hard to know anything for sure.
According to a recent blog post by Tom Keating, a notable VoIP blogger, Flaphone, a flash-based VoIP application which runs in a browser should work with Google ChromeOS. Keating also mentions Flaphone’s call me button widgets work in ChromeOS. In addition, Keating says that as of now there is no native VoIP application on ChromeOS but that it does works with Skype. None of this being to surprising, really.
While Keating discusses these softphones in specifics, technically, any softphone should work on the Google ChromeOS. Just as long as you can download and run an application you should be able to use a softphone. The only difference with running software in Google ChromeOS opposed to running software on an operating system like Windows Vista, Windows XP, or a Mac operating system like the new X Snow Leopard, is that Google ChromeOS is Internet based, so all applications which are downloaded must be accessed and triggered through an Internet connection.
Another thing to consider is the ability to manage your hosted VoIP PBX through Google ChromeOS and the Chrome browser. This shouldn’t be an issue as long as the company supplying your hosted VoIP service has enabled it’s web-based system for the Chrome browser. If you feel like you are in the dark let me give you a quick explanation. Many hosted VoIP PBX providers have an Internet based control panel which allows you to manage your hosted VoIP PBX, we call ours WebLINK. If you are not using FreedomIQ there may be a chance that your Internet based control panel will not work with the Google browser. If you are using FreedomIQ, you’re in the clear.
Overall, Google ChromeOS and the Google Chrome browser should not have a large impact on your day to day hosted VoIP service. In fact, the presence of an Internet based operating system does seem to shine a bright new light on the world of technology, making it seem as though we are moving forward in an exciting new direction and anything is possible. Ultimately, I expect this to be a good thing for the hosted VoIP PBX industry. But watch those softphones and VoIP apps. If they don’t work properly and you’re using FreedomIQ service, call us, we’re here to help and we always pick up the line.
