Comunicano

PALRINGO UNVEILS INNOVATIVE MESSAGING SERVICE FOR NORTH AMERICAN MOBILE USERS

Palringo Connects People—
Regardless of Location, Carrier, Computer or Mobile Device

LONDON–June 11, 2008—Palringo announced its North American market debut of Rich Messaging Service—the first messaging service to extend all the powerful functionality of PC-based services to most modern mobile phones and PDAs, regardless of operating system, network or mobile operator.

For the first time, mobile users can easily exchange text, voice chat-style messages and pictures with friends, family and colleagues across all popular PC-based IM services, such as AOL AIM and Google Talk, whether sitting at a computer or on the move using a mobile phone or PDA.

The free Palringo service is made possible by integrating previously separate messaging services into a single, easy-to-use interface, eliminating the need to continually switch between multiple IM tools. In addition, Palringo’s dynamic voice messaging combines walkie-talkie style voice chat with the real-time text chat functionality of IM along with the ability to share pictures within the context of a discussion. The service supports both one-on-one and group discussions and enables real-time conversations that can incorporate users from across the globe over any mobile network, any connected computer and most popular mobile devices.

“Today’s IM services are held captive within inoperable technology silos, offering limited cross-platform functionality that is frustrating for users,” said Kerry Ritz, CEO of Palringo. “As users increasingly substitute their mobile devices for their desktop computers, they want to extend all of the rich functionality of PC-based services into those devices, and they don’t want to be hindered by the operating system, network or wireless operator. In short, it’s all about messaging the way people communicate in real life—whether that’s through sending text, voice or picture messages.”

Palringo’s Rich Messaging Service has already gained momentum in the United Kingdom with select users and is being heralded as the most flexible and feature-rich IM solution available. With its N. American introduction, Palringo is unlocking the pent-up demand for easy-to-use instant-messaging applications, empowering a multitude of new mobile communications possibilities and delivering unrealized revenue opportunities in one of the largest mobile markets in the world. 

Palringo is led by seasoned executives who have experience bringing ground-breaking technology to market, including Ritz, former president of Vonage UK, and CTO and Co-Founder Martin Rosinski.

Ritz joined Palringo as CEO in January 2008. Prior to his work at Vonage, he held a number of leadership positions at global companies, including 3 (Hutchison 3G); InterMatrix, one of the United Kingdom’s oldest strategy consulting firms; Finnish multinational Huhtamaki; and Kraft General Foods.

Rosinski is an award-winning engineer and technologist, and previously developed software that is currently used by major international companies including Ford, BMW and Siemens.

Palringo’s Rich Messaging Service is available now for download at www.palringo.com. The service is compatible with Windows Mobile, Symbian and Java-based clients, including devices from Nokia, Motorola, LG, Samsung, HTC and SonyEricsson.

The company will soon introduce compatibility with Apple’s Mac OS and the popular iPhone. BlackBerry users will also be able to take advantage of Palringo’s Rich Messaging Service soon, as will Facebook users.

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About Palringo

Palringo makes Instant Messaging work on mobile. The service combines walkie-talkie style voice (Vocal Instant Messaging) with the real-time text chat functionality of Instant Messaging and enriches communications further by offering the ability to share pictures within the context of a discussion. The service supports both one-on-one and group discussions, and enables real-time conversations that can incorporate users from across the globe, on any mobile network or connected PC. The application supports connections to other popular Instant Messaging services and enables mobile users to send Vocal and Picture Messages along with the more common text-based chat messages. The company's application is available for free from www.palringo.com.

VOXBONE SUPPLIES THE NUMBERS AND NETWORK ACCESS BEHIND “TRUPHONE ANYWHERE”

Voxbone’s DIDs load into Truphone’s handset software for automatic entrée to free or low-cost calling from 34 countries – without WiFi

BRUSSELS, Belgium, May 28, 2008 -- Voxbone, a leading provider of local telephone numbers and VoIP transport to communications service providers and businesses worldwide, today announced that it has been tapped by Truphone to provide the access numbers for the mobile VoIP company’s new “Truphone Anywhere” service.

