One of the big irritations of travelling abroad is the high prices of international roaming costs. Nevermind calls, the data rates are simple daylight robbery. So in most cases smartphone or tablet users look around for wifi hotspots or hotel networks to get work done. Problem is that not all these networks are free, and more significantly, they are a hassle to use.

You know the drill – you have to buy prepaid credit at some counter, or enter your credit card details into some site you do not know, and do not trust. Luckily the Skype Access feature has been around for a while now, and has helped people get online using only their Skype credit. No need to deal with signing up at specific networks using their own way of doing it. Just logon using your Skype name and you are sorted.

Luckily Skype has now made it a little easier for us, and has re-released this product as Skype Wifi, and they also rolled out a iPhone and iPad app to help you quickly connect to one of their preferred Wifi networks. “Preferred” networks made me hessitate a bit – but the catalogue of supported networks are massive. While I am not a regular user of hotspots in SA, Skype Wifi already has deals with all the big names in SA like Skyrove, Wireless G, FON etc, but also other the ones like Nandos and AlwaysOn. If this is the case in SA, I think you should be well covered when abroad.

Costs are reasonable and a lot cheaper than using international roaming, but here are some figures. I also looked at other countries – the US for example:

• Best Western from just 19¢/min (22¢ incl. VAT)

• Camden from just 19¢/min (22¢ incl. VAT)

• Comfort from just 19¢/min (22¢ incl. VAT)

• DeepBlue from just 19¢/min (22¢ incl. VAT)

• DrangnFly from just 19¢/min (22¢ incl. VAT)

• Econolodge from just 19¢/min (22¢ incl. VAT)

• ESPN Zone from just 19¢/min (22¢ incl. VAT)

• Ethostream from just 19¢/min (22¢ incl. VAT)

• Everwave from just 19¢/min (22¢ incl. VAT)

• FON from just 14¢/min (16¢ incl. VAT)

• Spot On from just 19¢/min (22¢ incl. VAT)

• Swisscom from just 19¢/min (22¢ incl. VAT)

• Tengo from just 19¢/min (22¢ incl. VAT)

• Tomizone from just 5¢/min (6¢ incl. VAT)

• WebBeams from just 19¢/min (22¢ incl. VAT)

• WorldMark from just 19¢/min (22¢ incl. VAT)

• ZigZag Wireless from just 19¢/min (22¢ incl. VAT)

These prices are per minute, in dollar terms. They are not bound to megabytes, so if you are connected to fast line, you should be able to send those larger files without worrying too much about data costs. Compare this for example to Vodacom’s current data roaming cost in the US of R 128.00 per megabyte, which gets charged per 10 kilobytes. I still shudder when I think they can ask such an amount.

Find the press release below of Skype Wifi: (more…)

In the wake of the big tech news story this week (Skype powered video chat on Facebook), one has to ask is VOIP still relevant?Unfortunately, regardless of the bandwidth price wars that are finally showing clear indications of border skirmishes, us as South Africans still pay too much for bandwidth which means that you better ensure you have a comprehensive data plan before you start “Skyping” on Facebook whilst tending to your lost sheep on Farmville. Personally, the Facebook video chat option is more likely to ensure that my Facebook chat feature remains ‘offline’.

Returning to the initial question posed, I tested out Viber this week. Viber is a iPhone app that was launched late last year and allows the user to utilise VOIP to make ‘free’ calls to other friends who have the app installed. When I initially heard about this app, I was skeptical. I did not see much need in another app that essentially did what Skype does but, tried it out nonetheless. I was very impressed. Ease of use and excellent call quality were major plus points as were the fact that the app was free, there were no hidden costs and it required no searching for contacts etc. It simply uses your cellphone number, and the contacts in your address book to determine whom amongst your friends have Viber. The interface essentially replicates the iPhone ‘Phone’ user interface. You can also make normal calls whilst in the app with the app seamlessly converting the call into a regular phone call.

