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Tag: mobile-voip

  • O2 Germany Clears the Way for VoIP on the Mobile Phone

    Telefónica O2 Germany opens mobile telecommunications network for Voice-over-IP services. From today, all O2 customers in Germany can use mobile internet telephony services like Skype or Fring with the current internet packs from O2. Using VoIP services will not be extra charged.

    By opening its HSPA network for VoIP use, O2 Germany becomes one of the first traditional telecom operators worldwide which allows its customers using voip-based services and the first that doesn’t charge any further fees for doing this.

    "We operate one of the most modern and most rapid mobile data networks in Europe and our customers are to experience it without limitations, no matter whether they surf, email, use instant messaging or make phone calls", says Lutz Schüler, Managing Director Marketing & Sales of Telefónica O2 Germany.

    Earlier this summer T-Mobile announced that it is to end its ban on mobile VoIP applications within its German network – but will charge customers upwards of € 9.95 per month for the service. Vodafone Germany is also to introduce VoIP tariffs later this year.

    O2 offers the customers two mobile internet flat rates: Internet Pack M that allows surfing the internet at a volume of up to 200 MB and up to HSDPA speed for € 10/month and Internet Pack L with the full speed to 5GB for € 25/month.

    "By opening our mobile high-speed network for VoIP services, we set new standards in the area of the mobile internet," added Schüler.

    In Germany, the mobile data network of O2 reaches almost 100 percent of the population. Large parts of Germany are supplied with HSDPA at speeds of up to 7.2 MBit/s and the rapid upload technology HSUPA.

  • D2 Technologies Showcases its mCUE Converged Communications Client with Embedded VoIP for Android


    D2 Technologies has demonstrated its mCUE converged communications client for Android-based devices at an event designed to promote the adoption of Google’s Android operating system beyond mobile phones.

    During this demonstration, the embedded IP communications software platform specialist showed OEMs and ODMs how embedded software products such as mCUE can enable VoIP, video chat and other IP communications capabilities in stationary Android-based embedded equipment and consumer electronics devices.

    The company showed how, with mCUE, these devices can offer premium multi-service unified communications capabilities and deliver simultaneous interoperability with any communication service provider, Instant Messaging (IM) community or social networking platform.

    The client enables all popular communication modes to be converged to a single communications user interface (UI), including circuit switched voice (PSTN or cellular), VoIP, Instant Messaging (IM), SMS and video chat.

    mCUE includes D2 Technologies’ carrier-class vPort MP VoIP platform that is completely integrated into the Android framework, Linux kernel and hardware platform BSP.

    The free event in Tokyo, Japan, was sponsored by the Open Embedded Software Foundation (OESF).

    Doug Makishima, vice president of marketing and sales at D2 Technologies, said the OESF’s goal of ‘Android Anywhere’ will facilitate the expansion of the Android platform beyond mobile phone applications to many different embedded applications and consumer electronics devices.

    He said as an embedded VoIP technology specialist, D2 is working closely with OESF members such as MIPS Technologies and RMI.

    The aim is to develop and promote the adoption of IP communications and VoIP technology extensions to the Android framework for digital consumer devices.

    "These include mobile internet devices (MIDs), DTVs, digital picture frames (DPFs), portable and home media players, and set-top boxes," he said.

    Developed by the Open Handset Alliance, the Android platform is a Linux-based software stack for mobile devices that includes an operating system, middleware and key applications.

    D2 Technologies was the first to demo a complete communications interface, mCUE, on the HTC G1, the first commercial smartphone to market running on the Android mobile operating system.

    Formed in March 2009, the 25-member OESF is focused on expanding market reach for the Android platform.

    Founded by ARM, KDDI, Japan Cable Laboratories, Alpine Electronics and Fujitsu Software, the organization works with member companies on sharing technical information, co-development and co-marketing initiatives.

    The OESF and its member companies are working on standards and development of Android for embedded equipment such as consumer electronics and in-car navigation systems other than mobile phones.

  • VOXOFON Launches Mobile VoIP for Palm Pre


    VOXOFON has expanded the availability of its low-cost international calling services by offering a mobile VoIP application for the Palm WebOS platform.

    The application is aimed at the Palm Pre smartphone. VOXOFON plans to make the new application available on the Palm App Catalog later this year.

    After installation the callers can simply click on the VOXOFON icon on the phone screen to place a low-cost international call.

    The application works anywhere the phone has coverage and does not require a Wi-Fi connection. In addition, there are no monthly fees or contracts.