“Truphone Anywhere” is the latest addition to Truphone’s mobile VoIP handset software. It will work like an all-knowing, international calling card – without the card. When the Truphone-running phone is dialled and senses the presence of a WiFi network, it will convey the caller’s voice as data via the Internet.

Invisible access to the IP network
“Truphone Anywhere” enters the picture when no WiFi LAN is detected. In that case, the mobile phone determines the country in which it is currently being used. From there, the phone chooses the appropriate Voxbone local access number from its own internal database and dials it behind the scenes to the nearest Truphone server.  That server takes the user-entered digits and completes the call to the called party via the Internet. 

The Truphone Anywhere call has actually begun on the cellular network, switched to VoIP at the access number/gateway, and converted back out to the PSTN on a far-end gateway to reach the given PSTN number. By circumventing the PSTN for all but the first and last miles, the service has reduced costs from 25/50 cents or more to a few pennies per minute.  It saves the most where the caller incurs little or no charge for the domestic call made to the access number.

If no access numbers are locally available or are prohibitively expensive to dial, Truphone users have another option in “call-back” connectivity.  Here, the handset sends an SMS containing both calling party and called party numbers to Truphone’s server.  The Truphone server initiates a call back to the handset and once automatically answered, calls the called party and connects both calls together.  All this happens in the background; the user has simply dialled the number he wishes to reach, as usual.

An integrated feature in the latest (4.0) version of the Truphone service, Truphone Anywhere can be downloaded at the Truphone Web site or by sending an SMS message with the word ‘Tru’ to 202 683 8200 (from North America) or to +44 7978 88 11 11 (from everywhere else).

“Between the automatic WiFi usage of our VoIP software and the automatic access-number dialling across the cellular network, our domestic user never has to pay international calling charges,” says James Tagg, CEO, Truphone.  “Even users abroad stand to save.  While many solutions and services are available, they usually address only one type of calling scenario. The Truphone philosophy is different.  We believe that people should be able simply to dial and save.”

About Voxbone
Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, Voxbone provides worldwide DID numbers and toll-free phone numbers over its own private intercontinental VoIP network. The all-IP architecture of the Voxbone core network enables customers to rapidly deploy new communications services with local presence, while simultaneously reducing costs. Voxbone leases international DID numbers and toll-free numbers via VoIP to organizations in North and South America, Europe and Asia/Pacific regions. It delivers high-quality call origination and provides the global infrastructure that enables its customers to expand to international markets quickly and efficiently. Using these numbers, Voxbone customers may receive inexpensive, locally dialed phone calls from 43 countries. Founded in 2002, the company is privately held.

About Truphone
The first true Mobile Internet Network Operator (MINO), London-based Truphone allows users of Wi-Fi-enabled mobile phones to make and receive regular telephone calls and to send, and to receive SMS text messages, using only a Wi-Fi connection and the Internet. Although still in beta, it has already attracted tens of thousands of users in 149 countries. For more information, visit www.truphone.com and www.truphonepressoffice.com.

Truphone is the trading name of Software Cellular Network Limited.

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MOBIVOX Named a Finalist in the 2008 “Webware 100” Awards for Communication

Online Voting Poll for Winners is Open to the Public at
http://www.webware.com/100

MONTREAL, March 6, 2008 - MOBIVOX today announced that their calling service has been selected by the editors of Webware, a CNET site, as a finalist in this year’s “Webware 100” Awards for Communication. The Webware 100 Awards recognize the best Web 2.0 sites, services, and applications that are leading the next wave of innovation.  Finalists are selected by the editors of Webware, but the ultimate winners will be picked by the public.  Winners will be announced on Monday, April 21, 2008.

