Comments on: Why Vonage Mobile Is Too Little, Too Late

By: Vonage’s Mobile App Embraces Facebook

Vonage’s Mobile App Embraces Facebook — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:50:58 +0000

[...] is clever on the part of Vonage, a voice over IP provider that has struggled to stay viable and has attempted to provide voice calling services to smartphones in the past. But instead of going with a standalone application, the company is smartly leveraging the more [...]

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 21:48:15 +0000

I enjoyed the article but I think it's a little biased in terms of the business aspects. The fact is Vonage has been improving its business fundamentals aside from not gaining many subscribers recently (though not losing many during a tough economic period). Ebay dumped Skype because it wasn't a lucrative business so if you say one is a bad business, and the other is a great VoIP service, that is apples to oranges. If you compare a business to a business, I don't think one is obviously better than the other. If you think Skype is the better deal for customers, that's a fair argument. I think both offer interesting services but both are in a pretty tough business environment. Vonage's business is not as bleak as you paint it though. They appear to be about to be profitable for the first time in their company's history. They may not be making headlines like when VoIP was brand new, but it takes awhile for a business to become profitable. The fact that their stock was low means investors were panicking as much as anything else. Lots of businesses had to deal with that.

By: og

og — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:56:36 +0000

Can’t understand all these people complaining about the article. Vonage for Mobile is useless. I have Vonage at home, and have it only because of the international unlimited calls, otherwise I would only use my cell phone. If I have to pay-as-I-go with Vonage mobile, and not use my unlimited plan, it is LAME! 100% lame! I rather use my Google voice number, or any calling card that offers the exact same rate as Vonage (Yes I looked through their rates, 0.04 to Brazil is standard everywhere).

If Vonage would integrate my plan to my mobile, then it would be another story, for sure.

By: Gerald

Gerald — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:23:27 +0000

I’ve been shopping around for cheap ways to call back home to the U.S. while in Japan, and Vonage Mobile wins hands down–all calls in Wi-Fi mode from abroad to the U.S. (with a U.S.-based Vonage Mobile account) are COMPLETELY FREE. This means as along as I’m at a hotspot I can call the States directly from my iPhone–no call backs, no AT&T roaming charges, not even any Vonage international charges. No mashing up of GV (which I have) and SIP providers (I have Gizmo and sipgate) and third-party apps for the iPhone does that. ‘Nuff said.

By: Apple Approves Another VoIP App, Rebtel

Apple Approves Another VoIP App, Rebtel — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:08:28 +0000

[...] a growing rank of Internet telephony applications including Skype, Truphone, Nimbuzz, Fring and Vonage. Given that Apple and AT&T are giving the nod to almost all VoIP applications, I wonder why [...]

By: VoIP Applications in iTunes App Store, But Why Is There Still No Google Voice?

VoIP Applications in iTunes App Store, But Why Is There Still No Google Voice? — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:18:31 +0000

By: kumarr4

kumarr4 — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:30:27 +0000

Om,

I was expecting a better analyzed article with less overt bias. For what its worth, I call cell phones in India almost every day and the connection is pretty good even in the remotest areas. No matter how much you try to force me to believe Vonage is useless, I am a satisfied customer. I like its unlimited call to India plan. I do not feel a need to switch and I just hope Vonage continues to offer this plan, unless Skype offers a cheaper plan which is as easier to use as Vonage.

Kumar

By: Alexander Straub

Alexander Straub — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:53:38 +0000

Not sure why you always go on about 450 m subscribers at Skype, they have 9 million making $6 / months ARPU, while Vonage got 2.6 million making them $26 / months arpu. So the whole skype hype is right when it comes to brand around the world. When it comes to tru infrastructure and technology skype is weak, if it comes to customer and ARPU skype is 3x Vonage but the arpu is also 1/5. So not sure, clearly customer acquisition cost on Vonage has been to high. The brand is a US / maybe small UK brand. However new challenger like ((truphone)) are up to speed to innovate. BEst in class infrastructure. Focus on Mobile, clearly they also need to win the customer, however in a world with 2bn mobile connection 2.6m or 9m are a drop in the ocean. The world is your Oyster OM, so you should rethink…
Alexander Straub – Straub Ventures – the brand of friendly capital – http://www.straubventures.com -

By: Voice Is Dead or Long Live Voice?

