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Zegaphone to take on WhatsApp, Skype, Instagram

Bonnie Tubbs
By Bonnie Tubbs, ITWeb telecoms editor.
Johannesburg, 03 Jul 2013
Zegaphone eliminates the need to switch between apps by offering a single platform, says founder Charlie Fairbairn.
Zegaphone eliminates the need to switch between apps by offering a single platform, says founder Charlie Fairbairn.

Zegaphone, a new messaging and Internet calling application to hit the screens of South Africans' devices, could serve to replace at least five other apps through its offering of an all-in-one WhatsApp, BBM, Skype, Viber and Instagram solution.

UK-born Charlie Fairbairn is visiting SA from Brazil this week in a bid to promote his latest app creation Zegaphone - an app offering free calls, video calls, instant messaging (IM), photo sharing, voicemail services, call recording and conference calling.

Together with Zegaphone's Africa and Asia head, Sam Fidelis, Fairbairn is liaising with local communities and industry players ahead of Zegaphone's official South African launch in two weeks' time. And if uptake in Nigeria is anything to go by, the Zegaphone creator says he expects South Africans to download the app in droves. Fidelis says the app, which launched in Nigeria about a month ago, has already seen close to three million downloads.

Targeted at social groups, SMEs, large corporations, churches, political parties and non-governmental organisations, Zegaphone is already available as a free download on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, while a version for BlackBerry is in the works.

No threat

Fairbairn says he is also in talks with SA's mobile operators - which he says stand to benefit from the app, rather than feel threatened by it. "Telcos in general will benefit from us buying data packages."

Fidelis cites Nigeria's Etisalat CEO Steven Evans as recently saying there are three trends worth mentioning in the world of mobile: "Data, data and more data."

Evans positions data as "the next frontier" in telecoms in Nigeria - and Fidelis says SA is no different.

"Operators are getting their revenue streams from data nowadays. They know telecoms is becoming data-based and our relationship with them would be one of cohabitation," says Fairbairn, adding the app has been positively welcomed by SA's telcos.

Richard Boorman, executive head of corporate communications at Vodacom, says: "Any app that promotes increased usage of data is ultimately a good thing for mobile networks."

Differentiation

Fairbairn says Zegaphone is a unified platform that offers "all business and personal tools [one needs] in one app". He says, while apps like WhatsApp, Skype, Viber, BBM and Instagram offer mobile users a limited solution, Zegaphone was designed to eliminate the need to switch between apps by offering a single platform that fulfils all a mobile user's communication needs from one hub.

"There are two main aims I had in mind when developing Zegaphone: simplicity and the integration of 95% of what a user needs in a mobile communication package under one roof."

A new app is set to take on the IM and VOIP giants of the mobile industry.
A new app is set to take on the IM and VOIP giants of the mobile industry.

Fairbairn says Zegaphone-to-Zegaphone texting and calling is free, and subscribers to the app can also text and call other numbers at a reduced rate that is 15% to 50% cheaper than regular calling or texting.

A comparative table on the Zegaphone Web site illustrates the features of Fairbairn's app, putting it up against SA's most popular IM, voice over IP and social networking and sharing apps.

World Wide Worx MD Arthur Goldstuck says, while Zegaphone's comparison is disingenuous in that it does not take into account that Skype offers call recording and BBM's new 10 OS platform features video calling, the company has definitely "plugged some gaps" that others have failed to address as yet.

"They seem to have found the gaps in the market and are filling them. If the execution of Zegaphone is good, and it can offer good quality and cheap calls and messaging, as well as not be too demanding on data budgets, they will do well."

Goldstuck says the right implementation of Zegaphone would give it a good fighting chance of going up against big guns like WhatsApp and Skype.

Fairbairn says Zegaphone uses about 1MB per three-minute voice call.

Affordability angle

Tech analyst Liron Segev says, while Zegaphone has been well developed and looks funky, it all comes down to how the company intends monetising the app. "These guys have done a really good job. This is an entire phone platform, not just an app.

"There are a whole lot of apps in the communications market that do a lot of different things and Zegaphone pulls them all together, which is more convenient. The question is how much consumers will be willing to pay for that convenience."

At the end of the day, says Segev, the solution of issues is worth forking out money for. "If something is going to eradicate an issue I have then I am willing to pay for it - but when I can use Skype and WhatsApp respectively and at little to no cost to communicate how I need to, there is no point paying more for a solution that just makes it a bit more convenient. It depends on the user's needs."

Fairbairn and Fidelis say the app will be free for South African cellphone users for the first month after launch, with a "minimal" monthly subscription fee being introduced in August. Fidelis says discussions are under way in this regard and details will be revealed in due course.

Fidelis did, however, hint the offering is likely to be something akin to BlackBerry's R59 per month bundle. "Only with Zegaphone you can do a lot more."

Fairbairn says he wants to ensure the app brings affordable communications to people who, in the past, may not have had access to smartphones and the ability to exploit the potential of the technology.

In line with this, he says, the company has also developed hardware that will be available to communities and organisations on a bulk basis - as well as to individuals, eventually, via an online portal.

Zegaphone is already available as a free download from Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store. Users need only divulge their cellphone number in order to sign up.

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