Webware (www.webware.com) provides the latest information on Web 2.0 sites, services, and applications. Its timely and relevant blog entries about hundreds of web-based services, such as wikis, blogs, and social networking sites, help users determine the best products for them to use in their daily lives.  Webware is led by veteran tech journalist and CNET Editor-at-Large Rafe Needleman, with additional entries from the CNET editors.  Webware editors received and reviewed thousands of entries.  Voting is open to the public beginning Monday, February 25, 2008 at noon PACIFIC and closes on Monday, March 31, 2008 and can be accessed at http://www.webware.com/100.

MOBIVOX makes it possible to call family and friends around the world for free, from ANY phone. MOBIVOX members simply dial a local access number and say the name of the person they’d like to call. No calling cards and long numbers to remember. No need for a computer, special software or complex downloads. Calls between MOBIVOX members are free to over 40 destinations. For all other calls, MOBIVOX offers affordable rates starting at 1.9 cents per minute.

“We set high standards when we launched MOBIVOX last year. We are proud to offer a free and low cost, high quality, international calling service that can be used from any phone, anywhere.” said Nitzan Shaer, COO MOBIVOX.  “We’re honored that Webware has recognized our efforts as we continue to build out our services and extend our user network.”

The ten categories include Audio (music, podcasts, and audiobooks); Browsing (browsers, start pages, RSS readers, widgets, and runtime engines); Commerce and Events (retail, auctions, travel, real estate, concerts, and conferences); Communications (e-mail, chat, and voice); Productivity (app suites, to-do lists, and groupware); Publishing and photography (blogging, content management, and photo sites); Search and Reference (search engines, encyclopedias, and mapping); Social (social networking, family sites, recommendations, online worlds, and contests); Utility and Security (infrastructure providers, storage, and online protection); and Video (video storage, playback, streaming, editing, and animation).

Winners will be invited to celebrate at Web 2.0 Expo San Francisco (http://www.web2expo.com/) held April 22-25 at the Moscone Center West in San Francisco.  Web 2.0 Expo is the official partner of the 2008 Webware 100 Awards. 

More than 480,000 votes were cast in the 2007 Webware 100 Awards.  Last year’s winners can be seen here:  Http://www.webware.com/html/ww/2007.html

Cast your vote for MOBIVOX today at http://www.webware.com/html/ww/100/2008/vote_comm.html?compid=103377

About MOBIVOX

MOBIVOX is an international calling service that makes it possible to call friends and family around the world for free from any phone. Calls between members are free to more than 40 destinations and members can save up to 98 percent on all other international calls to non-MOBIVOX members.  Mobivox is a privately held company whose investors include IDG Ventures Boston, IDG Venture Investment China, IDG Ventures Vietnam, Brightspark and Skypoint.

For more information, please visit http://www.mobivox.com.

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Media Contact:
MOBIVOX
Sue Huss
bizpr@mobivox.com
1 + (619) 379-4396

Truphone Makes International Calling Affordable For Everyone

Hangs up on mobile international roaming charges

LONDON - March 4, 2008 - The days of making expensive international mobile phones calls are over thanks to Truphone, an innovative UK mobile company.

Truphone, the “mobile operator for the Internet age,” has revealed a revolutionary new pricing structure that makes international calling more affordable than ever by eliminating international roaming charges.  The company’s service routes all mobile and landline calls using Wi-Fi and the Internet. 

Truphone customers will be able to call countries in its “Tru Zone” at the fabulously low rates of just USD0.06 per minute to landlines and USD0.30 per minute to mobiles from almost anywhere on the planet.  More importantly, a Truphone-to-Truphone mobile call is always free, no matter where in the world the two parties may be traveling.

The 40 countries in the “Tru Zone” account for 60 percent of the world’s mobile phones and include most EU countries, Australia, Japan and Russia.  Calls to certain countries - including China, Hong Kong, USA and Canada - will cost even less, at just USD0.06 per minute to both landlines and mobiles.

