Mobile VoIP: Clearing Up Confusion
Recently, I came across a competitor’s press release, announcing a new enhancement: VoIP Anywhere. This company, which shall remain unnamed, went on to discuss the groundbreaking ability to have mobile VoIP. After reading through, I found this was not any sort of technology breakthrough; it was a marketing spin on existing technology. Unfortunately, this happens a lot in our industry, and I wonder if it just serves to confuse end users. This inspired a quick blog on what is mobile VoIP? For us, the term mobile VoIP simply means using a VoIP client (soft phone) on one’s mobile device. We’ve been mentioning mobile VoIP for quite some time now, beginning mobile VoIP client reviews last year. OnSIP works with any SIP user agent (phone) – from a software phone to a desk phone. OnSIP users simply need to configure their phones with their OnSIP user credentials. As such, OnSIP also works with SIP-based mobile applications. For instance, if you have an Android, use CSIP Simple for free. Have an iPhone? Try Bria, a very user-friendly application that we've been told will include video calling in the near future. Essentially, with a SIP mobile application, a mobile phone can be transformed into a more compact and easy-to-carry desk phone. If you make an outbound call via OnSIP on your mobile SIP application, your company caller ID will display at the call’s endpoint. Anyone using OnSIP can simply download an app onto his/her smart phone to have a mobile device working exactly like a desk phone. Mobile VoIP users will be able to make and receive calls without using up mobile minutes. They will also be able to take advantage of the extension-to-extension dialing features they’d otherwise use on their desk phones. Although this post may not be “news” to some of you, we wanted to remind everyone that you can use OnSIP with a mobile SIP application. Check our mobile VoIP page for more information, and feel free to call Support when configuring your own mobile devices. This blog post is by Nicole Hayward and Matthew Barrett.
Comments
jason @ VoIP (not verified)
Wed, 10/12/2011 - 12:54
Mobile VoIP
Let's be honest here: there are so many people out there who have only just heard of VoIP that some companies coulod say anything under the 'banner' and sell it. There are such people who do, and it's up to the customer to decide who is telling the truth and selling the real deal. That's where customer service, marketing and reputation (hopefully) come into play.
Ralph (not verified)
Fri, 10/21/2011 - 12:16
Yeah you're right.
The industry is still relatively new, and most of the people doing the buying don't know what the hell they're doing. If the majority of the population doesn't even know what SHOULD cost money and what should come free, then it's open season for marketing and PR bullshit. So many VoIP companies charge premiums for stuff that should come free or rely on consumer ignorance to hike up prices. Examples such as 'No, you have to use OUR phones' or 'Want another phone to ring when someone calls you? Yeah that's gonna be an extra 10 bucks a month'. The only reason they get away with it is bc people don't know any better, and with stuff like this to add to all the noise and confusion, it gets even harder to inform them.
Nicole
Tue, 11/08/2011 - 11:42
Totally agree
Totally agree with you both, Ralph and Jason. Thanks for reading!
Ann (not verified)
Sun, 10/30/2011 - 10:45
Mobile Voip
I was with you so far, and then you had to use tech jargon that left me more confused. 1 -"SIP user agent" why not say, "OnSip works with any phone." (if this is a correct statement) 2 - "Voip client" why not say "software(app) you use on your smartphone." I agree, there's lots of misleading marketing,and as someone who's simply trying to find out how to make international calls from my iphone while on vacation in Italy for 2 weeks, I can tell you I've spent hours reading contradicting info. on the internet. Google Voice seemed like the solution for some time, till I finally read it uses the same ole 3G lines anyway, so reduced rate but roaming charges would kill you in the end anyway. If you have a product that has good quality calls using WIFI only hotspots. . . SAY IT SIMPLY.
mike@junctionne...
Tue, 11/08/2011 - 14:56
Re: Jargon
All good points. At this time in technology however, we want to differentiate between SIP-enabled phones and "old school" phones. So the phrase "works with any phone" would be confusing and or misleading. Secondly, not all SIP phones are actual devices. Many are apps on mobile devices or software programs on laptops or desktops. Yes, sometimes those in technology are too entrenched in the technology to see the jargon issues as it's just every-day jargon for us and we want to be as accurate as possible. Those two facets can cause us to use jargon familiar to use and precise, but unfamiliar and unclear to our readers. In an attempt, therefore, to be a little more clear, A "SIP User Agent" is any device, phone, software-based phone or app that allows for communication over the Internet via the SIP protocol, e.g. a SIP-enabled phone. We have updated the post to address your concerns and, as always, thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts.
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