We, as consumers, all look at the idea of a national list of Do Not Call numbers as a great step forward in reducing the cold-call telemarketing that bothers our boudoirs. However, there's another group of people even happier about the new law that we are--the computer software and telephony manufacturers who are readying solutions to ensure compliance by telemarketers.

As is often the case, new regulations of this type are a breeding ground for new software and systems to provide compliance. Some of the solutions are add- ons to existing software or dialing solutions. Others sit in the phone lines and decode the DTMF tones to figure out what number is being dialed and immediately send a tone and recorded message up the line to indicate that the number is inappropriate.

Look to Wired for some more information on this.