Voice Is Dead or Long Live Voice? — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:43:07 +0000

[...] over the Internet almost 10 years ago. I’ve written about the meteoric rise and ignominious fall of Vonage, the fabulous sale of Skype, and the deaths of countless wannabe VoIP service providers. Despite [...]

By: Derek Kerton

Derek Kerton — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:55:49 +0000

No worries here. We cool like Fonzie.

By: edongp

edongp — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 20:38:43 +0000

Vonage is better than the rest hands down. With Vonage, you don’t even need a smart phone nor a wifi connection. You just install a VoIP switch such as DialMate CM1003 (see http://www.woodtel.com) on the Vonage line and you can immediately extend Vonage World (free calling to 60 countries) to your cell phone. Now that all wireless carriers have either free incoming calls or free calls to favorite numbers, all your cell phone calls (domestic or Vonage World)are unlimited at the wireless carrier’s minimum monthly plan. In addition, one Vonage World Plan can be shared with family, friends, associates, employees, including those people you call in those 60 countries. Who can beat that?

By: Mikee

Mikee — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:10:32 +0000

Vonage currently uses AT&T cellular network to route the call to its network which then will convert to VOIP and everything will run the same as if you call from a Vonage land line or through the Vonage WiFi app. This is done to not upset AT&T.

But today news said that AT&T is OK with people using its data network now for VOIP calls and it will be just a matter for Vonage to make the changes to its app S/W to route the calls which are now in VOIP format to start with through AT&T data network to Vonage network.

Arguing how the calls get to Vonage network is like splitting hairs.

By: Om Malik

Om Malik — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:41:32 +0000

Derek

I think we are both splitting hairs. I take your point. I think (which is different than what you read) that it is clear from what I wrote that VOnage used the cellular network. Perhaps you are right maybe I should have spelled it out more clearly.

PS: I had no intention to dis-you. Farthest from it. Again, if you feel slighted, I apologize.

By: Derek Kerton

Derek Kerton — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:27:16 +0000

Om,

Overall, I like this site and Pro service a lot…and my comment was merely meant to clarify an important point that the article missed. That said, you’re dead wrong when you say,

“Secondly, the post is pretty clear in pointing out that the Voice calls are going over the cellular network.”

I may not be the cleverest guy on the site, but I did go back and re-read, and there is no mention of what you claim, “clear” or otherwise. Your other commenters obviously were mislead to think it was VoIP over cellular data networks. I imagine many other readers, too. Here is the relevant part of what you wrote:

“A lot of the focus this morning has been on Vonage Mobile’s ability to use AT&T’s cellular network to make phone calls when out of range of Wi-Fi. ”

…which suggests VoIP over cellular. That is a misleading bit of information, since it is NOT VoIP over that leg of the network.

Obviously, I don’t “need it spelled out”. I’m the very person who “spelled it out.”

Derek.

By: Om Malik

Om Malik — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:34:38 +0000

Well today’s announcement makes it easy to use VoIP over 3G.

Secondly, the post is pretty clear in pointing out that the Voice calls are going over the cellular network. Perhaps you need it spelled out :-)

By: Derek Kerton

Derek Kerton — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:38:03 +0000

How odd that nobody, neither OM in the article or the commenters, noted how Vonage wroks on these cellphones. It is critical to understanding why AT&T/Apple approved this app, and how “VoIP” can work over laggy 3G data networks.

Vonage mobile:

- still uses your cellular phone voice calling plan and minutes to call. NOT VoIP!!

- Your phone calls a phone number which is a Vonage gateway. From there, the call is switched into Vonage’s IP network, and routed internationally. Your cellphone is NOT using VoIP over 3G.

- However, when in Wi-Fi coverage, the Vonage app does do VoIP over the WiFi

- the Vonage app does not over-ride the phone’s built-in services

Thus, the phone does not run afoul of either AT&T nor Apple. It reminds me of iSkoot, which does the same workaround for Skype.