Mixed in with the other announcements about the latest version of Apple’s (News - Alert) OS, iOS 7, the operating system that underpins iPhones, iPods and iPads, is a feature upgrade that might disrupt more than many people realize.
FaceTime (News - Alert) has been expanded with FaceTime Audio, which offers VoIP capabilities in addition to the company’s video calling service.
While not a full-featured VoIP service due to its inability to call people not also using an iPhone (News - Alert), the feature does expand the ease of use with which iPhone and iPad users can use VoIP for their calling. With so many iOS devices in use, the feature can become a defacto VoIP service.
“Because the iPhone is used by so many, a baked-in VoIP solution that is readily accessible and easy to use could face opponents in the wireless industry as the data-based service could disrupt long-distance calling revenue streams,” noted AppleInsider. “Just as telecoms were wary of allowing video FaceTime calls on their networks, which used valuable bandwidth, the audio-only version also proves problematic as data would eat into subscription minutes.”
FaceTime becoming an effective VoIP solution is especially true for business, where corporate-sponsored iPhones and those that make it into the enterprise via bring your own device (BYOD) programs will soon be able to call each other for free.
Even if the service is not expanded, it could change the VoIP and telecom landscape. But if outbound calling is added at a later date, or the feature is allowed on cellular connections and not just via Wi-Fi, it could fundamentally push voice calling further toward just being one component of a larger unified communications landscape.
Even without advancements in FaceTime, iOS users have a very capable business VoIP solution on their iPhones and iPads. There is a list too long to count of VoIP apps currently available on the Apple App Store, with everything from Skype (News - Alert) and Viber to professional-grade business VoIP solutions. Every VoIP provider knows that its users have a smartphone and would like to use VoIP on their phone, so there are a multitude of options for businesses looking to leverage iOS for VoIP calling.
How the FaceTime feature will affect these existing VoIP options is still up for debate. In the short-term, there might not be too much disruption given the current limitations of the service. But this could very well change in the future if Apple extends the FaceTime service.
Apple has definitely been known for grabbing the ideas of its developers and baking them into its own branded service. VoIP looks to be one of Apple’s latest targets.
“FaceTime Audio could be a game-changing addition to Apple’s mobile operating system, even more so than the video calling service it’s built on,” noted AppleInsider.
Edited by Rachel Ramsey