Truphone

Skype loads up Apple, encore at CES?

Doug Mohney — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:08:43 -0500

As Skype rolled out its latest beta version for the Apple Macintosh family this week, Truphone was trumpeting its support for making Skype sessions through its service. Now, if Skype could only fix Mr. Jobs's hormonal problem. We don't think that will be the topic of Skype's press conference on Thursday at CES 2009, but we wouldn't bet against it, either.

The Skype 2.8 Beta for Mac has a number of new Skype features that currently aren't available on other operating systems yet, but will be later in the year. Skype Access provides a pay-per-minute Wi-Fi hotspot access service through Bongo Wireless and leverages billing using Skype credits. Current charges for Bongo WiFi access through SkypeAccess are at $0.19 per minute.

Screen sharing is another new feature; Skype Mac users can "share" the screen view with Skype for Windows and Skype for Linux users; reciprocity with the other operating systems is expected later in the year.

Other new bells and whistles include improved chat management, a quick add feature, a mood message chat (Hmm, to be followed by the USB mood ring enhancement?), larger profile pictures, and the ability to add notes to contacts.

Also grabbing headlines at the San Francisco MacWorld show, Truphone showed it can support Skype calling and IM on the iPhone and iPod touch from its apps. The service is scheduled to be available to all Truphone customers next week and enables Truphone customers using iApple devices to reach Skype users via Skype IDs; in a separate announcement, Truphone also announced it would support other IM services on the iApple devices.

For more:
- Skype's release on version 2.8 for the Mac
- Truphone blogs on its Skype support for the iPhone and iPod touch

2008 Year in Review: Me-too VoIP mob gets right-sized and diversified

Doug Mohney — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 10:17:42 -0500

It's almost fair to use the term "a gazillion" when estimating the number of VoIP startups that launched around 2004-2005 with almost the exact same characteristics/features, including:

A free download-able client that included IM, VoIP, presence, and (most of the time) video. Then later a web-based client.
Free client-to-client calls
Free phone number or numbers
Free features like visual voice mail, multi-line ring and call forwarding.
Really cheap long distance and international minutes

Net-net: A large number of companies trying to make a business on selling voice minutes for the cheapest rate, where the best rates literally vary by pennies and fractions of pennies, and everyone knows what their competitors are charging in near-real-time.

Leveraging VoIP to beat mobile rates soon came along, and the latest wave of the me-too mob has added "social networking" to the mix of buzzwords. But, at the core, it's still the same feature set and the same cheaper minutes play.

Smarter companies have diversified out of the me-too core in different ways. Ifbyphone has built a set of unique business toolkit of applications so you can't even call them a "me too." Jajah is now in the business of becoming a back-office/back-end provider for other VoIP services, including Gizmo, MOBIVOX and Yahoo. Truphone bought themselves a SIM roaming operator and hasn't been afraid to fight established cellular operators in court to get what they own.

Jangl was the most notable under-performing company to run out of venture money and die, as it eventually proved to be unable to generate enough cash flow to sustain operations. It also was helped along by Jajah poaching its technical talent.

We expect more of the me-too VoIP herd to thin out in 2009. There's just not room for a gazillion companies, no matter how big the market is.

FierceVoIP's Fierce 15 - 2008
EQO - Another mobile VoIP player bites the dust? - FierceVoIP
Jangl and TalkPlus On the Block - FierceVoIP
Fring cuts 20%, claims biz surging, blogger bashes
The Fallen - Crashed and struggling VoIP companies

SPOTLIGHT: iPod Touch gets Truphone VoIP

Doug Mohney — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:54:21 -0500

Truphone can now be found on the iPod Touch - the iPhone without the 3G wireless connectivity on it. iPod Touch users can tap into the WiFi connection to download Truphone's free software from Apple's App Store, then start dialing away with VoIP to make free voice calls to other iPod Touch users, Truphone customers, and Google Talk IM clients. Free calls to Skype and MSN users will be added later. Users can also set up a paid account and make calls to landline or cell phones, or send SMS text messages.

A headset is required, and Truphone warns that its service shouldn't be considered a replacement for ordinary phone service, because you can't make E911 calls with it.

For more:
- Read about it here at Tom's Guide.

Related articles
TruPhone makes 2008 VoIP Fierce 15
SPOTLIGHT: TruPhone iPhone - FierceVoIP

TruPhone, Top VoIP Company 2008: FierceVoIP, Fierce 15

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:49:08 -0500

Truphone

Where it's based: London, England
When it was founded: 1999
Website: www.truphone.com

Why it's Fierce: Truphone decided to power its way around the me-too mobile VoIP pack by buying roaming operator SIM4travel. While it is still in the me-too free client/lowest-rate voice game, it hasn't been afraid to fight established cellular operators in court to get the settlements it wants.

