14 DAY TRIAL // We have noticed a growing trend, where more and more device manufacturers are launching tablets that offer voice calling capabilities. But let’s go a step forward. What if you could place calls from your laptop?
Even if it sounds a bit of an overstretch, it turns out you actually can. Movirtu’s new CloudPhone technology allows you to make calls to your friends and family from your tablet or laptop without a regular SIM card.
Movirtu says this atypical technology would allow users to make phone calls when they are out of mobile coverage range or conveniently, when their smartphone is out of battery.
CloudPhone is actually a client-side application that operators install on their network, enabling calls to be sent out to all devices registered under a phone number, giving users the choice of whether to pick it up via their tablet or laptop.
The soft is based on WebRTC, a system designed to bring real-time communication functions to a web browser via JavaScrip APIs and has received support of giants of the tech industry like Google, Mozilla, Ericsson and AT&T.
There are CloudPhone client-side apps for Android, iOS, Windows Phone and the system is compatible with Chrome and Mozilla so users can place phone-calls from their web-browser or via a Web-based app.
“We think the main adoption will be using the native applications. Most people think that WebRTC has to be used in the browser because of the name, but there’s no such limitation,” explained Movirtu.
So far Movirtu hasn't signed any deals with particular carriers, but apparently operators like Telefonica and Three have already deployed their own similar solutions, but the perspective is looking pretty good.
Mobile operators have to find ways to compete with free services such as Skype, that offer web-based communication free of charge and to do so, they need to be innovative.