Now that I've gone through 2007's VoIP-related stories, at least through the eyes of my blogging, I have a few thoughts about the year.

It amazes me how my opinion of things can change so quickly. In the VoIP space, I was not hot on Jangl earlier in the year, but after some conversations with their executives, I can see that while they're taking their time rolling things out, it sounds like they have a clear vision. It's not fully articulated in shipping products yet, but I like the direction they privately shared with me.

The other surprise in this area: Skype. I really had a hate-hate relationship with the tool earlier in the year. Now it is what I am using almost exclusively. While it doesn't work on my mobile phone, it works damn near everywhere else. I am finding that call quality has improved and that nothing comes close. Heck, even their video support is improved!

I have to agree with my good friend Ken Camp about how VoIP is really plumbing. I think it's been plumbing for a while, but it's taken the industry a while to figure that out and start actually using it. This means VoIP won't be the story anymore, it will just be a silent, behind-the-scenes enabling technology.

So what's ahead for 2008? Hopefully less me-too products and a lot more me-different. Maybe I'm just being a bit cynical, but my guess is that we'll see a lot more of the same. What do you think?