The Philips VP-5500 VoIP phone has a built-in VGA camera, .is WiFi enabled, has a built-in speakerphone and runs Linux.

From the news release:

Philips today announced that it will help add an exciting and fun new dimension to staying in touch with family and friends by launching a breakthrough cordless home videophone designed for making live video calls via broadband Internet.

Philips will first launch the VP5500 cordless videophone in the Netherlands as part of Dutch telecommunications operator KPN’s consumer VoIP (Voice-over-IP) product InternetPlusBellen being introduced this year.

IP-based telephony is growing in popularity amongst householders making use of their broadband (ADSL) connections for a whole new range of communication options and services. The InternetPlusBellen package offers customers unlimited phone calls to all fixed telephone numbers in the Netherlands as well as unlimited ADSL Internet access for a set monthly price.

Commenting on the introduction of the Philips cordless videophone, Rudy Provoost, Senior Vice President, Royal Philips Electronics and CEO, Philips Consumer Electronics, said: “Broadband Internet and wireless technology are the driving forces behind our Connected Planet vision and strategy. I am thrilled to be working with KPN to introduce a new era in personal communications, offering a product built around core Philips digital technologies.”

Michiel Buitelaar, Director Consumermarket of KPN, said: “The KPN InternetPlusBellen Service will provide interoperability with other videophones, with the InternetPlusBellen online web videophone and with UMTS videophones thus enabling a vast network of consumers to call each other in high quality video”.

Full flexibility of cordless freedom

As simple, as intuitive and as easy to handle as a similarly-sized conventional cordless phone, the VP5500 enables the easy choice between making a conventional voice call or a live video call. If the user prefers not to appear on camera, the Privacy Cam Key ensures privacy, with users able to easily select between voice or video calling.

Thanks to its use of WiFi wireless connectivity, the VP5500 offers the full flexibility of cordless freedom. Its videophone functionality is as versatile as it is easy to use, with the phone containing an integrated VGA video camera capable of rotating through 240-degrees so that users can see what they are filming.

The camera can also zoom in and capture still images that are stored, along with telephone numbers in the videophone’s, internal memory. Video calls are displayed on a large high-resolution color LCD display - which also enables the caller to see what he or she is capturing on camera. To share the video conversation with a wider audience, the phone can also easily be linked up to a TV.

For total convenience, the Philips VP5500 cordless videophone has a built-in hands-free speaker system, combining with the excellent picture quality to deliver crystal clear video and sound. To enable private hands-free calls, a headset can also be attached.

Step forward in personal communications

Built around established standards-based technologies like Wi-Fi® and Linux®, the VP5500 contains a network-upgradeable platform. This will enable Philips to enhance the product further in the future with value-added services offered by operators.

The introduction of the Philips cordless videophone with KPN’s InternetPlusBellen IP-based phone service represents a major step forward in personal communications technology. For many years, home video telephony was thought of as science-fiction fantasy, but the advent of IP-based telecommunications has changed that. Coupled with the availability of digital imaging and wireless connectivity technology, IP telephony has enabled Philips to bring the videophone to life with the fully cordless VP5500, offering maximum freedom.

The VP5500 also represents an important development of Philips’ ‘Connected Planet’ vision, adding telecommunications to entertainment and information amongst the scope of services and content providing greater freedom to consumers to benefit from wireless and Internet-enabled technology wherever they are at home.

The VP5500 cordless videophone will be distributed via KPN’s retail outlets in the Netherlands. Pricing and availability in the Dutch market will be confirmed nearer to commercial introduction. Philips will introduce the product in other European markets to coincide with the launch of appropriate services provided by third party operators in 2006.