Ojo videophone: can you see me now?
If you are one of the people who bought an Ojo videophone from Telecom New Zealand (announced down here back in November 2006) then start worrying.It seems Worldgate is in the path to bankruptcy:
Accordingly, on January 30, 2008, the Company shut down its operations as a first step to winding down its business, which will occur if the Company is not able to secure payment of the monies believed to be owed and/or new financing. The Company continues to explore potential financing opportunities and is also pursuing legal recourse against the customer. Thus, bankruptcy may be coming shortly, which would be another black eye for the VoIP industry...
And just minutes ago I read on Engadget that the service has gone dark.
Is anyone here in New Zealand still using the Ojo through Telecom New Zealand?
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Comment by KevDaly, on 7-Feb-2008 17:38
Not me.
Video phones are an interesting case, because at first glance they look like one of those things (like flying cars etc.) that we were promised for the 21st century that never materialised.
But the problem in this case is not technical or even necessarily one of cost, but the fact that most people don't feel comfortable seeing and being seen over the phone (it's bad enough that some people frantically comb their hair beore answering the phone).
So it never looked to me like a good idea.
Possibly it was an idea before its time - I suspect that if it video-phoing ever becomes mainstream, it'll happen gradually as an evolution of the use of camera phones.
Comment by cokemaster, on 7-Feb-2008 18:59
I noticed that the old Ojo stopped working. Very poor response from Worldgate based from various forum and blog postings on the issue.
I wonder if the service will ever come online.
Comment by n00dy, on 7-Feb-2008 20:36
There was a niche for the ojo, we had a few deaf / speech impaired and it allow them to phone others & have a conversation (sign language) just like you and me. Many of them have een using a computer and web cam but the feedback we recieved was they prefered the ojo to a web cam, shame those who really get a benefit from technology lose out
Comment by paradoxsm, on 7-Feb-2008 21:40
Hardly surprising, It seemed a complete waste of money and resources for such a simplex device. Then the monthly fee that ensured ensured a quick path to their end. The device would have been utterly fantastic in 1997 but was simply overshadowed by the fate of time.
I really cannot see why Telecom ever bothered with such a device, A cheap PC (like an EEEPC) is perfectly capable of such tasks and is cheaper, and is a full pc that can access much more of their chargeable services, and is etc etc,
The old saying, If you want to do something right, DO IT YOURSELF!
On the plus side, there are piles of nice hackable video terminals about to be dumped on the market very cheap!
N00dy, get the deaf guys onto EEEpc's I have set a couple up so far and they are utterly loving the webcamming and all the other stuff they bring for a paltry $600..
Comment by tel212isafknahole, on 8-Feb-2008 02:42
unbelievable product that is not only making life more interesting but it's helping people in need
Comment by Kefyn Judson, on 8-Feb-2008 13:40
I noticed the Telecom banner ads in the domestic airport in Wellington, still promote it.
Comment by n00dy, on 8-Feb-2008 16:29
paradoxsm can you please PM ASAP as our client is in real need of a sollution & the loss of the ojo service has caused a cascade of problems. thanks shane
shane@nottage.net.nz
Comment by Wong Su Chun, on 11-Feb-2008 19:57
Guess what? Videophones are already around but not in the same roles as normal phones because of issues mentioned in this and other places. Between the "fear of being seen" and the incremental value that is added by the video to the phone conversation, they are finding their niche in areas where information transmitted by video is just as valuable or even more so than the audio information.
Regards.
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Comment by sbiddle, on 7-Feb-2008 16:47
More to the point - did anybody in NZ actually buy an Ojo?
Great product just a flawed business model - it's hard to charge for something people can get for free elsewhere.