VoIP company SIPphone is at DEMO today, where it is launching Gizmo Call – an online service that makes VoIP phone calls possible from any web browser. It works via a Flash plugin, which enables users to make calls simply by typing a phone number into a text-field in a browser. Users can also use URLs like http://gizmocall.com/18005551212 (that link is an example only and will not work). Gizmo Call is separate from SIPphone’s other app, The Gizmo Project, which is a download VoIP app like Skype.
You do need to download a 1MB Flash plugin for Gizmo Call to work, so it’s not a download-free browser app. However it’s a once-only install and it lowers the bar for consumers wanting to start using VoIP. I myself am trying to use VoIP more in my life and telling family members about it too (of course poor broadband service is an issue here in my country!).
Gizmo Call is a nice step forward in VoIP, because users don’t need to download a big client and run a traditional installer. They don’t even need to setup an account. After the Flash plugin is installed, users can immediately make calls – albeit limited to 5 free minutes of calling per day “to just about any phone number”. They can get 10 minutes free calling if they register with an email address and can also buy Call Out minutes. Besides PSTN phones, Gizmo Call users can call for free Google Talk users, Windows Live users, Gizmo Project users and any SIP address/device. There’s also a feature enabling users to customize their CallerID, so when they make a web call it can appear to come from their mobile or office phone. Plus, being a browser-based service, users can integrate Gizmo Call into their blogs and social network pages.
Right now I use SkypeOut (and also SkypeIn), but as a non-US user I usually have to pay for SkypeOut calls. So I will probably try Gizmo Call on a few short calls and, if the calling rates are lower than Skype and with no discernable loss in quality, I will probably switch. So beware Skype, the switching costs are pretty low in this industry, with so much hot competition in the VoIP arena. It certainly keeps Skype on their toes and pushes everyone to come up with free or low cost solutions for consumers. Note that it’s still relatively expensive to use these services if you don’t happen to be based in the US, so I’m looking forward to more price competition in VoIP-to-phone for international users. Bring it on!
Originally published on ReadWriteWeb (archived copy)