On the technology side, Truphone has developed clients for a variety of phones, including the BlackBerry and iPhone; Truphone had the first Internet telephony app for the iPhone on the iStore, er, Apple App Store. The company has a carrier-grade, global telephony operator infrastructure on the backend to handle up to 40 million calls worldwide that includes a global network of SIP gateways, a Nokia Siemens Networks mobile network Home Location Register (HLR) and a GSM identifier.

Truphone for Blackberry; 911 Enable helps customers meet FCC rules

Pete Wylie — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 09:35:52 -0400

> Truphone for Blackberry

> 911 Enable Helps VoIP Service Providers Meet New FCC 911 Rules

> Acme Packet Showcases Next-Gen Capabilities in 2008 Global MSF Interop Event

> Data Leaks, Malware Incidents Rise as Web 2.0 Applications enter the Workplace

> Aspect Announces Strategic Partnership With Intech

Nokia drops VoIP on new N-Series

Pete Wylie — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 09:57:01 -0400

Without a formal announcement, Nokia has ceased to offer VoIP capabilities on some of its new handset models, such as the N78. The N-series phones previously had come equipped with a VoIP client that enabled users to access services such as JaJah, Truphone and Fring. None of these services now function on new N-Series phones, according to gigaom.com. The move away from pre-loaded VoIP clients is a culture change for the company, which has been quite open-source and VoIP friendly of late.

The older N-series phones 80, 81, 82 and 95 all continue to offer VoIP capabilities, according to Nokia's website.

Analysts have speculated that the move away from VoIP on new N-Series phones could be a result of carrier influence, with mobile long distance calling revenues getting shredded by VoIP bypass schemes.

For more:
- gigaom.com dishes on Nokia VoIP bailout

iPhone VoIP Options

Doug Mohney — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 19:45:12 -0400

How many ways can iPhone owners do VoIP on their most-beloved device? VoIP News counts them along with detailing how each package handles long distance calling.

Each iPhone VoIP solution has its pros and cons. Truphone's application will connect with other Truphone clients though WiFi but there's no connection to the cellular world. Packet8 MobileTalk uses a web portal that mimics the iPhone dialer and the app causes the iPhone to dial a local Packet8 access number to access the company's VoIP network.

Jajah's iPhone VoIP app is awaiting the official blessing of Apple before users can download it through Apple's App Store. The app should allow an iPhone to make calls that travel over 3G, EDGE or WiFi data networks to reach Jajah's VoIP network. A call can go over a data network if the link quality is good or if the users says it should use the network regardless of link quality, otherwise Jajah will do a callback using an external network to link the iPhone and an overseas number.

In beta, iCall also uses WiFi links to make a VoIP call, but the app supposedly also can switch from cellular to WiFi without interrupting a conversation in a seamless fashion.

For more:
- VoIP News talks iPhone VoIP flavors

Related articles:
VoIP developers fire up for iPhone
A fring fling on iPhone

SPOTLIGHT: TruPhone iPhone

Doug Mohney — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:55:06 -0400

It's just not a new iPhone release without a VoIP story. News.com dials in a plug for TruPhone's new iPhone application, arriving via Apple's spanking new iPhone Application store on July 11. The VoIP app allows you to make long-distance calls through a WiFi spot, free to other TruPhone callers, landline calls billed at 6 cents per minute, mobile phone calls cost 30 cents per minute, an SMS text message is 20 cents. The client was first demoed back in September 2007.

For more:
- News.com blog on TruPhone for iPhone

Related articles:
TruPhone Buys SIM4travel
Truphone launches iPhone VoIP client

Truphone lands $32.7 million second round

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 06:59:58 -0400

VoIP and new mobile operator Truphone has raised $32.7 million in a second round of venture capital funding. Participants included "private investors" plus all of Truephone's existing backers.

Last week, Truphone purchased SIM4travel for around $2.64 million in cash and $2.56 million in stock, allowing the company to get assets including a travel SIM capability and mobile virtual network operator assets which will allow it to offer low-cost GSM calls worldwide via SIM card. The purchase also gives the company additional leverage in settlement discussions with other mobile operators; some have argued since Truphone conducts transport over the Internet by using WiFi instead of cellular infrastructure, there's effectively no cost to terminate calls.

Truphone's first round of $24.5 million in VC funding was closed in December 2006. The company boasts of a global network of SIP gateways, Nokia Siemens Network mobile network HLR and a GSM identifier and is capable of supporting 40 million customers worldwide. According to its corporate website, Truphone has attracted "tends of thousands" of users in 149 countries.

For more:
- Truphone VC Investment announcement
- GigaOm Blog Truphone Comment