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Line2 Enjoys Mobile Communications Success

By Susan J. Campbell, TMCnet Contributing Editor

Mobility among the consumer and business sectors continues on a rapid growth pace, demanding new innovations in mobile communications. Line2 (News - Alert) has developed a strategy that is enabling the company to capitalize on growing opportunities, while satisfying a hungry customer sector.

This recent Tech Crunch report highlighted the recent success in Line2 in the mobile communications space. This startup offers functionality that is similar to Google (News - Alert) Voice, yet focuses on more closely catering to the business and ‘prosumer’ sectors. In the fall of 2009, the company was just getting off to a challenging start as it took Apple (News - Alert) three months to approve the app, largely due to the dispute between Apple and Google over the Google Voice app.

This approval was exactly what Line2 needed as success has easily followed ever since.

Today, Line2 celebrates 50,000 paying customers with plans that begin at $9.95 per month. With 40 employees, the company is very nearly cash flow positive. Its powerful app is available for the iPhone (News - Alert) and the Android and is now launching for the iPad with a new app available right here. 

This latest app for the iPad looks strong. The development of this app was driven in part from the positive feedback received from Apple. In terms of mobile communications functionality, the app appears to be identical to the iPhone version, which is actually a good thing.

To start using this mobile communications service, you’ll need to sign up for a Line2 account, completed through the company’s website. You’ll have the opportunity to pick a new phone number to use as your ‘Line2’ or you can port an existing number. Once your account is set, you can place and route calls, send messages and browse through your message history for each contact on your iPad.

With Line2, calls are placed over VoIP whenever possible, or you can simply elect to route a call to your regular phone.

According to Peter Sisson (News - Alert), Line2 founder, the company decided to make the app after it determined the iPad was its top-converting platform of the iPhone app. This success was happening, even as users accessed only a 2x scaled view of the iPhone app – which meant it looked pretty rough, but people were still using the mobile communications app.

This success led to the development of the iPad app with an built in HD version that takes advantage of the large screen on the iPad. Think this company is building on the potential success in mobile communications? So do I.


Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMCnet and has also written for eastbiz.com. To read more of Susan’s articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Stefanie Mosca