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www.voip-news.comBy Robert Poe
Many small businesses use Skype for their business communications. Some even use calling centers based on the Internet phone service. And about 100,000 of them use an inexpensive Skype-based conference-calling service provided by Vapps Inc. Of course Skype is, if nothing else, about international calling. So it's not particularly surprising that Vapps has just gone multilingual.
How It Works
Vapps's HighSpeed Conferencing service works with calls from both Skype and the PSTN (public switched telephone network). Calls using Skype naturally come in over the public Internet, while PSTN calls can arrive through local numbers in 11 countries. Vapps charges a flat monthly rate for unlimited conferences, with packages that can handle up to 500 callers. All Skype callers have the benefit of HD voice, which can handle a range of sounds up to 16 KHz, compared to some 3 KHz for PSTN lines, according to Vapps CEO Ben Lillienthal.
The Skype plug-in Vapps introduced in October 2007 makes it easy to set up conferences from within Skype. Conference hosts can send invitations through automated Skype IMs (instant messages) or email, providing click-to-call Skype links as well as call-in information for those who need to use the PSTN. Vapps has also recently released a new plug-in that can work in nine languages: Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish.
The service offers a number of convenient features. Web-based call control allows moderators to see who is on each call, and to mute or unmute callers. Lecture mode puts all callers except those speaking on mute, while "hand raising" by pressing *9 lets listeners notify a moderator that they want to talk. Call recording is free, with the conversations stored for 30 to 90 days.
Vapps's Packages
Vapps's service comes in several packages, each of which includes a bundle of toll-free minutes for incoming domestic U.S. PSTN calls. The packages range from $25 per month for up to 10 callers at a time with 300 free minutes, to $200 per month for up to 500 users with 5,000 minutes. Payment is by credit card or Skype credits.
According to Lillienthal, the service is particularly popular with small businesses, which account for 75 percent of users, compared to 58 percent for the conference-call business as a whole. The average Vapps conference has six participants, and 75 percent of the calls come in over Skype. Vapps has users in 40 countries, Lillienthal said, though most are still in the U.S. When news of the multilingual plug-in gets around, that ratio could change rapidly.
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