    Beginning at 1.3 cents per minute, with no additional fees, VOXOFON international calling services allow customers to call using their smart phone, computer, land line, or a cell phone.

    VOXOFON has been a leader in providing convenient mobile applications for its VoIP service, beginning with a web application for iPhone that was introduced in the summer of last year.

    In September 2008, VOXOFON was the first to announce an application for the Android platform – one that offered transparent cost optimization for international calls.

    The company followed with an identical application for BlackBerry smartphones in January of this year.

  • Cellcom Israel To Offer HD VoIP-enabled Mobile Calling


    AudioCodes has teamed up with MailVision to offer a mobile soft client (Pico) and a versatile mobile clients’ Distribution Platform to Israel’s leading mobile service provider, Cellcom.

    As a result, Cellcom is to offer a new service called Cellcom Link, which allows roaming subscribers to initiate voice calls and send text messages (SMS) over a Wi-Fi connection, via their current mobile handsets at low rates.

    Leev Lerner, CEO of MailVision, a provider of SIP Mobile Platforms for Wireless and NGN Service Providers, said its Pico Client delivers high voice quality to subscribers allowing them to utilize their personal handset and telephone number when travelling abroad.

    He said the PICO software has the ability to retain a mobile phone’s existing address book contacts, enabling users to use their regular phone interface.

    "Mobile operators are now able to offer an alternative to low cost PC based calls," he said.

    "By selecting to use our advanced mobile VoIP solution platform, Mobile operators can offer roaming end-users the ability to make calls at a significantly reduced rate."

    Adi Cohen, vice president of marketing at Cellcom, said the service is not intended to replace the existing Cellcom Abroad service.

    "Rather (it is) to serve as an additional solution for customers travelling abroad who make many phone calls with Wi-Fi supported devices and would like to cut costs, while retaining their personal cellphone number," he said.

  • WCell Joins Mobile VoIP App Market


    WCell International has announched that its VoIP calling platform is now available for download on a variety of mobile operating systems, including BlackBerry, Java, Windows Mobile and Symbian.

    The Hong Kong-based application for mobile devices is awaiting approval by Apple for listing in the iPhone App Store.

    WCell claims it offers comparable or better voice call quality than its many competitors in the mobile VoIP applications world.

    The company says it does this while also delivering cost savings against market leaders such as Skype.

    It is planning to differentiate itself from the big names such as Skype, fring, Nimbuzz and Truphone by targeting retail handset sales.

    WCell wants to have 10 million paying customers of the service by November this year.

    Ish Paneet Singh, vice president at Wcell International, said that Wcell’s pay-as-you-go rates are at least 60 per cent cheaper than Skype’s.

  • Zer01 Launches Unlimited Voice and Data Service


    Zer01 Mobile has announced the launch of its unlimited, prepaid, voice and data service that the company is selling to distributors in the US.

    The Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (or MVNE) said its low-cost offering can support unlimited service via mobile VoIP technology running over AT&T Mobility’s network.

    Ben Piilani, CEO of Zer01, said many years of research and testing have culminated in the public launch this week of the new, "truly unlimited" voice, data and Web mobile wireless service.

    "Thanks to the ingenuity of the Zer01 Mobile engineering team, our new Veritable Mobile Convergence technology allows each smartphone user to make voice calls or transmit data through a VoIP system," he said.

    The company’s offering is not intended for end users. Instead, Zer01 is selling the service as an MVNE – so doesn’t actively sell the service to phone shoppers.

    That roles is taken by the company’s distributors, which include Buzzirk Mobile and others.

    The company expects to add additional distributors in the near future.

    Its system runs on Windows Mobile phones and it will offer devices from HTC and Pharos.

    The service also includes low-cost international calling.

    Zer01 unveiled its plans earlier this year and at the time said it would launch in April with a service for USD $69.95 per month.

    However, the company has since backed off offering that specific price, apparently to provide more flexible pricing options to distributors.

  • Nimbuzz Offers VoIP Calling Without 3G or WiFi


    Nimbuzz is partnering with Voxbone to offer its VoIP calling service using local DID access numbers – without the need for 3G or Wi-Fi connectivity.

    The arrangement means that users can make voice calls to contacts using most of the popular IM and VoIP services, including Gizmo5 and Skype, in over 50 countries.

    The Nimbuzz service, which runs on all Internet-capable mobile phones, detects when the handset is out of Wi-Fi or 3G range and steps in.

    It requests permission to automatically dial a local access number and route the call over the Internet.

