Comunicano

TRUPHONE INTEGRATES CALL-BRIDGING CAPABILITIES WITH ITS MOBILE INTERNET TELEPHONY SERVICE

Tuesday 27th May, London, UK: Truphone will tomorrow add call-through and call-back functionality to its mobile Internet telephony service, enabling its customers to make low-cost calls even when not connected to the Internet. The combination resulting from the existing Wi-Fi calling and the new call-bridging functionality will mean that customers only need Truphone to benefit from Internet rate calls, wherever they are.

Core facts

1. Truphone Anywhere is of most benefit to customers making calls to international numbers while out of Wi-Fi range. It is of particular advantage to people making international calls from their home country who have a deal that includes bundled or low-cost minutes for domestic calls. Typically this includes North American mobile users, monthly contract customers and many prepay customers with minimum top-up amounts. European pay-as-you-go customers and those with international discount packs should check their tariff to determine how they can make savings.

2. UK example: to make a 10-minute call from the UK to an Australian landline:
- price with Orange Pay Monthly: £0.50/min x 10 = £5.00
- price with Truphone Anywhere: £0.03/min x 10 = £0.30
- how: an in-bundle call to Truphone’s UK server, plus a £0.03/min Truphone call to an Australian landline.

3. US example: to make a 10-minute call from the US to a Chinese landline:
- price with AT&T International Dial Standard rates: $3.49/min x 10 = $34.90
- price with AT&T World Connect (additional $3.99 per month): $0.15/min x 10 = $1.50
- price with Truphone Anywhere: $0.06/min x 10 = $0.60
- how: an in-bundle call to Truphone’s US server, plus a $0.06/min Truphone call to a Chinese landline.

4. Truphone’s 'Tru Zone' pricing means call charges are always predictable and low, without any additional calling plan or change to a contract.

5. By default, Truphone Anywhere is set to ‘always ask’ for domestic-to-international call-through only. However, a customer may also choose to make Truphone Anywhere the default calling mechanism in other call scenarios. Depending on the customer’s tariff with their usual operator, Truphone Anywhere may also save money on international calls made when roaming abroad. 

6. From a technical perspective, Truphone Anywhere works through a combination of GSM calls and techniques known as call-through and call-back. Respectively, these mean:
- the first leg of a call is made to Truphone’s server and the second leg is a Truphone call via the Internet to the called party.
- standard call initiation is suspended and, instead, an SMS containing both calling party and called party numbers is sent to Truphone’s server. The Truphone server initiates a call back to the handset, a Truphone call to the called party also from the server, and connects those calls together at the server.

7. Truphone Anywhere is an integrated feature in the latest version of the Truphone service, 4.0, and works on handsets that are already compatible with Truphone. New and existing customers can get or upgrade to Truphone 4.0 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).

8. Truphone is a mobile operator for the Internet age, delivering a UK-based service accessible from around the world. All Truphone customers can make free and low-cost mobile VoIP calls over Wi-Fi and the Internet. Truphone-to-Truphone calls are always free. A Truphone customer may opt to make any call over GSM rather than via either Truphone or Truphone Anywhere, if they prefer to do so.

Quotes

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

• “Saving money on mobile phone calls can be extremely complex; there are many solutions and services available, but often they address only one type of calling scenario. The Truphone philosophy is different and we believe that people should be able simply to dial and save.”
• “To deliver this we have integrated two clever and sophisticated solutions into a single, easy-to-use service.”
• “With our friends and business contacts scattered everywhere and often only snatched time in which to call them, low-cost international calls - on the go, and without having to think about how to make them - become very attractive.”

Links to further media resources:
- Truphone press office
- Truphone Web site
- Truphone-supported handsets
- Picture: James Tagg, Truphone CEO
- Truphone blog
- Truphone Facebook group
- All Truphone pictures
- All Truphone videos

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TRUPHONE ANYWHERE TOPIC OF DISCUSSION ON ALEC SAUNDERS' SQUAWK BOX

Truphone's James Body and Tom Carter join Alec Saunders on the Squawk Box podcast to talk about Truphone's just-announced Truphone Anywhere service, which lets users make calls at low-cost Internet rates--even when not connected to the Internet. Join James, Tom and Alec here.

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.

Truphone Announces Support for New Nokia Wi-Fi Phones AND Freezes Its Rates For the Winter

Truphone made a couple of announcements today--some good news for global callers, especially those with some of the latest Nokia phones.

First, the company has confirmed that its mobile VoIP service is supported on five new Wi-Fi-equipped Nokia handsets: the Nokia N95 8G, Nokia N81, Nokia N81 8G, Nokia N82 and Nokia E51 models.

Second, all Truphone call charges have been frozen at their current rates until February 29, 2008. That means that for the next two months, Truphone calls will be free to landlines in 40 countries, and to mobiles in the U.S., Canada and elsewhere.

Further details about the announcements are posted at the Truphone Press Office.

VoIP News-VoIP In Unusual Places Story Features Thomas Howe

VoIP News' Paul Kretkowski features Comunicano client Mr. Mashup Thomas Howe in a story about how VoIP based technology is finding its way into more and more applications and services, and not necessarily in places you would expect.

Thomas Howe Company web site.

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.

Skype Journal Meets TalkPlus and Truphone at VON

Tue 30/10/2007 13:15 30102007055

James Tagg CEO of Truphone and Jeff Pulver

Tue 30/10/2007 12:40 30102007053

Jeff debuts Pulver TV