We're into the home stretch, both with the year 2007 and these year in review posts.

Skype FInally Updates Linux Client: Skype finally updated the released code to version 1.4 as well as a beta 2.0 client that supposedly supports video. Did not end up working for me, though.

The demise of Yak4Ever/AllFreeCalls in the US: Despite a post earlier in the quarter that suggested things were going well with Yak4Ever, the ugly truth was, the large telcoms weren't paying what they were supposed to. The service is still going strong in the UK and Ireland, but not in the US.

SightSpeed Goes Business: Considering that SightSpeed was primarily designed as a consumer play, it was great to see SightSpeed take it to the next level and offer a plan that makes sense to any size business, really. Of course, for this to fly in the larger enterprises, what we really need a behind-the-firewall solution, or at least an http proxy-friendly way of doing SightSpeed.

MAXroam Launches, Ending The Rip-Off: Any GSM SIM that can reduce international roaming costs by 80%, give local telephone numbers to people that call me on, and is dirt simple to use is a winner in my book. I can't wait for the roaming rates with the US and Canada to come down, making the service a possible replacement for getting a local US SIM with, say, T-Mobile or AT&T.

FCC Requires VoIP Providers To Support Local Number Portability: All I can say here is that it's about time. I'm not sure we've seen the effects of this order yet, but it's welcome none the less.