From the EDge

While still in a stealth release, the PontiVoce software is initially targeting users outside of the US and Canada who can use a friend or family member’s PC in the US or Canada to make free phone calls. Added ramifications are already being seen. It is proof to me that it is quite difficult to create a one-ride-pony product when the design goals are to give people control over their communications.

When we move toward a more formal release, our story will be about opening up the Skype promotional offer of free calling in US and Canada to friends outside or the free calling zone, but it is already more. I have not written much about TeleVoce in this blog, trying to provide more general comments here, but this is a great time to share how products are born.

Like many technology companies, even as a startup, we have development in India and headquarters in Silicon Valley. International communications are part of my daily life. For testing we have software tools to enable remote control of PCs. When I started getting Skype calls to my cell phone from India that were free, I realized that we had a product and immediately we directed efforts to turn our testing tool into a product. We wanted to make a simple product so that others could enjoy this capability.

We have done that with the first release of the PontiVoce software. Tom Keating described the product operation very well, and I would be remiss if I didn’t give the link to our site. The basic premise is to give a remote user the ability to control my Skype. This first release allows you to select who has that control, and for now it only allows calls to be made within the US and Canada. This is a great thing for those outside of the free Skype promotional area, and it supports Skype’s objectives of getting more users in the US and Canada.

Even before we start adding more features, new uses for the first-release PontiVoce software are being found. We use it all the time now and find it more flexible than Skype’s call forward. You can always set your Skype to forward calls, typically to your cell phone. A useful feature, but then everyone can reach you. While driving one day I got a call from Algiers and a French-speaking caller just randomly calling. So you can fix that by only allowing your buddy list to forward calls. Not with my buddy list! PontiVoce to the rescue.

With PontiVoce, I enable callers that I wish to use my Skype to call me. This is particularly useful because right now it is free (we will help extend that–later). When I give those callers control I can close Skype to answering any calls if I wish, but all of my preferred contacts can find me anywhere. Call my home, office, or cell. Track me down– and its free. It has turned out to be the way we are using Skype right now. Very convenient, and we did not even realize how we would be using our own product.

That’s not all. Many international families enjoy having Ethernet telephone adapters (ATA’s) so that a US number can be used to ring in any country in the world. (This is the Vonage, et. al., market.) We have already seen calls made to the US on Skype, directed to a US Vonage number that rings in another country. In this particular case, a caller in Pune, India connected on Skype to the US where PontiVoce software directed a call to the Vonage US number (free) that rang in Mumbai (Bombay). Now the Mumbai residence has a second line for callers not just in the US! And it’s free for all those callers.

So what’s my point? Take advantage of our own Crazy Eddie while you can. I said let’s offer it for $5.95 as long as we can. Early customers are always highly regarded. We will allow all users upgrades for some time. Those who join the TeleVoce-Connected movement now will benefit economically as PontiVoce software advances.

It has only been out for a week. What will be next? How will you use PontiVoce software?

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 26th, 2006 at 12:47 pm and is filed under Product, Skype, Tech Life, VoIP. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.