With broadband, VoIP, and Web 2.0 goodness, leveraging the Net to improve the antiquated world of telecommunications is an area ripe for new ideas and companies. Here is a look at some of the startups in the space and the problems they are trying to solve:
1
In a nutshell, GrandCentral provides you with a phone number that when called simultaneously rings all of the phones you list in your GrandCentral account. With phone numbers constantly changing, GrandCentral in turn gives you one phone number
***2
Jangl allows people to call you while keeping your phone number anonymous, making it ideal for a dating or classified ad scenario. It works by allowing you to enter an email address of the person you want to call, and then providing you with a random phone number at which to call them. If the user you are trying to call has a Jangl account, their phone will ring, and they can accept the call or send it to Jangl
***3
As we reported in May, Jaxtr is a quickly growing
***4
RingCentral is primarily focused on helping small businesses look big by providing them with a toll-free number and Virtual PBX. Through RingCentral
***5
JAJAH combines the anonymity that Jangl and Jaxtr provide with the added feature of determining how people can contact you at different times. For example, at night you may only want users to be able to email or text message you, while during the day you prefer phone calls. JAJAH will sooner offer a
***6
Nimbuzz is looking to eliminate the need to ever pay for SMS messaging again. The company
***7
TxtDrop provides a widget for text messaging users from the Web and your Mac OS X or Vista desktop. You simply enter your name, your friend
*** 
