Virgin Media’s SmartCall a Possible Threat to Skype’s Dominance?
Virgin Media’s SmartCall a Possible Threat to Skype’s Dominance? by UCStrategies Staff
Since more and more internet users are turning to VoIP and IP solutions, many companies actively develop and provide new communications solutions to meet those demands. And for years, Microsoft’s Skype has had little competition from similar services. It is possible Virgin Media’s SmartCall app can change all that.
The U.K.-based cable and mobile operator, Virgin Media, announced the release of its new app, SmartCall, that lets subscribers make free calls anywhere over compatible Wi-Fi connections. SmartCall is made available to home phone subscribers of Virgin Media. The phone-calling app lets subscribers make Virgin Phone inclusive calls directly from their smartphones that are connected to Wi-Fi. The company claimed that the app has the capability to recognize compatible Wi-Fi connections and is not limited by geographical boundary.
The mechanism of SmartCall’s workings has an impact on Skype’s dominance. Essentially, Virgin Media’s SmartCall can challenge Skype’s sway in providing users with better voice call and video call rates. Using an existent landline phone package to make audio or video calls is far more convenient than, say, signing up separately for a roaming package or adding credits to one’s Skype account.
In theory, SmartCall serves as an extension to the home telephone, enabling the caller to complete the connection by way of a smartphone in any location where a compatible Wi-Fi connection exists. Although it may seem that this functionality poses no value to Virgin Media, the app actually lets customers control how they make calls and how they ultimately pay for their calling charges. By allowing all calls to originate from one carrier only, regardless of location, the subscriber can conveniently pay all bills from a central point and thus do away with the hassle of managing multiple bills for the home phone and for the mobile phone, as well as bills accrued by various family members.
The SmartCall app can be used on both the Android and iOS platforms. It is currently only usable for inbound calls to the U.K., where it can counter depreciating but still costly roaming call rates.
Virgin Media said that the extensive technical trial phase of the service has been completed and that it would commence its limited customer trial during the next few weeks of November 2012. It would then go live for all Virgin Phone subscribers in the first quarter of 2013. (KOM) Link. Link