Rebtel, a VoIP provider sometimes thought of as Sweden’s (smaller) answer to Skype, today is releasing a new SDK that will let iOS and Android app developers embed Rebtel-based voice calls by way of an API directly into their apps, free of charge. This represents a new line of business for Index Ventures/Benchmark-backed Rebtel, which has up to now built a business on its own retail, consumer… → Read More
Facebook is slowly beefing up the capabilities of its Messenger app as it moves to combat the rise of free messaging apps like Whatsapp, Viber and Line. Today it’s taking another baby step by expanding VoIP calling to U.K. users of its iOS app, following its initial test of the feature in Canada in January, which was soon followed by a U.S. rollout. → Read More
Twilio, the cloud-based communications company that lets app and website developers embed calling and messaging features into their work with a bit of API code, is today taking one more step to strengthen its bonds to enterprise users globally: it is launching SIP from Twilio. Introducing SIP, short for Session Initiation Protocol, into Twilio’s portfolio of services will not only give the company… → Read More
There is some change at Skype, the messaging giant that is now a part of Microsoft: Jonathan Rosenberg, the chief technology strategist, and then later GM of product strategy and research at Microsoft who was behind the creation of Skype’s Facebook video calling feature and other developments, has left the company to become a VP and CTO of cloud collaboration for Cisco — the company from which… → Read More
Facebook originally started testing a new free (minus andy data usage fees you incur from your carrier) calling feature for users of its Facebook Messenger app for iPhone in Canada early this year, and now the service is available to U.S. users as well. The free call button app now shows up in the app for U.S. users, in any conversation where both parties are using the Facebook Messenger app. → Read More
When people think of consumer VoIP services, the first name to come to mind for many is Skype. But while Microsoft’s recent acquisition begins to explore a new role as a social advertising network, a competing VoIP provider, Rebtel, is hoping to gain some new ground. The Stockholm-based company, which has been in operation since 2006, today is announcing that it has passed 20 million active… → Read More
UberConference, the online, visual conference calling solution (and TechCrunch Disrupt NYC 2012 winner), is today expanding its service to mobile with the introduction of applications for both iOS and Android. The new apps will primarily offer users a way to start a conference directly from their phone. → Read More
It’s been a big year for the artist formerly known as GOGII. Back in October, the Southern California-based startup raised $18 million in series D financing from The Raine Group, Kleiner Perkins, Matrix Partners and GRP, bringing its total investment to just over $46 million. The round was a testament to the continuing success of its flagship product, textPlus, a free text messaging app that has… → Read More
Cloud-based global comms provider Jibe Mobile has closed an $8.3m funding round from investors including Vodafone Ventures, the VC arm of the telco, and Japanese mobile content provider MTI, plus other unnamed investors. Jibe is building a platform for app developers to more easily (and cheaply) incorporate rich, real-time comms features into their apps — such as VoIP and video calling. → Read More
To say that Google’s high-speed Internet and television service has been warmly received in Kansas City is probably an understatement. But why didn’t the search giant take a stab at disrupting phone service, as well? As it turns out, it wasn’t due to lack of vision. A report from the Kansas City Business Journal reveals that Google thought long and hard about rolling out VoIP service to go with… → Read More
The company is also gearing up to expand its push in physical stores. Physical gift cards are available for purchase with retailers in the U.S., UK and Mexico, and a Skype person tells me more countries will be announced soon. Users in the U.S. also have an additional option to buy Gift Cards via Facebook. → Read More
Zingaya, the startup that offers companies the ability to add one-click voice and video services into their websites and apps, today is announcing that its click-to-call widget is available on WebRTC on the newest version of Chrome. The news comes at the same time that Zingaya has passed a couple of milestones: 250,000 calls per month and 1 million minutes going through its service. → Read More
In case you thought Skype may be slowing down while settling into being a part of Microsoft and recently celebrating its ninth birthday, here are some numbers that seem to indicate otherwise: Last week, Skype reached a new peak of 45,469,977 concurrent users online, part of a strong run for the peer-to-peer voice/video/chat service this year. Overall it has seen an increase of 70% so far in… → Read More
Skype alternative FriendCaller says it has doubled the number of users it has worldwide to 10 million in less than a year. The FriendCaller service, which lets people talk to other FriendCaller members for free but charges for calls to external phones and other services, works across mobile devices including iOS and Android. It also exists in Web Phone form, and supports Facebook logins. → Read More
We wrote about the official launch of KeKu, a New York-based VoIP telephony startup earlier this year and since then, the company has managed to grow quickly. Today, KeKu announced that it has surpassed 500,000 customers around the world who use its free and paid services. The company, which offers Android and iOS calling apps, allows users to make free VoIP calls between its users and also offers… → Read More
In May of last year, Microsoft acquired everybody’s favorite VoIP and chat provider, Skype, for a cool $8.5 billion. It was a big move for Microsoft and a landmark deal, which it officially closed in October. Yet, as Frederic pointed out earlier this week, other than getting to wear the brand’s pin on its lapel, Microsoft has been quiet about its plans for Skype.
