The cost benefits of VoIP are obvious — everyone understands that paying .03 per minute is much less than the exorbitant rates PSTN carriers charge. And the most popular VoIP platform worldwide is closing in on 200 million users — Skype (News - Alert), of course. For all its benefits, and even with Skype Mobile being available for the latest generation of smartphones and the like, people that have ordinary cell phones are not able to make those cheap domestic long distance and international calls unless they are at their PC, connected phone, or, at the very least, an wireless Internet connection. 

 

But the continued growth of the wireless industry — many users are hanging up their PSTN lines forever in favor of cell phones — and with the technological innovations being introduced each week by communications developers, it seems logical that Skype should be available for every mobile device — which is what Mobivox has introduced.

 

Through its hosted service, Mobivox is making Skype calling available to all mobile phone users, regardless of device, regardless of carrier. With the service, mobile phone users can place the same low cost calls on their mobile phones as they can sitting at their PC at home or at the office. Mobivox users can connect with each other at no cost — as they should… after all, it’s merely connecting Skype to Skype.

 

Unlike many other mobile services, Mobivox does not require users to download software onto their phones. Rather, registered users dial a local access number and then place their calls with the assistance of VoxGirl — Mobivox’ IVR system. If users have downloaded contacts into their Mobivox directory, they can dial using voice commands; otherwise they can simply continue by manually dialing the number on their keypad.

 

Mobivox also enables several other useful features, including adding up to nine other people for a conference call; transferring calls from your mobile to your home phone simply by saying to VoxGirl, “transfer home”; and Web access for calling and contact books.

 

When placing calls to mobile or landline phones (i.e., non-Skype or Mobivox accounts), users are charged a mere 1.9 cents per minute — presumably getting a bulk rate from Skype.

 

The question, as TMC’s (News - Alert) vice president of conferences and publications Dave Rodriguez pointed out, is even if Mobivox is paying a carrier rate to Skype, how is Mobivox going to generate enough minutes to turn this venture into a profitable venture. Certainly, they Skype users are out there, but the technology is available to other service providers, who may soon try to cut into Mobivox’ business.