Firm offers free VoIP calls on a mobile phone

A SMALL British firm which specialises in the cellular sector, Rok, has decided to position itself as the 'Skype' of the mobile phone world. It will be offering VoIP/Internet based calls for free between handsets using its specialised software.

This news has leaked a few days before the official launch of the service this coming Tuesday (September 8th 2006) - meaning that only one vital piece of information is currently missing. Namely, the URL for the site from which it will be possible to download the necessary software for free.

The INQ has guessed that the company in question might well be Rok Entertainment - providers of data compression software and mobile TV services. However, Bruce Renny, Rok marketing director, has refused either to confirm or deny his company's involvement.

He may be playing his cards close to his chest after British national, The Times, recently[August 9th] printed rumours that the company was seeking a $250 million float on Nasdaq.

Our source claims that there are absolutely no hidden charges for making free calls using your whatsoever. The technology itself is absolutely straightforward. The majority of medium to high end handsets are Bluetooth enabled and with this application the handset connects to any suitable broadband enabled PC via Bluetooth. Rather than WiFi.

As long as the laptop or desktop PC has a broadband connexion, calls can be made between users for free. The downside is that it won't work with other VoIP/SIP applications and certainly not with Skype. However, a laptop computer doesn't even have to possess a 'fixed' Internet link to support the service - it could easily be connected to the Net via WiFi instead.

Being British, the first version of the software to be released will run on Symbian smartphones. That will fairly swiftly be followed by a Java client which will provide a much larger catchment of mobile phones. A Windows Mobile 5.0 version will follow in due course.

The cellphone arena is one where Skype is presently most vulnerable since it can only offer a suitable client for cellular enabled devices which run a version of Windows Pocket PC. The prospect of a rival service establishing itself could be one reason why the company let rumours of an impending Skype 'Smartphone' client emerge.

The catch is that for the calls to be absolutely free, both ends of the connexion need to be using the same software. Given that the majority of desktop PCs don't have a Bluetooth capability, the company expects to sell a suitable Bluetooth dongle plus a CD with the associated software for around £10.

The recipient will have to posses a mobile handset - the software won't allow a standard microphone plus speaker setup to be used for making and receiving calls. If a cellular user wants to call somebody outside the system, then there are plans to charge for such calls.

Currently, the business plan behind this venture is unclear. But it seems highly likely that the free VoIP calls will be used to publicise the company's other services and applications for which subscribers are presently charged.

The company's hope is that word of mouth will encourage high numbers to utilise the service. The main target is the business person at an airport who has already established a wireless broadband connexion to access email, etc. Why pay the high mobile telephony charges when the exact same mobile phone can be employed to make those calls via Bluetooth?

Our source is particularly adamant that businesses will adopt the service since most travellers call only around five different numbers during their trips. All of whom could be running the same Bluetooth enabled application, of course. µ

L'INQS
Red Herring
Rok