When I first heard about Talkster back in October, I was intrigued. I participated marginally in their alpha program and thought their service “cool”. But at the time, it seemed to be raining mobile VOIP services like cats and dogs. Wasn’t Talkster just another “me-too” service? Today, with the launch of their new beta program, I had a chance to chat with CEO James Wanless, who set me straight on what Talkster is really all about. So, if you are an IT lead, manager or director of information systems in your company, or if you want to control the mobile devices your employees use, then you need to know about Talkster.

First, about the beta program. The beta is really designed to serve users a small slice of the potential of the Talkster network. It showcases two main pieces of functionality. 1) enable moble phones to call instant messenger with voice services such as MSN, Gizmo Project, and Google Talk. 2) enables long distance calling at substantially reduced long distance and roaming rates.

Talkster services operates on any regular mobile phone that has a web browser. The beta takes minutes to set up and you don’t have to install software on your phone or computer. Basically, you create an online account with the names and email addresses/numbers of your MSN, Gizmo Project and Google Talk buddies. Next, you use the browser on you mobile phone to log in to your Talkster account. You’ll see your contact list with a presence icon beside each name indicating if they are online or not. Select a name and you make a voice over IM (VoIM) call to that person free of charge. Alec Saunders did a nice demo on his Blackberry a while back with some good screen shots. Tom Keating in today’s post also has some good observations.

But while the consumer side of the Talkster network is ready now, the goal is comprensive and consolidated control over mobile communications services and devices for the enterprise. In fact, Talkster styles itself as a business mobility company. They’re not in the race for the cheapest phone call, what James Wanless calls the “race to zero”. “That’s not a great business model”, he says. “Talkster provides a contact centric service for mobile business users. Phone numbers, IM addresses, even SIP URls are all consolidated into one interface. Users just have to choose by name and not worry about how the call is placed. But on the enterprise level, companies can manage people on their cell phones out in the field and bring cell phone usage in line with company policy.” In the business version of the product to be released this spring, Wanless says Talkster will provide these essential tools so that the enterprise can manage their mobile users.

The Talkster beta service is open to users worldwide at www.talkster.com. Enterprises interested in the forthcoming enterprise service can send an email to enterprise@talkster.com.

Laptop magazine has a review of Fring, Talkster, Nimbuzz and Barablu. These four apps turn your good old cell phone into an internet phone and more. Of the four, Nimbuzz is new to me and Barablu I haven’t tried yet. Fring and Talkster I’ve used and quite like, although I think having a great handset makes all the difference. I wouldn’t bother with any of these if I didn’t have the Nokia N80i to test with.

The review does a good job of capturing the typical setup process for all applications, and gives both the pros and cons of usability, call quality and the like. Author Joanna Stern points out that “regardless of which mobile VoIP service you use, you’re going to need an unlimited data plan, which costs anywhere from $5.99 per month (T-Mobile) to $24.99 (Cingular)”.

Edited May 17, 2007:

James Wanless of Talkster clarified for me that their service in fact does not require a data plan:

Thanks James

I saw a post yesterday on the Motley Fool called “Avoid the VOIP Value Trap“. It’s reader is the investor looking for the “next home run stock”. The gist of writer Dave Mok is to avoid investing in VOIP like the plague. “Internet telephony is a novel application that leverages existing infrastructure to deliver comparable services at lower prices. Technological developments like this can help companies improve margins and offer better value to consumers, but they don’t necessarily create substantial new value worthy of investment.”

Hey, well he may be right. I’m not an investor so I don’t know if this is news or not (I suspect not). Consumer value just can’t get no respect…Well I think there’s more to VOIP than Vonage–that is to say there’s more to VOIP than just cheap phone calls.

With all the hubub around Vonage and other national VOIP phone companies like them, I sometimes slide into the trap of thinking VOIP is all and only about saving money, unlimited long distance plans, and the like. And of course it’s not. I was reminded of a conversation I had in December with Talkster CEO James Wanless who called the “race to zero” a lousy business model. The fact is there are many new ventures using VOIP as a platform to offer services that traditional phone companies can’t. Look at Jangl offering phone privacy for social networking sites. Look at TalkPlus with a second number for your cell phone. Look at iotum TalkNow for Blackberry users. MobileStick from Bridgeport Networks, SightSpeed video calling, GrandCentral, PhoneGnome, Fring, Jajah, Gizmo, Truphone…the list is getting longer by the day. To say that “VoIP offers no new killer applications or buzzworthy innovations” is a little harsh. Investor value? No idea. Consumer value? You bet.

In an announcement today, UK-based Truphonelaunches free calling from mobile Truphone customers in the US to landlines everywhere (well, 40 countries worldwide actually). This program is an extension of their UK launch promotion and will be in effect until the end of June. So if you really want give a great mobile VOIP application a whirl, now’s your chance. US customers have always been able to talk to other Truphone users for free but now they can call regular landlines too.

You can download Truphone for your Nokia handset here:
http://www.truphone.com/downloads/downloads.tru

Watch a YouTube video of this press release here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK9wuSFoSqQ

And finally, read the whole press release:

March 27th 2007 – Orlando, FL & London, UK - Owners of Wi-Fi-equipped Nokia smartphones will be able to make free international calls from the USA to landlines in 40 countries throughout April, May and June, mobile internet telephony pioneer Truphone announced today. The announcement extends and enlarges Truphone’s current price promotion [ending on March 31st], during which customers have been able to make free mobile Voice over IP (VoIP) calls across the USA and Canada.

“We’re delighted to be making it so attractive for people to try internet telephony on their mobile handset, instead of being tied to their computer,” said James Tagg, Truphone’s CEO. “The convenience of a normal, mass market cellular handset and free international calls is an unbeatable combination for the consumer.”
Countries to which any on-net Truphone user worldwide may now make free calls to landlines include China (landlines and mobiles), Mexico (Guadalajara, Mexico City and Monterrey), Russia (Moscow and St. Petersburg) and most European Union countries.

Tariffs to some paid-for numbers may have changed from the previous promotional period. Truphone’s full tariff document is available at www.truphone.com.

Under the terms of the new promotion, free Truphone calls can be made to the following countries (applies to Truphone calls to landlines only, unless otherwise stated): Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil (Rio de Janeiro & Sao Paulo only), Canada, Chile, China (Landline and Mobile), Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Guam, Hong Kong (Landline & Mobile), Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Korea (South), Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico (Guadalajara, Mexico City & Monterrey only), Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Panama City, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Russia (Moscow Central & St Petersburg only), Singapore (Landline & Mobile), Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, US Virgin Islands and USA (landline & mobile).

About the Truphone service
Truphone enables Wi-Fi equipped mobile phones to make 100% VoIP calls at either zero or very low cost to the caller, by using the SIP standard and the Internet to route network traffic, rather than traditional mobile phone networks. Truphone-to-Truphone and Truphone-to-SIP number calls are always free, with Truphone calls to other numbers charged at cheaper rates than those charged by mobile operators and often at lower cost than even a conventional fixed line.
There is no monthly subscription, no inbound charges and billing is via pre-pay. Sign-up and top up are done via the web site. Customers get Truphone by downloading a small piece of free software over the air to their phone. When a Truphone-equipped handset is not in Wi-Fi range it reverts to being a normal mobile phone, with calls routed over GSM as usual.