NEW YORK: Broadband phone company Vonage Holdings Corp. has introduced a new Vonage V-Phone that is virtually a USB device that can be carried and plugged into computers for making calls via high-speed internet.
Vonage, a leader in web-based or voice-over-internet protocol-based telephony has been trying to expand its services, especially among the corporate users.
The V-Phone comes preloaded with software and therefore requires no computer set-up. It is priced at $39.99 plus $9 as activation fee. Customers are not required to sign up for calling time. The company is offering unlimited calls for $34.99 a month for business users and a $24.99 unlimited plan for residential customers. It has a 500-minute plan for $14.99.
V-Phone is compatible with both Windows and Mac systems.
Chairman Jeffrey Citron said the company wants to diversify. He said most employees do a lot of work on the road and at home. And they end up in having large phone bills.
Citron said V-Phone will not replace other Vonage products or cell phones. But companies could get the phones for their employees, who can replace the traditional phones once they are accustommed to using headsets and dialing from keyboards.
The V-Phone also works on wireless networks. Users can access voice mail via the device, and related attachments can be directed to their e-mail accounts or BlackBerry handhelds. The device also saves call history and contact lists.
Vonage shares rose 5 cents to $8.89, up 0.6 per cent. It is, however, down 48 per cent from the IPO price of $17.
