Voiceserve Inc.'s Voipswitch subsidiary has released a new softphone designed for the Windows mobile platform, and it includes an embedded tunnel that helps users send and receive calls from behind VoIP blockades.

 

While many nations take for granted the ability to use VoIP services, others have been tightening policies and even blocking IP telecommunications services.

 

In fact, for several years now, VoIP users in the United Arab Emirates have been battling with telcos that employ restrictive practices designed to cut them off from those services.

 

According to VoIP platform solutions provider Voipswitch, these restrictions, employed by regional telecom giant Etisalat (News - Alert), block SIP traffic using packet filter technology. While in the past port blocking – a relatively easy hurdle to navigate – had been employed, the more difficult to penetrate packet filtering is a relatively easy and permanent block to data transfer.

 

The London-based outfit says that is why the new softphone is so important: the device attempts to stay ahead of the blocking technologies that can often be implemented on the filter level.

 

The "Vippie Softphone" also offers SMS support, allowing clients to send and receive SMS over SIP. They can send short text messages to each other as well as to external networks. In the latter case, Voipswitch does conversion to required protocol like SMPP or Http in order to send further to SMS carrier. 

 

When it comes to SIP-based VoIP services, the UAE’s Etisalat has focused on blocking the SIP default port service. Of course these business practices are designed to protect the dominant players in the region. However, Etisalat is also an IP telephony user itself – relaying much of its international calls across VoIP gateways, according to Chris Oglaza, CTO of Voiceserve.

 

 “We have been using the tunnel for almost two years, just months after Etisalat started blocking SIP in UAE,” said Oglaza. “Now we added it also to our mobile client and thanks to this solution everyone in the UAE can make and receive calls freely.”

 

However, added Oglaza, staying ahead of blocking technology includes taking proactive steps such as the development of the Vippie Mobile Softphone designed to allow users to connect to Internet using WiFi (News - Alert) , GPRS, EDGE or UMTS. And now, the mobile phone end-user, with the help of the new Symbian functions, can select the connection option when beginning the application – even blocked regions such as the UAE.

 

 In addition, the company has successfully tested their Vippie Mobile for Symbian (News - Alert) dialer from the blocked regions.

 

The Vippie Softphone is offered to VoIP providers and is fully customizable and can be branded with provider’s logo, name and also with a unique skin.

Other specifications include support of the  g729 codec which provides efficient compression saving the bandwidth usage. Combined with the new tunnel – plus an RTP payload that can be adjusted – the softphone provides  results even with weak internet connection, according to Voiceserve.