030306: GlobeQuest offers web-based phone service

i.t. matters
Friday-Saturday March 03-04, 2006 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES

News

GlobeQuest offers web-based phone service

GlobeQUEST, the corporate voice and data arm of Innove Communications, Inc., yesterday launched its new web-based phone service that offers the lowest international call rate in the country.

GlobeQuest Web Phone, touted as the first in the country, uses traditional telephone prepaid cards. However, calls are routed from a desktop, laptop computer or a personal digital assistant (PDA), instead of the regular telephone.

The service uses the voice over internet protocol (VoIP) technology, a cheaper voice service that breaks down voice into digital packets, thus allowing calls to be sent over the internet.

The Web Phone works with dial-up connection but GlobeQuest admits this will work best on broadband and wireless internet or WiFi for mobile users with laptop and PDA devices.

Under the service, calls from the Philippines to 10 countries, namely Australia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and the United States will be charged P4.50 or $0.086 per minute, beating the current industry international direct dial (IDD) rate of $0.40 per minute. The 10 countries were chosen because they have the most number of Filipino visitors and workers to date.

Rates for land calls to areas within and outside Metro Manila are flat at P3.50 per minute, P4.50 per minute for mobile phone calls to Globe and Touch Mobile users, P6.50 per minute for mobile phone calls to other network users and $0.40 per minute for IDD calls to countries other than the 10 countries mentioned.

"We do not expect this to totally replace regular phones in making IDD calls. However, there are a number of factors that may make people turn to it," said Jesus C.Romero, GlobeQuest Head, adding that the new service offers cheaper rates than regular landline and mobile phones.

He added that it is more attractive to budget conscious users since the prepaid cards come in denominations of P100 and P300. In addition, people are now spending more time on the internet and the mobile workforce in the country continues to grow.

GlobeQuest is positioning the Web Phone to mobile professionals, office users with internet access who would like to save on call expenses, families of overseas Filipino workers and students.

With its launch, GlobeQuest is expecting a much wider market for its Globe1 prepaid which was previously limited to National Capital Region and Regions 6, 7 and 8. In agreement with present government policy, GlobeQuest is not allowed to roll out to other areas outside its assigned turf. Globe1 was designed as the first universal call card for Globelines, Globe Handyphone or Touch Mobile phone.

Since the Web Phone service is internet-based and not covered by the turf policy, GlobeQuest can now cater to areas like Ilocos and Naga City that have the most number of families with relatives working and residing abroad.

Innove is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ayala-led Globe Telecom Inc. handling fixed-line and data businesses. -- Maricel E. Estavillo

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