Hosted VoIP

8x8 (News - Alert), Inc. is touting the fact that its new Packet8 MobileTalk mobile VoIP service is now compatible with nearly 450 different mobile phones – up from the 340 models mentioned when the service was introduced last Monday.

The new mobile VoIP service can be used on a wide range of mobile devices running Windows Mobile Palm and Symbian operating systems. Popular makes and models supporting the service include BlackBerry, Nokia, Palm, Motorola (News - Alert) and Samsung.

The service lets users dial natively from their mobile phones – in other words, there is no need to use a calling card or call back service, nor is there a need to dial from a WiFi access point or to place calls over the data portion of a wireless carrier’s network (resulting in expensive monthly data usage fees). All a user has to do is download a software client from the Packet8 website, or of they do not have a data plan, they can download the app from their PC (which can be sent via email).

Once loaded, the service is simple to use: Unlike other mobile VoIP services that require the user to dial numerous access numbers, followed by lengthy PINs in addition to their destination number, MobileTalk lets users dial numbers directly from the address book, contact list, or speed dial on their handset. Once a number is dialed, the MobileTalk application identifies the international prefix and redirects the call to a local Packet8 network access number, and from there the call is connected over the Packet8 VoIP network -- which delivers exceptionally good sound quality compared to other VoIP services which connect calls via who-knows-how-many network hops.

"Packet8 MobileTalk is a breakthrough application that dramatically improves the international mobile calling experience from start to finish," said 8x8 Chairman and CEO Bryan R. Martin in a press release issued last Monday. "Most mobile phone users typically avoid placing overseas calls from their cell phones because of the exorbitant rates their mobile carriers are charging. With Packet8 MobileTalk, subscribers won't think twice about calling Europe or Asia because instead of $1.00 to $3.00 per minute, they will be paying as little as $.02 to $.05 per minute over the Packet8 network to most destinations."

For more information, visit http://mobiletalk.packet8.net or www.packet8.com.

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Patrick Barnard is Assignment Editor for TMCnet and Associate Editor for Customer Interaction Solutions magazine. To see more of his articles, please visit Patrick Barnard’s columnist page.