Sarah FalsonFreshtel is entering a new market with roaming VoIP, which allows customers to make and receive calls over the internet using their mobile phone when within range of a WiFi hotspot.
Launching early next year, the solution will also be sold to Freshtel financier, Tesco, and a version of the product will be finetuned for the larger UK market.
Under the agreement, Freshtel will be paid a licence fee from Tesco, further entrenching Freshtel’s converged mobile technology strategy, which the company says is the first fully-integrated internet telephony solution and is unique in the market.
“The key point of difference is that Freshtel has integrated the converged mobility solution with our White Label product allowing partners to offer a full phone service from registration to credit top-up. This stand alone application automatically configures the mobile handset to place a call over the Freshtel network when WiFi is available, and what’s more this can be done with the convenience of the users existing mobile phone number,” said Freshtel CEO Rhonda O’Donnell.
“Users don’t need to worry about which network they’re calling on or having a separate phone number for the internet phone – it’s totally seamless. Users can simply call as they always have and automatically receive cheaper than traditional landline rates when WiFi is available.”
The solution also allows customers to see if their contacts are online and allows them to use internet based instant messaging or SMS on the traditional network.
“The technology introduces really exciting, user-friendly features to mobile internet telephony. Our aim is to make internet telephony more accessible and desirable and to cater to the lifestyles of our customers,” said O’Donnell.