January 27th, 2006
Next big thing: private label softphones for non-tech websites
Yesterday at the VoIP 2.0 IP Telephony Conference in Fort Lauderdale - wearing my ZDNet badge ever-proudly -I moderated a "VoIP Mobility Reality Check" panel.
Over the next several days I will be seeding this blog with statements and insights offered via this panel, as well as some take-aways I obtained from it.
But couldn’t wait to share this with you.
During Q-A I asked a question of CounterPath Solutions Inc. CTO Jason Fischl. CounterPath is the company formerly known as Xten. If you have a Vonage softphone, or any of several others, that’s their product you are using.
It popped into my head that if CounterPath could build a carrier-branded eyeBeam softphone (shown above) sold as part of a VoIP package by VoIP access providers, then why the dickens couldn’t CounterPath build a private-label cell phone for non- VoIP, or even non-technical websites.
Jason says that this, in fact, is being done. Apparently the CounterPath SDK has been making the rounds lately in the cause of just the type of private-label VoIP services I am envisioning.
I am envisioning a world where a bank website could have a click to call icon that would bring up a bank-branded softphone provided by CounterPath. And working with CounterPath, the bank could hook up with a VoIP minutes wholesaler.
I can think of many industry sectors where private label VoIP cell phones might make sense. Hotel and travel websites- call the destination during or even after you book. Online shopping sites. Educational institutions. Retailers. The list goes on and on.
Do you think I’ve uncovered something here? TalkBack!
Russell Shaw is an enterprise computing journalist, analyst and author based in Portland, Oregon. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
