A software-based phone system launched Monday aims to give small businesses many features of advanced call-center software and soon will work with Salesforce.com and other CRM platforms, according to startup Ringio.

With a similar legal battle playing out in the U.K., a company owned by Skype's founders has filed suit against Skype in the U.S.

The steady rise in people using IP telephony to communicate -- for personal and business reasons -- has led to the development of a number of different VoIP "softphones" that can be used on a PC or notebook.