A few weeks ago I was introduced to Tanveer Sharif, CEO of Vopium to discuss the Vopium app 2.1 enhancements and what they mean to users.
The update, Version 2.1, offers these enhancements:
* An in-app payment feature that enables a user to pay via an account in iTunes for calls to non-Vopium users, instead of having to enter credit card details.
* A presence indication of Vopium contacts for push-notification-based calling. This feature increases the likelihood of free calls by ensuring that Wi-Fi/3G calls go through even when the app is in the background or closed. The moment the app is launched, Vopium users among a customer's contacts are highlighted.
According to Tanveer, the three top benefits of using Vopium are low cost, availability and flexibility. Having downloaded the app on my iPhone 4s, I found calling to be just as Tanveer said. I especially like, when any of my contacts have the Vopium app, that their electronic business card (contact data) is highlighted in green signifying a free call is possible. What I found particularly cool is when calls are placed with Vopium and a Wi-Fi connection there is no local call charge. Then, when you and the person you are calling are both on Vopium and Wi-Fi, it's a free call.
So as AT&T and Verizon continue to push prices of data plans higher, users can push back on costs by downloading apps like Vopium to reduce their cell voice costs.
But this isn't the only reason to use Vopium. According to the JD Powers study last year, in 2011, cell phone voice calls made indoors total about 56% of all calls. Then, JD Powers goes on to write that cell voice quality is not improving, due to weak penetration of signal indoors. WiFi seems to be the best viable alternative, especially when the odds are your next cellphone voice call will be indoors and probably within range of WiFi.
The Vopium app also extends IM and SMS. The interesting aspect of Vopium is that those AT&T and Verizon can continue to argue justification for price increases, but how many users will either completely avoid using cellular voice or displace their existing cellular voice with alternative carriers such as Vopium? As cellular data prices push upward, will users tolerate the price increases?
What I found more revealing was Cisco's "Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2010-2015." In their report, they note that:
Smartphones represent only 13 percent of total global handsets in use today, but they represent over 78 percent of total global handset traffic.
In 2010, 3 million tablets were connected to the mobile network, and each tablet generated 5 times more traffic than the average smartphone. There were 94 million laptops on the mobile network in 2010, and each laptop generated 22 times more traffic than the average smartphone.
In 2010, 3 million tablets were connected to the mobile network, and each tablet generated 5 times more traffic than the average smartphone.
There were 94 million laptops on the mobile network in 2010, and each laptop generated 22 times more traffic than the average smartphone.
This may mean that alternatives or bypass to traditional cell carriers such as Vopium will play a greater role in not just getting cheap cellular voice, but just getting a call to complete. Cisco's traffic forecast states that, "Mobile data traffic nearly tripled in 2010." Now may be a good time to begin leveraging a bypass to cellular voice, to avoid potential disruption later. The cost savings can be substantial but the continuity could become invaluable.
