VoIP, mobile gaming and more: Checking in with the Fierce 15 class of 2005

In the third of our six-part series looking back on the Fierce 15 winners of the past, we look at the class of 2005. These 15 startups, stretching across a range of market segments and business models, represented what we thought was the best the wireless industry had to offer in 2005.

In looking at the selections of 2005, a few key technology trends emerge. First, 2005 marked a major step in the wireless industry's gradual embrace of Voice over IP technology. The technology stood as a major departure from wireless carriers' standard circuit-switched voice business by transmitting conversations in bits and bytes. The Fierce 15 class of 2005 included a number of VoIP players, each attacking the opportunity from a slightly different angle. Some of these players remain active in the VoIP space, and continue to push the boundaries of the wireless industry, while others have faded from the limelight.

Another key trend from 2005 worth noting was the rise of mobile content and, specifically, mobile gaming. Although the mobile gaming market continues to generate significant interest today--driven largely through possibilities presented by the iPhone and other high-end gadgets--many of the players from just a few years ago were unable to stick around to see the market evolve.

So join us for a stroll back four years into history--the year the last new Star Wars film hit movie screens and Mariah Carey and 50 Cent topped the charts--and take a look back at the Fierce 15 class of 2005.

Click here to see what happened to the Fierce 15 of 2005.

--Mike