And Now, Voice Chat

After per-second billing and free calls via Skype, Google Talk and Yahoo!,
the latest offering is the new Vivox voice chat system for Facebook.

This system will allow users to start a conversation with anyone on their
contact list, and the service will also be available to third party developers
who want to integrate voice into their applications.

Vivox, a Boston based company, has recently launched this service in
association with Facebook, coming close on the heels of its integrated voice
service offering virtual gaming. This service is the brainchild of Vivox Labs, a
new R&D arm of the company.

With this service, users can indulge in one-to-one chatting or large group
discussions on Facebook. A Vivox channel and phone number helps in placing calls
or receiving calls, as well. In addition, Vivox web voice service will also
allow Facebook users to set up free voice chat rooms and invite their contacts
in Facebook to participate.

Extending this service to non-Facebook users, Vivox has plans to offer free
dial-in numbers that will allow anyone to call into an existing conversation,
akin to a conference call. Moreover, since this server is being made available
on Facebook, the voice component will be available for other Facebook utility
applications also.

While providing an assurance of sound clarity, Vivox also provides an option
for Facebook users to streamline their friends' lists and choose their voice
chat invites individually, thus ensuring privacy.

For retailers, this service provides an opportunity to advertise products by
virtue of being third party Facebook developers, and thus provide a detailed
explanation about their products using the built-in voice service on Facebook
chat.

For revenue earning purposes of the Facebook integration, Vivox developers
indicate micro transactions and audio ads that users might hear before being put
into a voice channel.

While Facebook is still working on its video chat application, Goober Widget
from Goober Networks is yet another service that offers an integration of web to
IM, voice calls, video chat, file transfers, and file storage via mobile.

Offering an IM client for Windows and other OS, Goober can also be used for
cheap long distance VoIP calls and SMS. Goober is also cross-protocol thus, can
be used to communicate with users on other IM sites like Yahoo! and Google, as
well, using a multi-chat tool that is voice transmission integrated.

In addition, the Goober client has a widget wizard included, which besides
communication widgets for the popular social networks, can generate email
widgets as well, fully customized to users' needs. This is besides its other
features that include audio/video streaming web options, customizing and
designing a personalized Goober widget, free calls, slide shows and mobile
publishing. This, puts Goober Widget in the range being a RIA widget.

From a business perspective, Goober comes handy with its file transfer option
that allows users to send files to offline contacts, and also provides instant
access to files by clicking on a chat link window. It also offers high
definition video chat options with high resolution image transmission, the
quality of which will be automatically optimized to the existing resources of
users. Video chat is also available in 3D and full screen mode with webcams and
microphones being added. For VoIP, Goober offers free calls to Goober contacts,
and cheap rates for calls to others users. Goober Webfolder options include 200
MB of free memory space with Goober Messenger, customized directories and
Internet shares for files or directories, allowing non-Goober users to access
the information via URL.

With social networking sites being increasingly accessed by Indian mobile
users, Facebook's new voice chat service may further enable an integration of
extended mobile offering in terms of PC to PC calls via mobiles. Goober's
offerings of 3D video chat, free VoIP calls, and data transfer and storage
options are also the key to spurring increased integration that could help both
operators and solutions providers earn higher revenues and optimize offerings.
Spice Digital and Airtel have already launched voice chat on mobile. With
innovative services like these, other Indian operators too will soon catch up.

Beryl M

berylm@cybermedia.co.in