Voxeo formally announced Phono Mobile, which it characterizes as a “toolkit” that makes it possible for mobile app developers to add real-time voice communications and high-definition audio to a range of devices running Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android. At base, it will let users originate or receive phone calls through softphones that are embedded in the applications they are using. It makes it possible to use iPhones, iPads, iPod Touches and any Android device to originate and conduct phone calls or chat sessions.

The implication for companies who are defining their “mobile customer care” strategies should be obvious. Any of their Web developers that are familiar with HTML5 and Javascript can add phone calls or chat to their mobile Web sites. The service communicates either over WiFi or 3G data links. It can also connect to resources in Voxeo’s Tropo.com “cloud” which, in turn adds automated speech processing in 24 languages, call recording functions and (thanks to conformance with XMPP/Jingle) the ability to communicate with “public” Instant Messaging networks, including Google’s GTalk, Microsoft’s MSN Messenger, Yahoo! and AIM. They can even connect to Twitter.

The PhonoSDK was launched in October 2010. In the months that followed, a community of roughly 10,000 developers have downloaded it and joined the community. Phono Mobile also uses the PhoneGap application platform from Nitobi Software to provide a way for developers familiar with JavaScript to gain access to native applications and features (like cameras and softphones) on multiple devices.

Categories: Articles

Tags: mobile services, customer care, Voxeo, APIs