Taqua Adds VoIP over WiFi for iPhone to MobileWorks

There’s no debate as to the impact of Apple’s iPhone (News - Alert). It certainly has provided significant momentum to the smartphone space, and has provided a revenue stream for AT&T, but to get a truer sense of the impact the iPhone has had, take a look at the number of vendors that have specifically adapted their solutions to cater to the iPhone user base.

 

The latest is Taqua, which has announced its MobileWorks platform can deliver WiFi (News - Alert)-based VoIP to iPhone users. Taqua first announced the WiFi capabilities of MobileWorks at ITEXPO East in Miami last month, explaining that service providers will be able to extend their services to dual mode handsets across WiFi networks.

 

Now, the company is leveraging the popularity of the iPhone as well as the proliferation of WiFi networks in homes, cities, businesses, and elsewhere to extend the flexibility of MobileWorks, which was named a 2008 INTERNET TELEPHONY Product of the Year winner.

 

“This diverse deployment, combined with the iPhone’s popularity will allow any service provider a quick and cost effective method for delivering a unique wireless solution that can enhance existing offerings and deliver new revenue streams,” said Scott Weidenfeller, chief marketing officer for Taqua (News - Alert).

 

Taqua’s MobileWorks solution, which was a collaborative effort between Taqua and Mavenir Systems, was originally rolled out for Symbian (News - Alert)- and Windows Mobile-based smartphones. It delivers this capability in conjunction with other IP Communications services through the Taqua 700 switching system, to which it also recently added voice mail capabilities as a standard feature, specifically targeting the SMB market.

 

“Our collaborative Taqua MobileWorks solution bolsters carriers’ ability to quickly deploy highly scalable next-generation services, such as single-number reachability, that accelerates both customer acquisition and stickiness,” explained Maveddat. Payam Maveddat, vice president of product management and marketing at Mavenir.

 

The Taqua MobileWorks voice over WiFi solution presents wireline providers with a potential new revenue stream — and an alternative over femtocell solutions for wireless carriers, in this case AT&T.

 

MobileWorks effectively provides a cost effective fixed/mobile convergence solution that allows users to roam between corporate WLANs and cellular networks, increasing the smartphone’s value. It also helps eliminate in-building coverage gaps, creating a better user experience. An additional selling point is a cost reduction from lower minutes usage due to the ability to switch to a WiFi network. 

 

“Service providers benefit by enabling a higher level of convenience for their subscribers, but they also benefit by increasing termination traffic through their T7000 Class 5 switching system,” noted Weidenfeller.