After Yahoo, Google it's Microsoft that seek foothold in VoIP Market

After Yahoo, Google it's Microsoft that seek foothold in VoIP Market
Close on the heels of Yahoo's PC-to-phone calling product launch, Microsoft Corp. is joining hands with MCI Inc. in a multiyear global partnership that will enable customers to call phones from their PCs. The MCI Web Calling for Windows Live Call is expected to be available through Windows Live Messenger that will shortly succeed the current MSN Messenger.

With 185 million active users to the MSN Messenger around the world, the new calling solution provides the powerful combo of ease-of-use, convenience and cost-effectiveness. A product that literally brings together Windows Live software and voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) besides the MCI global network creates a formidable calling experience. Currently in its test phase, the service comes as a part of the Windows Live Messenger beta that is selectively available in the United States. However, France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom are expected to join in this exercise over the coming weeks.

A subscription based service the Microsoft-MCI PC-to-Phone solution allows customers to call to and from over 220 countries at rates starting from US$.023 per minute to North America, U.K. and Western Europe during the beta phase. On sign-up, MCI Web Calling customers get up to one hour of free calling, however the final pricing structure is likely to be determined only upon launch in 2006.

Building upon Microsoft's investments in PC-to-PC voice, the service with its ability to connect people from around the world even serves to reach people on mobile devices. At a click on the Windows Live Messenger contact list or a mere punching of numbers on the Windows Live Call softphone, voices from across the world can be heard on the PC.

Customers on Windows Live Messenger could sign up for MCI Web Calling with MCI managing customer registration, call operations and account management, besides customer support and billing for the service. Microsoft by providing the software, would handle the PC experience of such calls. One among a series of VoIP related announcements over the last couple of months, the service is likely to compete with Skype version 2.0, Yahoo's own messenger-based offering besides Sony's Instant Video Everywhere service with Glowpoint.

With MSN Messenger being expanded adding a number of new features, the huge existing base of users are likely to find more reasons to stick with Microsoft's service. Early last month when Microsoft showed a preview of its Live services kick off, it appeared that it will be a while before the beta would be available. But now MSN product manager Karin Muskopf has confirmed “a very, very limited beta of tens of thousands”. It will be only in the first half next year that a larger audience will get a taste of the real thing.