Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, Odds and ends, Apple, iPhone
Ifbyphone promises "voice broadcast" app in the App Store
Well this is interesting -- apparently a company called Ifbyphone has announced that they will be releasing a "Voice Broadcast" app through the iPhone's App Store in June. The application will apparently let you "transmit" voice messages to multiple recipients, like sending a voice memo out to multiple people at a time.The actual app isn't very impressive -- apparently a subscription will be required to use the service, and who knows how it works -- but the repercussions for the App Store might be interesting. What if someone releases a VOIP app through Apple's official store? What would AT&T have to say about that?
We still, even a week before WWDC, have no real idea exactly how the store is going to work and how a company or private developer will be able to get their programs on Apple's official listing, but it's conceivable that if a developer drops functionality that intersects with Apple or AT&T's profitability we could have a problem here. We'll have to watch and see if Ifbyphone's app shows up with all the functionality they claim.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
RD said 4:13PM on 6-02-2008
Does nobody recall the Q & A session with Steve Jobs and some of the other developers regarding the App Store? Someone in the media point blank asked Steve if they'd prohibit a VOiP application and Steve said as long as it's over WiFi, they didn't have a problem with it.
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Boydbme said 4:17PM on 6-02-2008
amen. I was thinking the same thing.
It's iffy as to wether this will be allowed on the cellular networks though.
for one.. it is voice communication.. which could theoretically cut into AT&T's profits from phone calls.
but on the other hand.. sending out a short voice memo (if it were capped at like.. 10 seconds) is a far cry away from actually having a phone call VOIP experience.
just my $.02
Sam Gross said 4:43PM on 6-02-2008
I'd tend to agree with both of you, if AT&T wasn't such a money-grubbing company. But, the prospect of VoIp over WiFi isn't such a bad idea.
mike said 4:47PM on 6-02-2008
RD:
that is exactly what i came here to post.
try to keep up, mike schramm.
Justin Kohler said 10:20PM on 6-02-2008
Yes, I agree with all of you combined. If they were to send a message over Cellular networks it should be capped to 20 seconds just so At&T doesnt' get angry. However, if the memo was placed over WiFi then the cap could be raised to maybe 2 min.
Jason Stoff said 7:50PM on 6-02-2008
Apparently, Steve Jobs himself weighed in on the issue at the SDK announcement.
"Q: VOIP application?
Steve: We will only limit VOIP applications over the cell net, but you can use them on Wi-FI."
Of course, to your larger point, it's a little disconcerting that Apple still has the control over what people want to put on their phones (at least, in any officially sanctioned manner).
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Aaron Davies said 7:55PM on 6-02-2008
Is it just me or is TUAW falling apart? If it weren't for Erica and its saving me from checking eight rumor sites a day, I'd have been gone months ago.
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Rubbinz said 4:47PM on 6-02-2008
Yeah, Steve's already spoken on the VOIP over WiFi. He's got no problems with it.
What I'd like to see is maybe T-Mobile release some software that would allow you to use their Hotspot@Home service ;) ;)
Or maybe the NSAT&T could get off their bums and make one of their own.
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RD said 4:56PM on 6-02-2008
I don't know if it was necessarily Mike Schramm's fault...or maybe it is...
It just seems like that Q & A session was lost to the ethernets after it was posted...and I'm glad to find that other people remember that exact comment posted.
11:27AM - Q: "How likely will there be a VoIP?"
A: "We will only limit over cellular -- if you want to dev them for WiFi, that's fine."
There it is, folks.
http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/06/live-from-apples-iphone-press-conference/
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dirty6 said 5:24PM on 6-02-2008
Thanks RD, thought I was going crazy. I read this and was like, WTF? Stevie's already addressed this...VOIP over WIFI, possible, VOIP over AT&T's network, nada chance.
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sam said 5:24PM on 6-02-2008
So you're saying there is going to be an app that allows you to transmit your VOICE with your PHONE? Wowie zowie, the future really is here. I've been waiting for a phone that can transmit (and receive) voice for years.
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Irv Shapiro said 5:55PM on 6-02-2008
The Ifbyphone Broadcast service is a messaging application, not a VOIP telephony application. Our broadcast services will be available on a wide range of platforms, the iPhone is just one of them.
Ifbyphone provides platform and transport independent telephone applications that integrate with multiple devices and business web sites. We use a device's or web site's data transport capabilities to communicate scheduling and call control data with our servers. In our applications, the traditional and VOIP telephone networks are used to transmit voice communications.
This particular service makes it very easy for someone to send a voice message to a group of recipients at a future scheduled time. The messages are delivered from our servers to recipients on any telephone.
At the present time, we have no knowledge about the potential future availability of the application in the official Apple store or any information on the Apple application distribution process or timing. We are waiting like everyone else for additional information from Apple.
We have a number of options for application distribution that are all under consideration.
When scheduling a broadcast message, we call the user's phone from our servers to record the outgoing message. This allows us to support this class of application on a wide range of devices. This includes devices on slow data networks and even devices without telephone connectivity. All the user needs to do is provide us with the number of the phone they want to use to record the outgoing message.
Many of our services, including click to call, voice broadcast, and full interactive voice response solutions, use this same style of data and telephone network combination to support the integration of telephone applications with business web sites.
Irv Shapiro
CEO
Ifbyphone
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Scott said 6:04PM on 6-02-2008
There are already services that do this and don't require a special application or anything to download. I've written about both of them in my blog (www.TheWirelessWizard.com/tips) but you can go directly to their web sites:
Pinger - www.Pinger.com
Jott - www.Jott.com
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jimbob said 8:47PM on 6-02-2008
http://www.weezerjonas.com/CDA5240F87574D8387EBDE8FEC733210/tracklink.asp?guid=9338E08DB4AC447A9F28C553C5A3D6B2
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