Whether the eGain solution actually does anything competing products don't is not clear. But even if it does eliminate the need for VoIP software, the customer will still have to have a microphone installed and properly set up to be able to use eGain Voice. Several vendors have hardware-software products aimed at ISPs. With most, the end customer can choose to accept an incoming call as a VoIP call without going offline. On the other hand, the BuzMe service, so far available only in the San Francisco Bay Area, includes voice mail.
Callers leave messages in the normal way.
Customers collect them at the BuzMe Web site. BuzMe, headed by a cadre of young Internet and computer telephony pioneers, was formed in May and announced round one venture capital financing in August. Excite subsequently announced it would use Vstream's service engines to offer portal customers Web conferencing and other innovative services, starting in the first quarter of 2000. The deal with Excite is non-exclusive, however. Vstream offers services directly from its own Web site, and also hopes to engage in other licensing and revenue-sharing arrangements with service providers.