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RIM Offering Free Voice Calling In Attempt to Remain Competitive
zacharye writes "In version 7, RIM has added a voice calling feature that will allow BBM users to speak to each other for free when connected to Wi-Fi networks. While similar third-party solutions like Viber exist and extend the free calling feature to cellular data connections, an integrated solution that will eventually be baked right into the BlackBerry OS offers clear advantages over third-party options. It also can be counted as an advantage for RIM’s platform over Android and iOS, at least until RIM’s rivals begin to roll out similar solutions."
So facetime and gtalk are just figments of my imagination?
Even with a teenager on our family cell plan, we never use up our monthly allocation of voice minutes. Now, if RIM could figure out a way to convert that voice to data bandwidth, then we might have something to talk about.
"Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past." -- George Orwell
Rumor is that internet browsing will also be free while on wifi, and will even support pandora streaming! You can use that wifi data in nearly unlimited ways!
I have a smartphone, and only 450 minutes. There are, in fact, people who don't talk on the phone enough to justify the cost of unlimited minutes, but still want the connectivity of a smartphone.
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Do they?
Many of the Android ones I have dealt with offer calling over WiFi, but it still counts towards your minutes, even if it's going to someone on the same network, also on WiFi.
*Unless you use a third party app.
I read it as something only available between two BBM users, so it is basically Factime or Google Talk. In that case, RIM's two main rivals have had very good solutions in place for quite a while.
It's hard to find a cell plan without unlimited minutes unless you're buying a minimal-use, no-frills line.
Yes - I think the carriers did this in response to skype on mobile devices gaining popularity. They jacked up the prices for all smartphone data plans and gave you basically unlimited calling.
It's the same thing for texting, iMessage on iOS gave you the ability to send messages to other iOS users over data, not SMS. So again they just baked unlimited SMS into the price for every smart phone plan.
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Outside the US, it is very easy to get cheap contracts with limited voice time. RIM is actually expanding outside the US - I suspect some of their problems there are caused by the carrier monopoly. I'm amazed that US customers put up with the restrictions on the phone models they can use, and the inability to get a decent SIM-only contract.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
Incorrect. Like this BBM thing, Google voice and video chat, and Facetime, are free as in free data. Google's solution even works on other platforms (like Nokia).
Did you give your advice to Apple back around the year 2000?
Blackberry hardware isn't bad when you consider where and how it would be used. Non-replaceable batteries and shiny fragile cases are fine for first world people who regard gadgets as disposable. Sub-one day battery life is fine if you are always near a socket. But in large emerging markets, phones are an expensive purchase, long battery life and easy replacement are still important, a degree of drop-proofness is very desirable and the Blackberry data compression represents a significant reduction in outgoings.Putting a BB OS on some generic smartphone hardware is going to result in something that might be a bit cheaper but will cause customer dissatisfaction.
It took too long to get the new CEO on board, but at least RIM has a coherent strategy and a target market - the middle classes in South America, Africa and Indonesia, business users, and people who just do not like giving up all their data to Apple or Google. They may be about to go tits up, but they are at least avoiding your suggestion - which worked so well for Leo The Pharmacist at HP, and which was sensibly avoided by Apple.
From scarped cliff or quarried stone she cries "A thousand types are gone, I care for nothing, no not one."
I don't have a bb, but I used to support some. If you have your own BES, RIM doesn't have your encryption keys so they can't hand them over. Sure, if you're using the telco provided BES, they will hand stuff over, but that's a given. If you run your own bes, you have end to end encryption controlled by you.
Well, if you want free wifi voice calling from iPhone to iPhone, start FaceTime, and put your thumb over the camera.
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Exactly - does ANYONE care about voice minutes anymore? Hello - 1999 called and they want their cell phone plan back. Never mind, even then intra-company calls were usually free. Make that 1989.
Wow, you're just impervious to facts, aren't you?
If your a BES user, RIM can't hand over the keys because they don't have them.
As always, RIM is the ONLY option for the security conscious.
Go find some new talking points, preferably some with facts behind them.
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