Google has struck back with claims that BT has infringed a method to allow PCs to use an internet-based telephone system based on a patent originally filed by Fujitsu.

BBC: BT Tower

The Internet will be the planetary telephone system.

WSJ: The Weekend Interview with Michio Kaku: Captain Michio and the World of Tomorrow

Aided by a couple of Internet telephone veterans, he put the telephone switch at the center of the operating system and made it possible to connect it to almost any Internet phone system (except Skype).

FORBES: Dial D for Disruption

Mrs Saidi says the country's shoddy telephone system makes logging on to the internet a headache.

BBC: Net profits for African journalists

The slower Bacs payment system - which underlies telephone and internet banking services - has also failed to show any trend of savers shifting their money.

BBC: 'No floods' of switching savers

"This is the system that is used to process telephone, internet and standing order payments, " she said.

BBC: Lloyds suffers Faster Payments System problems

Later this year, Lucent, an American telephone company, will launch a system where surfers can have a conversation with a call centre over the Internet.

ECONOMIST: Muzak versus the mouse