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Jajah to Launch PC-to-PC VoIP Service in the U.S.
[March 27, 2006]

Jajah to Launch PC-to-PC VoIP Service in the U.S.


TMCnet Associate Editor
 
Luxembourg-based Jajah is reportedly preparing to launch its new PC-to-PC VoIP service in the U.S.

Determined to compete with Skype (News - Alert), the start-up promises to make VoIP calls as simple as visiting a website. With the new, web-based service, all a user has to do is go to Jajah.com, type in their telephone number and the number they want to connect to, and then let the software do the rest of the work.



Jajah will break the call into packets and will route most of it over the Internet. Only the last mile of the call will be made over existing infrastructure, either mobile or fixed line. For this the company asks for a small fee – to help offset the access fees charged by local operators.

Jajah said it plans to eventually enhance its VoIP software so that it can integrate with e-mail systems and online search engines, as well as contacts databases such as LinkedIn and Plaxo, thus enabling a variety of directory- and presence-based calling features. The first round of these integrations, some of which will be automatic without downloads, will be live within a week. The company also plans to enhance the service so that users can initiate VoIP calls from their mobile phones. This feature should be available in about two months, the company said in published reports.


Jajah also announced today it has won an unspecified amount of funding from Sequoia Capital to help fuel the launch of it services in the U.S.

Charges for the Jajah service will vary depending on the call. Overall, it is slightly more expensive than Skype - but it offers very competitive rates for international calls, particularly to Europe. Initially, U.S. customers will pay about 1.7 cents per minute for domestic calls.

Jajah is offering its services to consumers in 60 countries. Calls from those 60 countries can be made to any destination in the world.

Web portals are increasingly adding VoIP service as a way to attract new customers. Last week, Yahoo announced its new VoIP service, which is basically an enhancement to its Yahoo Messenger service. Google (News - Alert) is also expected to soon announce its own VoIP offering. The company, which already provides “Google Talk,” a chat application, will soon unveil a new VoIP service facilitated through VoIP Inc.
 
Earlier today, Lycos announced the launch of Lycos Phone, a PC-to-PC VoIP service based on Globe7’s service. Just like the other web-based VoIP services which have launched recently, Lycos Phone is a Windows-based software program which lets users make free PC-to-PC VoIP calls.

The platform, which is based on Globe7’s VoIP software, combines IM, video chat, real-time video-on-demand and an MP3 Player. It also offers a free U.S. phone number, free fax and free voicemail to email.

Patrick Barnard is Associate Editor for TMCnet and a columnist covering the telecom industry. To see more of his articles, please visit Patrick Barnard’s columnist page.

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