Viber user interface very closely modelled on iPhone 'Phone' feature

There are however some disadvantages. The App essentially works over WiFi and 3G thus both users have to be connected to these networks for good functionality. This disadvantage is not unique to this app but prevalent through any service that utilises VOIP. The other major disadvantage is that the service is presently only available for the iPhone which could makes your Viber contact list quite small. The release of an Android App is imminent and when released I predict that this app is going to become quite popular, very quickly. However success in the South African Market could only be achieved if a Blackberry App is developed as well (see here from reasons why Blackberry is so popular in SA). Interestingly enough if the Viber call forms part of the Blackberry Internet Service (BIS), then that would make the case for Blackberry users to use this service even more convincing.

So, in answering my question (in a rather protracted way), VOIP is STILL relevant. One could still write code smarter to utilise less data without compromising call quality. This could enable VOIP to be used effectively in weaker networks (Edge/ GPRS). Dominance in any market is never a guarantee, else we would all still have MySpace accounts. I urge all iPhone users to try this app and would also like to suggest to the guys at Skype that they may want to consider revisiting their business plan.

Download Viber from the App Store

If you want to be able download Apps, Music, Movies, TV Series etc from the US iTunes store, even if you live in SA, here is how to do it.

OK, you might have seen the rumours about Microsoft buying Skype. Microsoft is apparently offering $7 billion dollars for the VoIP service – which sounds like silly money. In fact, this might be the biggest acquisition that Microsoft has ever done. However the details lie in the partnerships this can enable for Microsoft.

Skype is the world’s dominant long distance call and video calling platform. Statistics show that Skype handled 24,7% of all minutes spent on international phone calls last year, and 40% of calls between Skype users were video. This looks like a very lucrative market, especially for Microsoft. Not too long ago MSN Messenger was very popular for video chatting, but that quickly lost appeal once people realized that great failure of interoperability between IM providers. Skype quickly took that place – because you could simply tell someone “Let’s Skype!”. I am pretty sure that people who video chat predominantly use only Skype.

Now despite Skype’s popularity, it is not exactly a money machine. In fact, financially it is not doing too well. A few years ago Ebay bought Skype, only to sell it off later after realizing it does not make any money. Ebay paid $2.6 billion for Skype, believing that its integration with its e-commerce site would enhance their services. Well that idea failed, with eBay then selling off 70% of its stock in Skype in 2009. What makes the Microsoft purchase price even more ridiculous is that their 2010 revenue (not profit) only amounted to $860 million, with the company still having $686 million in debts. So is Microsoft drinking crazy pills?

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1. To use Skype, you must be connected to a wi-fi hotspot. It will not work over AT&T’s data network. That limits its usefulness, and limits your mobility. People want the calling feature on their phone to just work, 100% of the time. That’s not this.
2. You can’t receive calls to your main number via Skype. Sure, you could potentially do a trick with Google Voice, where you get people to call a different number that rings both places. But that’s another Internet service to rely on, another potential point of failure, and more inconvenience.
3. You can’t receive calls on Skype unless the Skype app is open. That’s because iPhone apps do not run in the background — they’re only useful when they’re open. That means you have to message or talk with someone before they call you, and open your Skype app. Hardly as convenient as using a phone. You also can’t pop open another app, like the address book or calendar, to check on something — it’ll disconnect your Skype call.
4. You still have to pay your phone bill! For the iPhone, that’s a minimum $70 per month. ($40 for voice minutes and $30 for data.) Even if you cut back to the $70 plan from a more expensive plan, that’s still 40% more than the average AT&T subscriber spends on wireless service per month. Factor in $5 to $15 per month on text messaging, and you’re 50% to 60% above the average. And if you don’t use the minutes you pay for, that’s more profit for AT&T.

A tipster — a very reliable one — tells me that Skype is almost ready to launch that iPhone version, perhaps as soon as next week. CTIA Wireless, a large mobile industry trade event, kicks off in Las Vegas next Wednesday, so perhaps the announcement will be made there. I am working on getting more details, as well as screenshots of the service.

The biggest clue about Skype’s pending iPhone launch came when iSkoot decided to move on from its Skype-centric strategy. The company had been offering a client that allowed cell phone users to use Skype services. Skype already offers a Windows Mobile version of its client.

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