Make free international calls

An Italian software company – Seven Rings International – is launching its Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service in the country that provides free international phone calls, instant messages (chat) and text messages.

At present, India has the lowest call charges in the world with calls rates to the UK at around Rs 5 per minute, the US at around Rs 6 and the Gulf at Rs 10-12. However, this depends on the operator and tariff plans.

To avail of the service, a user will have to log on to the company’s website ourfreephone.com and download the software Our Free Phone (OFP). The company intends to charge a flat monthly user fee (for software) of round $9.99 (around Rs 500), irrespective of the calls and messages made.

However, for free international calls the receiving party also should have installed OFP. The suite runs on phone with Symbian and Windows Operating Systems, which are normally found on mid- to high-end phones. Prisco claims that over 600 handset models across the world support the suite, and a large number of medium range phones in the country.

Calls can be made from mobile phones with Internet access as the suite uses VoIP, a technology used for transmission of voice communications over the Internet.

“Users can save up to 80 per cent of call charges – compared with international calling rates – since the suite uses VoIP to terminate the calls. Instant Messages (chat) – using GTalk, Yahoo! or MSN – can be conducted with any user free-of-cost,” Seven Rings International President Elia De Prisco said.