Chicago (IL) - From Pakistani engineering, through Danish organization, with Luxembourg VC cash, and on to world domination. Vopium wants to be the first native VoIP app on your iPhone.
If you were waiting for iPhone 2.0 firmware in anticipation of an Apple-branded VoIP application based on iChat, you would be disappointed. Presently, iPhone users are limited to Web-based VoIP services such as Jajah, IM+ for Skype or Fringe . However, all of them run inside the iPhone's Safari browser and are non-native. In fact, among 900 applications currently available on the App Store, there is not a single native VoIP application.
Up and coming Danish mobile VoIP company, Vopium, European venture backed and founded by Pakistani engineering talent, hopes to change that. The current versions of its application are available for a wide array of handsets and services, although somewhat limited in their international scope. However, the company recently raised over $5 million to help it expand globally. Vopium will be a native iPhone application distributed to users through the App Store. Vopium has been certified as an Apple Enterprise Developer. The company has released a beta version of Vopium that runs inside the iPhone’s Safari browser. However, the company assured TG Daily that the native version, currently in the works, will be "fully integrated with the iPhone."
Vopium existing version offers cheap international VoIP calls to most countries in the world. The service works by re-routing your call as a local call to a Vopium gateway which, in turn, delivers the call anywhere in the world through premium global traffic carriers. All that users are required to do is download free client software for their mobile phone brand and purchase minutes and text messages using their credit card. Cheap international VoIP calls are also possible from a landline, simply by dialing a local Vopium access number.
According to the company, Vopium will enable users to "save 50 to 90% on international calls and SMS messages." The company is giving away 30 minutes and 100 text messages for free to users who wish to try the software and register at Vopium’s home page. Vopium currently works in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Spain but the company is testing the service in beta in France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, UK, the US and Canada.
If you were waiting for iPhone 2.0 firmware in anticipation of an Apple-branded VoIP application based on iChat, you would be disappointed. Presently, iPhone users are limited to Web-based VoIP services such as Jajah, IM+ for Skype or Fringe . However, all of them run inside the iPhone's Safari browser and are non-native. In fact, among 900 applications currently available on the App Store, there is not a single native VoIP application.
Up and coming Danish mobile VoIP company, Vopium, European venture backed and founded by Pakistani engineering talent, hopes to change that. The current versions of its application are available for a wide array of handsets and services, although somewhat limited in their international scope. However, the company recently raised over $5 million to help it expand globally. Vopium will be a native iPhone application distributed to users through the App Store. Vopium has been certified as an Apple Enterprise Developer. The company has released a beta version of Vopium that runs inside the iPhone’s Safari browser. However, the company assured TG Daily that the native version, currently in the works, will be "fully integrated with the iPhone."
Vopium existing version offers cheap international VoIP calls to most countries in the world. The service works by re-routing your call as a local call to a Vopium gateway which, in turn, delivers the call anywhere in the world through premium global traffic carriers. All that users are required to do is download free client software for their mobile phone brand and purchase minutes and text messages using their credit card. Cheap international VoIP calls are also possible from a landline, simply by dialing a local Vopium access number.
According to the company, Vopium will enable users to "save 50 to 90% on international calls and SMS messages." The company is giving away 30 minutes and 100 text messages for free to users who wish to try the software and register at Vopium’s home page. Vopium currently works in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Spain but the company is testing the service in beta in France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, UK, the US and Canada.