    With most mobile plans, such calls are free except for a low charge (if any) to the local access number.

    The Nimbuzz software client determines the correct access number to dial from the user’s Nimbuzz profile.

    Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, Voxbone provides worldwide local and toll-free phone numbers over its own private intercontinental VoIP network.

    Tobias Kemper, Nimbuzz head of communications, said the intention is to make Nimbuzz a truly mass-market application.

    "Not one limited to this mobile platform, or that chat/calling network, or a particular click sequence," he said.

    "By adding the DID numbers supplied by Voxbone, we can provide reliable mobile VoIP outside of Internet range and over 2G networks in over 50 countries, with any Internet-enabled handset and no change in user behavior."

    Currently growing at a rate of over 750,000 sign-ups per month and operating in 200 countries, Nimbuzz offers mobile VoIP, chat, location, file sharing and MMS services under one application.

    It works across popular communities and social networks, including Skype, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, ICQ, GoogleTalk, AIM, Facebook and MySpace.

    Nimbuzz VoIP also reaches PSTN phones through Skype-Out, using any of 10 VoIP third-party VoIP services (including Skype).

    A full phone keypad is part of its interface, along with the multi-service buddy list.

  • OnRelay Releases Open Source Mobile PBX


    OnRelay has released its mobile PBX solution following successful trials in Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

    Unified MBX is a software-only IP business communication system built for mobile phones.

    The Cellular Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) provider said the solution provides Unified Communications (UC) without the expense of proprietary telephony hardware or IP PBX licenses.

    It does so by pre-integrating cellular FMC software with an open source IP PBX.

    The result is that Unified MBX can be deployed on-premises, or hosted in the cloud to provide mobile business communications as Software as a Service (SaaS).

    OnRelay said customers across ten countries have so far self-installed the solution with only remote OnRelay support.

    It is built around OnRelay’s Telephony Internetworking Protocol (TINP).

    TINP uses voice and data signalling to bring full IP PBX functionality to the mobile phone, over any cellular network – 3G/GSM, EVDO and Low Power GSM.

    In an interview with smartphone.biz-news earlier this year, Ivar Plahte, CEO and co-founder of OnRelay, said he had no doubt that mobile PBX is the future – with smartphones increasingly replacing desktop phones to become the sole business phone.

  • Media5 SIP Softphone App Turns iPhone into IP-PBX Extension


    Media5 has released a SIP client application that allows the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch to be used as a IP-PBX extension.

    The company says the full-featured softphone enables the Apple devices to be used to access the same phone services and features as if they were in the office.

    That includes remote workers being able to contact other offices or employees.

    Pascal Doré, Media5’s mobility product line manager, said the new release of the Media5-Fone extends its mobile portfolio to iPhone users on the go.

    "It offers them the key features needed to integrate an easy-to-use SIP IP-PBX extension within the iPhone," she said.

    Doré said in addition to the Lite version, Media5’s engineers are working to bring the next fully featured Enterprise version of the Media5-Fone.

    She said that will embed strong Voice security encryption among the key features.

    VoIP service providers who offer calling plan can also benefit from the same SIP connectivity extension for their customers who own an iPhone.

    Enterprise users can also leverage the cost-saving benefits of VoIP by enabling their users with high quality phone calls wherever there is a broadband connection.

    Media5-Fone is now available in the Apple App Store.

    Other features of the Media5-Fone include:

    • Voice Mail Integration
    • Loudspeaker
    • VoIP over Wi-Fi
    • Native Contacts List
    • Hold
    • Easy Configuration
    • Call History
    • Mute

  • Google Voice Testing Number Portability


    Google Voice is testing a number portability service that would allow users to have calls transferred from an existing number to any device chosen.

    Currently, the service gives users a new number for all their phones, as well as voicemail and many enhanced calling features like call blocking and screening, voicemail transcripts, call conferencing, international calls.

    However, according to Techcrunch’s Michael Arrington, users will soon be able to move a long-held phone number to Google, and avoid the switching costs.

    Arrington said that means you could switch your mobile number to Google and then choose where to receive calls – on whatever device you happen to have in your hand.

    He said Google plans to roll out the service as a general feature later this year.

    For outbound calls, Google is preparing to launch apps for the major smartphone platforms that will automatically route outbound calls through Google Voice.

    Arrington said that means whoever you call will see your Google Voice number as the caller.

    Google Voice is the Internet-based phone forwarding service by Google in the US. It was previously known as GrandCentral.