By contrast, a Verizon Wireless customer without an international calling plan could pay as much as USD1.49 per minute to call a landline phone or USD1.68 to call a mobile phone in Germany.  That same person calling from Germany (using a rented mobile phone) to the United States would be charged about USD1.29 per minute.

Truphone frees people not only from high prices but also from the fear of those high prices.  “People don’t know how much they’ll be charged to make a mobile call to friends abroad or to call back home from holiday.  But they do know it’s expensive,” explained James Tagg, Truphone’s CEO.  “We’ve made it simple for customers by eliminating roaming charges.  Now they can pay the same low price to make a call, wherever they are in the world.”

“Wi-Fi and the Internet, which we use to carry our customers’ calls, is almost everywhere.  Those on holiday, expatriates, migrant workers, business people, anyone with friends, family or colleagues in a different country... they can all now sidestep high international roaming fees.  People should be hanging up on roaming charges, not be hung up on them,” Tagg said.

Truphone has also eliminated roaming charges for receiving mobile calls abroad, something that routinely impacts travellers who don’t realize that they pay a high price for inbound calls.  Receiving a call abroad is much more affordable with Truphone.

TRUPHONE, the global, mobile operator for the Internet age is changing the TELECOM landscape and winning customers with innovative and cost effective solutions

[ends]

Notes to editors
1. For more resources visit www.truphonepressoffice.com.
2. See the new Truphone website for more information: www.truphone.com.
3. Comparison pricing is correct as at February 29th 2008.
4. Beyond the Tru Zone is an outer zone containing a further 30 countries, including India, Pakistan, South Africa and Bangladesh. Calls to these countries cost just USD0.50 per minute to mobiles, and just USD0.10 per minute to landlines.
5. Text messages to mobiles cost USD0.20 from/to anywhere in the world.
6. Call charges to mobiles and landlines outside of either the Tru Zone or the outer zone vary, but are all at low, internet rates.
7. Only customers based in the UK are billed in GBP.  Customers based anywhere outside the UK are billed in USD.
8. Pricing structure excludes calls to some premium and non-geographic numbers.

FORMER ELECTRONIC ARTS COO AND UBISOFT EXECUTIVE JOINS MOBIVOX TEAM

Arrival of Maxime Julien as Senior Vice President, Research & Development
first step in expansion of MOBIVOX'S Montreal team

MONTREAL, QC, Dec. 4, 2007 - MOBIVOX, which makes it possible to connect with family and friends around the world for free from any phone, today announced that Maxime Julien has joined the company as Senior Vice President, Research & Development.

Maxime Julien has more than 15 years of management experience in the high tech and engineering sectors. Prior to joining MOBIVOX, Maxime was COO of Electronic Arts' Montreal studio and VP, Operations at Ubisoft Entertainment. Earlier in his career, Mr. Julien held several executive positions with industry leaders CAE, Motorola, Teleglobe and Ericsson. Maxime Julien holds an MBA (Finance) from HEC Montréal and a B.Eng. (Electrical) from Université Laval.

"I'm very excited to be joining the MOBIVOX team at this time of accelerated growth," said Maxime Julien, SVP R&D, MOBIVOX. "This is an unparalleled opportunity to build a world-class company - based in Montreal - that creates innovative communications services for consumers worldwide."

With several hundred thousand subscribers, MOBIVOX continues to expand its customer base in 44 countries. In addition to recently appointing the former head of Mobile from Skype as COO and opening an office in Boston, MOBIVOX is expected to hire about 25 programmers and developers in the coming months.

"Maxime's energy and track record of success in building and leading world-class R&D teams in Montreal makes him a perfect addition to our senior management team," added Stéphane Marceau, President and CEO, MOBIVOX.

About MOBIVOX

Headquartered in Montreal, MOBIVOX brings advanced communications services to consumers. With Mobivox, calls are free from anywhere in the world to 44 countries and members save up to 98% on all other international calls. After registering at www.mobivox.com, members simply call a local access number. When calling, members need only say the name of the person they wish to reach. No need for calling cards, personal identification numbers, computers, special software or complicated downloads. MOBIVOX works on any phone and membership is free. Privately held Mobivox recently closed an $11 million round of financing. Investors include IDG Ventures Boston, IDG Venture Investment China, IDG Ventures Vietnam, Brightspark Ventures and Skypoint Capital. For more information, please visit www.mobivox.com.

