Send voice messages to your business partners, friends or family for free, the company says

Jun 3, 2008 11:07 GMT  ·  By

Ifbyphone, a hosted voice application and platform company, says that its new "Voice Broadcast" app, due out in July via the App Store, will enable iPhone owners to send free voice messages to each other just like sending voice memos. Ifbyphone says that its new "Voice Broadcast" technology will be released as an application for iPhones running the iPhone 2.0 software.

Logically, the first question that pops into your mind is: what about VoIP (voice over IP)-using apps? Apple and AT&T (or other hot-shots) surely have something similar for iPhone owners lined up and especially for future buyers of the 3G handset, so how this app is going to affect the two giants' profits remains to be seen. In the meanwhile, let's see how Ifbyphone's app is going be of any use to you, as an iPhone owner.

"Ifbyphone's Voice Broadcast service conveniently circumvents spam filters and junk folders by relying on an innovative telecommunications platform to deliver messages over the telephone," the company says. "As such, it can be a vital tool for your business when it comes time to notify customers of important company information. Rather than using email, alert your customers to sales, deliveries and events through Ifbyphone's Web-based Voice Broadcast service."

The company's website shows examples and graphs of how the app is put to good use on the iPhone. Users will be able to schedule calls, use call tracking and reporting features, include interactivity (IVR) in every voice broadcast and even integrate voice broadcasts with existing business application databases. The application lets you record your message and even send it at a predetermined time.

I haven't gone through the whole set of details (go ahead and take a look for yourself, the list of features is endless) but voices on the web claim the application will be free to download. Ifbyphone, however, will require an active subscription of you, in order to use its cool "voice-transmitting" app.

The advantage of such an app is that it doesn't charge your included minutes with the calling plan, since you're sending data.