MagicJack VocalTec expects to see tens of millions of downloads of a new iPhone app over the next year, said magicJack CEO Dan Borislow in an announcement issued today about the new offering.
The new offering, dubbed magicJack APP, is available for free download in Apple App Stores and will allow iPhone, iPod touch or iPad users to make free calls to numbers within the U.S., Canada and to all other magicJack numbers in the world without using mobile minutes, the company said. magicJack VocalTec even goes so far as saying that the service provides “the same functionality of a regular mobile phone with better call quality.”
Perhaps one of the reasons the company believes it can claim superior voice quality is the fact that the app apparently doesn’t work with 3G service, but instead requires WiFi or 4G.
“Apple has the best OS and devices built for voice and I believe we have the best telephone network and software engineers to take advantage of this incredible platform,” said Borislow.
magicJack VocalTec also took the opportunity to highlight magicJack PLUS, an upgraded version of its traditional landline broadband-based offering, which the company began selling last week. Unlike earlier versions of magicJack, magicJack PLUS does not require a computer. The new offering also supports number porting and is considerably smaller than the company’s previous product.
magicJack VocalTec apparently is quite bullish on the future of magicJack PLUS and magicJack APP, as the company made a point of noting that its servers are “only working at five percent of utilization now as the company expects substantial call growth.”
The company apparently is not concerned about the FCC’s plan to investigate calls that do not go through to rural areas announced yesterday.
That’s somewhat surprising, considering that magicJack VocalTec appears to be one of several providers that have attempted to reduce operating costs by opting not to complete calls to rural areas with high terminating access charges. But perhaps the amount of money the company saves by not completing calls to certain areas is so small in comparison with overall revenues that the company is not concerned about the possibility that it might be required to complete those calls—and pay the associated termination fees.
Alternatively, it is possible that magicJack VocalTec is betting that the FCC will not take any action that would require the company to pay such fees. One possibility might be that the company would be required to state more clearly and prominently that it does not complete calls to certain areas.