TRUPHONE IS A "RED HERRING 100 Global" Award Winner

Truphone is a "Red Herring 100 Global" Award Winner

Red Herring Magazine has announced that Truphone has won a Red Herring 100 Global 2007 award. Some 1800 companies - Red Herring 100 winners and finalists from North America, Europe and Asia in the last three years - were eligible for the awards, which celebrate the world's most promising private technology ventures.

James Tagg, Truphone's CEO, said: "Truphone is on a mission to create the mobile operator for the internet age. This award is a welcome acknowledgment of what we're doing and how we're going about it."

The Red Herring editorial team used a very competitive process to whittle down the pool of 1800 eligible promising companies to the 100 winners of this first-time award. Evaluations were made on both quantitative and qualitative criteria such as financial performance, innovation, management, global strategy, and ecosystem integration. The winning companies were announced and celebrated at the Red Herring Global event in Seattle, USA, between December 3-5.

About Red Herring
Red Herring is a global media company uniting the world's best high technology innovators, venture investors and business decision makers in a variety of forums: a leading innovation magazine; an online daily technology news service; technology research, and major events for technology leaders around the globe. Red Herring provides an insider's access to the global innovation economy, featuring unparalleled insights on the emerging technologies driving the economy. For more information, visit www.redherring.com .

TRUPHONE BUILDS FREE PHONE CALLS APPLICATION USING FACEBOOK PLATFORM

Truphone today announced a unique softphone application built on Facebook Platform that enables Facebook users and their friends to call each other for free. Among the 'firsts' introduced by the Truphone 'Call Me' application is a moveable button that can be dropped anywhere on Facebook that accepts attachments, enabling users to:

* Embed their 'Call Me' button within Facebook messages;
* Post their 'Call Me' button onto their friends' walls;
* Drop their 'Call Me' button onto Facebook group and discussion boards.

The Truphone 'Call Me' application is available to all Facebook users. Users do not need a Truphone account or a special phone in order to use the application.

Core information

1. Facebook users adding the application choose the number on which they'd like to take inbound calls and get a Truphone 'Call Me' button on their profile. A different number may easily be selected at any time, from these options:

- Truphone mobile number

- US cell phone

- US landline

- Other landline (choice from 40 countries worldwide)

- Google Talk identity

- Grand Central number

- Any SIP phone

2. Currently and until at least Dec. 31, 2007, calls made using a Truphone 'Call Me' button to any of these numbers are free, in line with Truphone's present pricing.
3. To make a call directly from their PC, any friend may simply click on the Call Me button and the Truphone application makes the call via a softphone embedded into Facebook. Truphone's 'click to call' approach differs from some other 'click to call back' ("bridging") applications which require both the caller and callee to add their numbers.
4. A user's 'Call Me' Button can be set to only be visible to that user's friends. Actual phone numbers are not revealed.
5. Facebook users may use the 'Call Me' Button on their friends' profiles for free for a limited period before they must install the application themselves. There is no cost or commitment.
6. The Truphone 'Call Me' application is a regular Facebook application, so users can get it in the usual ways: - by clicking 'Add' when they see a Truphone 'Call Me' Button on a friend's profile - searching for Truphone in the application directory on Facebook.
7. Facebook is a social utility that offers an efficient way for people to stay connected with their friends and the people around them. Facebook users communicate and share information through the social graph, the network of connections and relationships between people. With more than 54 million users, Facebook is the sixth most-trafficked website in the United States. Facebook recently launched Facebook Platform, a development platform that enables companies and engineers to integrate with Facebook and gain access to millions of users. More than 50 per cent of Facebook users return to the site each day, providing unparalleled distribution potential for applications and the opportunity to build a business that is highly relevant to people's lives.

