Fring brings VOIP to smartphones

VOIP provider fring has added support for video conferencing using Skype technology on S60 devices, the first time that the feature has been made available on mobile handsets, states MobileBurn.

The implementation allows users to initiate and receive video calls with and from other Skype users, with support for mobile-to-mobile and mobile-to-desktop calls.

Though the video is low-quality, it represents a step forward for a technology that has been often talked about but little utilised. Nokia X6, N97 mini, N97, 5800, N95 8G, and N95 users can take advantage of fring's offering.

Global IP Solutions (GIPS) has enabled Android mobile application developers to now create VOIP-enabled clients with its VoiceEngine Mobile solution, says TMCnet.

The free mobile social messaging application called Nimbuzz claims to be the first customer to bring HD voice to Android devices.

According to GIPS, the VoiceEngine Mobile is part of the company's VoiceEngine family, which encompasses packaged solutions that handle all the necessary voice processing tasks for IP networks, thereby offering high-quality voice even under adverse network conditions.

Enterprise take-up of unified communications (UC), the merging of IP telephony, conferencing and collaboration, messaging and communications tools, is on a "steeply rising curve", according to analysts, reports BusinessWeek.

Spending on UC among businesses worldwide is expected to rise from just $302 million last year to $4.2 billion in five years' time, according to industry watcher, ABI Research.

But despite the uptick, it won't all be plain sailing for UC. Adoption will be held back by internal corporate "turf wars", a widespread lack of understanding of the benefits unified communications can deliver, and a high initial cost, the analysts predict.