Earn money with Ubuntu: An Idea

[Opencast]

I have an idea how Canonical can earn some money with Ubuntu to finance the future development of Ubuntu and free software.

If Canonical/Ubuntu starts their own SIP based VOIP company to offer an cheap reliable worldwide phone service and than includes an OpenSource SIP compatible client preinstalled on every Ubuntu CD.
So people can start using VOIP services with Ubuntu out of the Box.

Then Canonical will earn some money if users make international phone calls, such an feature might also be interesting for Internetcafes using Ubuntu to offer cheap Phone services to their customers.
Companies allready using Ubuntu might use this VOIP system to reduce their costs, so there might be enough customers to make some profit.

But also the community would benefit because calls from PC to PC are free.
So you can post your Ubuntu VOIP numbers in the Forums to offer phone support or make conference calls to discuss things with your friends.

Canonical can also offer commercial support over their own VOIP network wich might be cheaper and easier for the customers than using the good old telephone.

Last but not least this might be a solution to overthrow propietary Software wich uses non-free protocols such as Skype since Ubuntu has definitely the userbase to gain a greater merketshare than other companies wich are new in the VOIP business.


There are allready some nice free SIP VOIP/Video availible as example http://www.openwengo.org wich could be modified and used to start such an additional service.

I Think most fans of free Software would start using the Ubuntu Voip instead of Skype to support the further development of free and Open Source software and to be part of the community.


Sorry for my bad english :)

[eragon100]

I would only use it of it would have each and every feature skype has (including video calls) and is compatible with skype so I can also use it to call my friends and corporations who use that system.

[trash]

I am so ready for a good alternative to my landline! Cell phones are not reliable enough where i live and the Satellite internet system that i got last year, out of desperation, needs to be put to good use!

Bell Canada has done nothing to improve service in anyway out here so i would happily put that money somewhere else.

[Ub1476]

I'm quite sure Ekiga 3 has every single feature Skype has, and maybe a bit more (I hope). No clue when it will be released though, but I'm sure it will be finished long before Ubuntu 9.04. They gotta partner up with Skype if they want these two protocols to work with each other, as Skype is closed source and the guys behind it has no intentions on release some information about it. However, if they did that, it probably be would some code which isn't open, and limited to Ubuntu only. Wouldn't be very popular. :(

[Opencast]

In the moment Ekiga is not running under Windows, Openwengo does and also supports Webcams for video.

But most important it is that wengo supports SIP, so if Canonical and Openwengo work together to preinstall this programm on any Ubuntu CD.
So Canonical might get an share of the revenues from wengo while more people start using free voip Software.

Since Wengo runs on Mac and Windows it would be much easier to stay in contact with users of other operating systems.


As example, Firefox was only sucsessful after they turned Commercial and include Google Search to earn money.
So why should Ubuntu not include some additional features like its own VOIP software to finance the further development ?