Is the Vonage mobile app a Skype killer?

Chicago: Before Skype there was Vonage. And the new Vonage Mobile app is clearly an effort to keep up with the demands of the technology savvy consumer.

Launched in 2002, Vonage was the first ever company to offer Internet phone services - that is providing users the platform to call and connect with anyone in the world through the simple mode of the Internet, at prices that were a fraction of the tariff charged by telecom companies across the world. But as dozens of small and big companies plunged into the space opened by Vonage, the company has been forced to look for ways to reinvent itself.

So what does one do when a dish you have made is being picked on by others and you don’t have enough of it to eat yourself? Do a tit for tat and dip your fingers into some one elses pie!

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That’s exactly what Vonage has done with its Vonage Mobile App for iOS and Android devices. It takes off from the extremely popular Skype mobile app but has enough to keep its own identity intact.

While Vonage Mobile - launched on 8 February - is an extension of its VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) platform like Skype, it does not have a video chat feature. It sticks to what it knows best - voice calls. And this focus pays off with its call clarity, clearly a unique selling point of the Vonage brand.

Vonage Mobile lets you make free calls and texts to anyone who has the app installed on their mobile devices. It works on Wi-Fi and 3G/4G worldwide and is a standalone app that can be downloaded for iOS and Android devices. Once you download the app, you go through the activation process where you will be required to enter your mobile phone number and an active email address.Entering the phone number will act as your caller ID to the party that receives your call.A valid email address is where you will receive an activation code to complete the setup.

Now, once activation is complete, this is the real gem. Like another popular mobile calling app Viber, Vonage Mobile allows you to sync your device’s phonebook with the app so there’s no need to go through the torturous process of entering contacts (especially if you are the type whose pet hobby is to collect the business card of every person you meet!). The app also has an inbuilt system to automatically decipher which of your contacts is a Vonage subscriber and gives you the option to invite those that aren’t. And of course, calls and text to any other Vonage customer, anywhere in the world, won’t cost you a single rupee (if you discount the data charges you are already paying). For those who wish to call a non-Vonage subscriber, you have the ability to buy credits directly from the app via Apple’s App Store or the Android Marketplace. Vonage to Vonage calls require both parties to have the app running.

At the moment there are only two options, $4.99 and $9.99, but a list of call rates to each country are accessible through the settings menu.

I have made numerous calls using this app and overall, the quality has been quite good.

Now, let’s be real here, there are times when you want to reach somebody instantly and in those situations, you don’t care if the call costs you a few pennies or even a few dollars more. This is where the limitation of the app is quite apparent. Allow me to explain this. I live in the US and I have a buddy who lives in India and we both have the Vonage app. While we have made calls to each other a few times there was a day I tried to reach him and I got a message saying that he was not available to talk because he didn’t have the app running on his phone. So I proceed to call him directly using my credits but got the same message. Turns out, that once the user installs the app, all calls to that user are registered as a Vonage to Vonage call. So, if you want to directly dial the number of a friend who uses Vonage and their app is turned off, you may just not be able to get through. The solution to this would be to probably give the user the option of selecting the type of call he/she wants to make, either Vonage to Vonage or to use the credit. Hopefully a fix is on its way soon.

But is this the app to rule them all? Absolutely not. However it is definitely a great addition to your arsenal of communication options. Vonage touts to have per minute rates at 30 percent less than Skype. And, while that might be true, Skype allows you to download its application on mobile devices and on Windows and Macs.

But, for those who need a hook line to get onto trying something, here’s one. Aside from offering some good features and good call clarity, Vonage Mobile, offers yap happy users some initial free international call minutes. For a limited time, Vonage is offering 3,000 minutes worth of free calls to the US, Canada and Puerto Rico.

And, from personal experience of having family across the seven seas, I suggest you download the app and give it a spin. You have nothing to lose.