VoIP Apps From Fring And CounterPath Hit Androids

Android smartphone owners now have two new voice over IP (VoIP) options that expand on the features and options from Skype and may give it a run for its money.

FringOut And Bria Android Edition

New from VoIP company Fring is FringOut – an app that lets users place free calls, video calls and live chats with other Fring network users. Now there is also the option of one-cent-per-minute calls to non-Fring users over a choice of WiFi, 3G or 4G – and that’s to users anywhere around the world.

According to Fring, there are no extra fees, no taxes and no operator minutes used – it’s straight-up data calling. Users can also choose to call with SIP (Session Initiation Protocol).

To download FringOut, scan this bar code on the Fring site. Then point the phone’s browser to m.fring.com and download the app manually. In addition, smartphone users can download the app from the Android Market. iPhone users.

Last July Fring also released an app for the iPhone 4 that enables two-way calling over WiFi or 3G.

Early enterprise adopters of Android can soon check out CounterPath’s Bria service – the company already offers a Bria iPhone Edition which also works with the iPod Touch. Counterpath has announced an enterprise-grade VoIP app for Android that has been set to arrive at the end of October.

Bria Android Edition, for smartphones running Android 2.1 or higher, supports any SIP-compliant server as well as offering multitasking, enabling users to field incoming calls while using other applications. There are also PBX-style options such as call holding, forwarding, rejecting, merging and splitting, as well as attended and unattended transfers.

The features list goes on. There is a call history pane that shows dialled, answered and missed calls. There are also security settings, including audio encryption, easy integration of user contacts, and customised branding features for graphic assets and SIP settings. The app also integrated with enterprise infrastructure from popular vendors, such as Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Avaya and Cisco.

“With 17 percent of the global smartphone market at the end of second quarter 2010, up from two percent one year earlier, Android has quickly established itself as a major force in both the consumer and enterprise markets,” Todd Carothers, CounterPath’s vice president of product management, said in a statement.

“With Bria Android Edition, enterprises, government agencies and other commercial users now can extend their VoIP savings and productivity to the mobile environment – quickly and cost-effectively.”