Portugal Telecom has launched the VoIP (Voice on IP) service in Portugal. The SAPO Messenger clients now have theVoIP and vídeo service between PCs free of charge, making it the Messenger service with the largest number of communication functions currently available.
According to Miguel Horta e Costa, Executive Chairman of the PT Group, “this is yet another bet by PT on broadband. Voice and video between PCs free of charge is something new which will have great impact, bearing in mind the era in which we are living”.
For Zeinal Bava, Executive Director of the PT Group, “the launch of the VoIP and vídeo call services on SAPO Messenger comprises the PT strategy in adding more value to our residential broadband offer (Sapo ADSL e Netcabo) and in promoting the increase in broadband penetration in Portugal. Recently we multiplied the speed offered to broadband clients by four. Now the standard offer renders a speed of 2 Mbps, and we also introduced the free gigamail” said Zeinal Bava, Executive Director. “We are always investing in new innovating services which will make the Internet an integral part of our clients’ lives in any place and at any time”, he adds. Just as an example is the mobility. Through PT Wi-Fi, one can access the Internet in 718 hotspots in Portugal; PT Comunicações price campaigns and PT Schools with the aim of anticipating a generation within the information society.
Note that Portugal Telecom wants to close 2005 with one million broadband clients. The Executive Director defends that in the medium/long term, “ VoIP will contribute towards the fidelity of our clients and will attribute value to our subscription”. Zeinal Bava adds that this new service will afford, the younger public who spends around 75% of their time on the Messenger when they are on-line, new experience. Following a massification phase of this service, the Executive Director says that this solution will later be used from PC to phone, PT to UMTS and Phone to PC. The new SAPO Messenger which allows the use of VoIP is already available for download, still in beta version. For a free download go to http://voip.sapo.pt.
Launched four months ago the Sapo Messenger is already a success, with 150 thousand active users. This success is due to the fact that it allows communication with other messengers on the market, such as MSN and ICQ, and has a set of innovative functions like the sending and receiving of SMS (more than 1.25 million SMS have already been sent and received) to any fixed and mobile network in Portugal, and it allows to send funny remarks adapted to the Portuguese reality.
For now the SAPO Messenger is only compatible with Windows, however a version for Mac and another for Linux are being developed and should be available in the near future.
To develop this product there were many partnerships of which we highlight Jabber, in Denver, Xten, in Vancouver, that developed the VoIP software fro Vonage and Yahoo!, and Critical Software, in Portugal.
How to use the VoIP service?
First you download from the Sapo messenger. Then you need an account of any PT product which can even be the Sapo web mail. Then finally you need the necessary hardware for the use of the service. This hardware can be purchased at the PT stores, agents and on the Internet. Two packs of 20 and 40 euros each are going to be commercialised. However, this service is compatible with other cameras that the user might already have. Now you are ready to embark on your new experience with Messenger.