Quotes

Dean Elwood, platform director, Truphone, said:

* “A generation of people is emerging that doesn't use email. Instead, they use Facebook, messaging, and wall postings. Our view was that the Truphone Call Me application should remain true to the Facebook user experience, and to achieve that we've delivered an application with some truly progressive elements."
* "The Truphone Call Me application is completely embedded within the existing Facebook user experience. We never make a user leave Facebook or have to pick up another device such as a phone; instead, we've embedded a softphone into Facebook."
* "One particularly exciting thing is that anytime a new service that accepts attachments is introduced to Facebook, our application will work on it because the Truphone Call Me button can be dropped into any attachment. So people may use our application in ways that haven't been envisaged yet."

James Tagg, Truphone's chief executive officer, said:

* "By using Truphone VoIP, the Truphone 'Call Me' application delivers real, practical value and uses VoIP to bridge social media with regular telephony."
* "In the same way that messages on Facebook are always welcome because they are by definition always from friends, phone calls from friends are surely welcome too. We want to encourage people to talk to each other more and, using Truphone, we can help to get people talking again spontaneously and for free."

Links

* Video showing how it works [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sx1drqa1lbg ]
* Facebook website [ http://apps.facebook.com/truphone/ ]
* Truphone website [ www.truphone.com ]
* Truphone press office [ www.truphonepressoffice.com ]
* Truphone pictures [ http://www.flickr.com/photos/truphone/collections ]

Truphone shortlisted for Red Herring 100 Global Awards 2007

Red Herring Magazine has announced that Truphone has been shortlisted for the Red Herring 100 Global 2007 Awards, which celebrate the world’s most promising private technology ventures.

Red Herring 100 winners and finalists from North America, Europe and Asia of the last three years were eligible for this award. The Red Herring editorial team used a very competitive process to whittle down this pool of 1800 eligible promising companies to the 200 finalists of this first-time award. Evaluations were made on both quantitative and qualitative criteria such as financial performance, innovation, management, global strategy, and ecosystem integration.

James Tagg, Truphone’s CEO, said: “It’s a great privilege for Truphone to be identified as one of the 200 most promising technology companies in the world. It is testament to the work that we have done and continue to do in changing the world of mobile communications.”

Joel Dreyfuss, Editor-in-Chief of Red Herring, said: "The 200 finalists we selected from around the world are all excellent contenders. They are exceptional companies with smart and innovative platforms that attest to the importance of technology in today’s global economy.”

Notes to editors

1. Red Herring Global is an exclusive event honoring cutting-edge private technology companies from across the world. The event brings together an elite roster of entrepreneurial and global venture investment firms to showcase excellence in innovation. It features keynote discussions, roundtable panels and networking events designed for participants to make connections and learn what it takes to achieve the best worldwide in business and technology.

2. The names of the 200 companies short-listed as finalists for the "Red Herring 100 Global 2007" can be found online at http://www.herringevents.com/global07/index.html.

3. The finalists companies will be celebrated at the Red Herring Global event in Seattle, WA, between December 3rd-5th. The 100 winners will be announced at the Award Ceremony on December 4th.

About Red Herring

Red Herring is a global media company uniting the world’s best high technology innovators, venture investors and business decision makers in a variety of forums: a leading innovation magazine; an online daily technology news service; technology research, and major events for technology leaders around the globe. Red Herring provides an insider’s access to the global innovation economy, featuring unparalleled insights on the emerging technologies driving the economy. For more information, visit www.redherring.com.

SkyNews Covers Vringo

Vringo's CEO and co-founder Jon Medved was recently interviewed at Vringo's offices by Sky News, one of Europe's leading news outlets.

The Sky News video coverage shows, in vivid color, how Vringo works and reveals some of Vringo's content partners too.

Skype Journal Meets TalkPlus and Truphone at VON

Tue 30/10/2007 13:15 30102007055