MagicJackGO, a new offering announced today from magicJack VocalTec, targets people who want to use the company’s “ultra low-cost” voice over Internet protocol service on both a landline and a mobile phone. The offering builds on separate landline and mobile offerings from the company.
“We designed the magicJackGO with the value conscious mobile consumer in mind by providing the ability to take your number with you on-the-go via the magic App,” said Timothy McDonald, chief operating officer for magicJack, in today’s announcement. “Mobility is increasingly important for busy moms, small business owners, freelancers, international callers or anyone who simply can’t afford to miss a call.”
MagicJackGO
The magicJackGO offering costs $59.95 and includes:
- A single number that can be used on traditional phones and smartphones
- A magicJackGO device to enable a traditional phone to connect to the service using the customer’s landline broadband connection
- One year of unlimited free calling in the U.S. and Canada
- Free calls to other magicJack users worldwide
- A free magicApp that enables the service to work on a smartphone using data connectivity rather than voice minutes
For a limited time buyers also will get a $10 credit that can be used for other magicJack services such as number porting and international calling to traditional phone numbers.
MagicJack earned 90% of its retail revenues from sales through Walmart, RadioShack, Best Buy, Target and Fry’s in 2012 and 2013, the VoIP provider noted in today’s release. Those retailers are improving in-store merchandising footprints for increased visibility of the new offering, MagicJack VocalTec said.
“No other product in our category can match our breadth of retail distribution,” boasted McDonald in today’s announcement.
Using VoIP to connect calls eliminates some of the costs associated with traditional phone service, although others, including per-minute termination charges to traditional phones, continue to apply. MagicJack apparently bases its pricing on aggregate usage patterns. Additionally the company may not be paying some of the fees traditionally paid by communications service providers. In 2011, for example, the company was accused of not paying 9-1-1 emergency number support fees.
