IP Communications Featured Articles

Skype, FaceTime, Google (News - Alert) Voice, Google Talk and Oovoo are all recognizable names for one reason; they embrace VoIP. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) allows you to have your phone line on an Internet network. Companies and consumers alike all over the world are turning to VoIP to cut costs, improve communications and add features to their calling experiences.

Plingm, the Swedish mobile VoIP app, has introduced free phone calls for Facebook’s one billion users. Now, Plingm users with an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android (News - Alert) devices can call their contacts on Facebook directly and for free from anywhere in the world.

Previously known as Freephoo, Plingm was created because of the general dislike of operators and the hassle it always is to make international calls. With modern technology and the fact that more and more people are using smartphones, it's so easy to communicate with great quality and for free, or at least very cheap.

"Mobile numbers are legacy.  By calling friends with our Facebook (News - Alert) feature, you can always reach the person you want to speak to even if they change their number," says Pandelis Eliopoulos, co-founder of Plingm, in a statement. "With the growing use of social media, the possibility to call your Facebook friends directly without a phone number is a logical evolution of mobile communication."

Image via Tech2

After downloading the app, users need to grant permission to connect it with their Facebook account and then the app will automatically scan and import all of your contacts. It’s available for download in the iOS App Store and Google Play marketplace.

“We are very happy to launch our application in India as it is an important market for us,” said Pandelis Eliopoulos, co-founder at Freephoo. “We hope our Indian users are delighted by our easy-to-use app, its superior sound quality and social features. We understand that people are building and maintaining relationships through their social networks, so the phonebook is no longer the only source for contacts. We are very pleased to give our users the opportunity to call their Facebook and LinkedIn (News - Alert) contacts too."

Calling with Plingm, instead of a traditional mobile operator, saves consumers large sums of money, particularly on international calls. Plingm to Plingm calls are always free and unlimited, no matter what country you are calling, and calling non-Pligm users is low-cost with no surprise fees.

The company has also translated their app to Arabic, which they describe has helped them grow. "We are witnessing an influx of new mobile VoIP users in Middle East and Northern Africa. With Plingm in Arabic, we believe that many more will discover the benefits of free communication," said Eliopoulos.