However, as part of its… → Read More
Twilio, the upstart software maker of voice and other telephony APIs used by developers in web and mobile apps, is marking another chapter in its European expansion today: the company’s voice API — which lets users make and receive calls through those apps — is now available in Belgium, Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden, bringing the total number of countries supported on this side of the pond… → Read More
A potentially big move forward for cloud-based telephony API startup Twilio — and an intriguing development for Microsoft, given its would-be ownership of Skype: Twilio and Microsoft have formed a strategic alliance to offer Twilio’s APIs to developers on the Windows Azure platform.
The offering will cover both Twilio’s voice and messaging services, and Twilio is sweetening the deal by giving… → Read More
Twilio, developer of a VoIP API that is used by companies like eBay, Airbnb and Hulu to add voice services into their consumer apps, has been adding support for European countries as part of its expansion strategy, first the UK and then Austria, Denmark, France, Ireland and Poland. Now Twilio is giving that effort a bit more muscle with the appointment of its first full-time, permanent employee… → Read More
Mobile VoIP remains a hot space with a plethora of startups trying to conquer behemoth Skype. Typically these offer the ability to make international calls over 3G or Wi-Fi on a smartphone in a bid to circumvent existing mobile telcos who generate large revenues based on high roaming costs. And although the European Union is pushing hard to reduce the cost of roaming in Europe, it’s still got a… → Read More
Ooma, my secret weapon when it comes to reducing the price of overseas calls, has just announced PureVoice, an “HD” voice technology that offers a “superior home telephony experience.” Essentially the system uses redundancy and compression to transmit voice packets at higher quality than you’d find in normal telephone conversations although, presumably, you’re still burdened by legacy voice… → Read More
C2Call, the free browser-based Internet phone solution, has just raised an additional $2 million in Series A funding from Draper Investment Company, High-Tech Gründerfonds and Mr. Klaus Wecken, co-founder of KHK Software AG, for international expansion of their their VoIP offering, FriendCaller as well as their mobile apps.
The big difference compared to Skype or Jajah is that you don’t have… → Read More
Ooma is stepping up their offering in the international calling game. The VoIP service providers latest plans are about as competitive as can be. Watch out, Vonage, Ooma has your mom’s number. → Read More
You may remember at CES this year we had a chance to meet with MagicJack and see the prototype for their Femtocell technology, which they said would be coming out in the first half of the year. Well they missed their projected launch date, but it’s looking like the Femtocell product may still be coming this year. → Read More
[Copenhagen] Danish VoIP technology company Vopium has received a $16.5 million capital injection, expanding its group of owners with telecom investor Raghuvinder Kataria, one of the early backers of what is now Bharti Airtel (one of the world’s largest telecommunication service providers).
With the investment, Kataria now owns the majority of shares in Vopium, which will use the funding to… → Read More
No surprises here today as Verizon and Skype partner up and announce Skype Mobile at Mobile World Congress. This news is so exciting that I’m tempted to dump my current carrier and sign up with Big Red today. But are there any catches or caveats? → Read More
I’ll admit that I love me some Skype. I get to call and video chat with all my buddies from overseas without hefty fees, except I was accustomed to doing it only where Wi-Fi was available. While AT&T and Apple have made some recent policy changes to allow VoIP over 3G, it looks like Verizon and Skype are partnering up do to a little of the same. → Read More
I’ve used VoIP apps on the past few iterations of of the iPhone as well as a number of other devices including some from Nokia, HTC, and Samsung. Those apps always only worked over WiFi and have mostly worked as advertised. Experience shows that if there’s one thing cellular companies are good at it’s ensuring a call can get from point A to point B (although AT&T has been sucking wind lately). → Read More
The inclusion of both Wi-Fi and a microphone on the DSI made it a favorite for rumors about phone functionality — and while we’ve seen voice chat in some games, there hasn’t been an official channel for that that I know of. But if new rumors, based on a support page mentioning a DSi Speak Channel, are true, then the most popular handheld in the world will be joining the most popular console… → Read More
Bang & Olufsen announced their new BeoCom 5 cordless phone today. I know, I know.. bear with me, it’s kinda cool. Despite the fact that many people don’t even use land lines any more, B&O knows their target audience, and apparently that audience still does. → Read More
Austin, TX
Seattle, WA
San Diego, CA
Menlo Park, CA
Berlin, Germany
Boston, MA
