Vonage goes Mobile

Vonage Goes Mobile

Posted by Sam Churchill on October 5th, 2009

Today Vonage launched Vonage Mobile, its first mobile calling application for smartphones. Vonage Mobile is a free downloadable application that provides seamless, low-cost international calling while on Wi-Fi or cellular networks. The calls are placed as local wireless calls, using up minutes on the cell phone plan, although the iPhone will use Wi-Fi instead if that’s available.

Vonage claims it will save customers about 50% on calls to dozens of countries versus the rates charged by wireless carriers. Rates will vary by country. Vonage Mobile will be available for download on the iPhone, BlackBerry and iPod touch at www.vonage.com and the iTunes App Store.

It provides lower per-minute rates because it uses the internet to transfer calls. In the fourth quarter 2009, they plan to include the popular Vonage World plan ($24.95/mo), that was introduced for home service in August. This enhancement extends the ability to make unlimited calls to over 60 countries for one flat monthly fee to mobile users.

Vonage says its Mobile app beats the competition such as Skype and Google Voice on convenience and ease-of-use

• Rates are better than traditional wireless and landline carrier rates
• Lets you make calls while on Wi-Fi or cellular networks, providing full mobility
• Uses your existing contact list – just click and dial – no extra steps
• Utilizes your existing cell phone number so the people you call will recognize who is calling
• No calling cards, 800 numbers or access codes, and no connection charges

Google Voice, which is available for BlackBerrys and Android phones, lets users make free domestic calls and inexpensive international calls, and send free text messages. Google’s Voice application does not work over Wi-Fi. Instead, the application dials a special Google phone number using the standard voice network, and then Google routes the call to its destination.

The Google Voice application for the iPhone continues to be hung up in Apple’s review process, notes the NY Times.

Skype enables free Internet calls from the iPhone, but will only work over Wi-Fi networks.

The Vonage application for the iPhone makes calls over Wi-Fi when in range of a hotspot, but it can also route calls over the voice network. In the latter case, it works similarly to the Google application. The Vonage app for BlackBerrys works only over the voice network; the iPod Touch version works over Wi-Fi.

source : dailywireless.org