Voxbone has announced that it has been chosen by Nimbuzz, the fast-growing, all-in-one mobile voice/chat/messaging service, to provide local access numbers. Nimbuzz is using Voxbone to enable its users to make voice calls – without benefit of 3G or Wi-Fi connectivity – to their contacts on any of all popular IM and VoIP services, including Gizmo5 and Skype.
Nimbuzz detects when the handset is out of Wi-Fi or 3G range and conveniently steps in, requesting permission to automatically dial a local access number and route the call over the Internet. Those calls are free except for the low charge (if any) to the local access number. The Nimbuzz software client determines the correct access number to dial from the user’s Nimbuzz profile.
Currently growing at a rate of over 750,000 sign-ups per month and operating in 200 countries, Nimbuzz combines the services of mobile VoIP, chat, location, file sharing and MMS under one application. Equally important, it works across popular communities and social networks, including Skype, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, ICQ, GoogleTalk, AIM, Facebook and MySpace. Nimbuzz VoIP also reaches PSTN phones through Skype-Out, using any of 10 VoIP third-party VoIP services (including Skype). A full phone keypad is part of its interface, along with the multi-service buddy list.
“We wanted Nimbuzz to be a truly mass-market application,” said Tobias Kemper, Nimbuzz head of communications. “Not one limited to this mobile platform, or that chat/calling network, or a particular click sequence. By adding the DID numbers supplied by Voxbone, we can provide reliable mobile VoIP outside of Internet range and over 2G networks in over 50 countries, with any Internet-enabled handset and no change in user behavior.
Sounds good doesn’t it? Gimme a phone and the app, and I’m gonna do some user-testing!