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Palringo Brings First Push-to-Talk Application to the iPhone
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LONDON, Aug 19, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — ‘Push-to-talk’ — the voice equivalent of text messaging (SMS) — has come to the iPhone(TM) for the first time.
Promised as ’soon’ when it launched its service for the iPhone on July 29, Palringo has added the vocal instant messaging functionality to its rich messaging application available from Apple’s App Store.
Kerry Ritz, CEO of Palringo, said: “We’ve completed the suite of ways in which people can communicate with each other using an iPhone, adding voice, text-based and picture instant messaging to the standard phone call, SMS and e-mail functionality of the phone. This functionality really adds value to the already-terrific iPhone experience.
“When we launched Palringo for the iPhone, we said that our vocal IM functionality would be added imminently. We’ve kept the promise we made to the thousands and thousands of iPhone users who downloaded Palringo and made us one of the most popular free applications from the App Store,” he added.
The concept of push-to-talk varies in popularity around the world. Currently, in the United States, both Verizon and Sprint are promoting their push-to-talk services as alternatives to each other. However, both of these options lock customers into both a specific device and a specific network.
Palringo does neither of these things, being entirely operator-independent and also working on almost every handset released in the last two years. Most recently the company added RIM’s BlackBerry platform to a list that already includes Windows Mobile, Symbian and Java-based devices from manufacturers including Nokia, Motorola, LG, Samsung, HTC, HP and Sony Ericsson.
“Some of the big carriers tout their PTT services, but they have the ‘carrier barrier’ limitation of locking their customers into their networks and only the handsets the carriers support,” Ritz said. “That sort of lock-in is a 20th century business model and it doesn’t wash with savvy mobile users today.”
Palringo integrates with several existing popular instant-messaging services: AOL’s AIM, Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, Gadu Gadu, ICQ, Jabber and Windows Live Messenger. People can also use Palringo to contact their friends using iChat, Apple’s IM client.
Palringo for the iPhone is free and easy to download and install from Apple’s App Store. There are no hidden costs, catches or other charges.
About Palringo
Palringo makes instant messaging work on mobile. It combines walkie-talkie style voice (vocal instant messaging) with the ‘chat’ functionality of instant messaging and offers the ability to share pictures too. Both one-to-one and group discussions are enabled, on any mobile network or connected PC. Palringo connects with other popular instant messaging services. Additional media information, including logo and pictures, is available at www.palringopressoffice.blogspot.com.
Apple, iPhone, and Apple Store are trademarks of Apple Inc, registered in the United States and other countries. All other product or service names mentioned in this announcement may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
SOURCE: Palringo
Europe Both Barrels Communications Tim Donnelly Smith, +44 7978 800275 timds@bbcomms.co.uk or North America Comunicano, Inc. Sue Huss, +1 619-379-4396 sue.huss@comunicano.com
Hats off to Sun
I am often critical of companies where senior management tends to be disconnected from their customer base or even worse, unresponsive. Unfortunately, this is endemic in the IT and telecoms world.
This week I found a company that was truly unresponsive. Palringo is a start-up and is only two years old. Needless to say we find it very difficult to provide suppliers with 3 years of credit history! We applied to Sun for its Try and Buy programme but failed the credit check. I found this amazing since we have cash in the bank and thought that the Try and Buy programme was targeted to start-ups like ourselves.
I was furious and pinged an email to Jonathan Schwartz, CEO of Sun. I really didn’t expect much of a response. Taking into the account the 8 hour time difference between California and the UK, I received a response from him by 10pm UK time! Amazing.
The next morning both Martin Rosinski and I received telephone calls from Sun UK. Having provided Sun with a few more pieces of information to satisfy the credit controllers, we finally received a confirmation of our order.
Yes, they made a mistake. But, more importantly, they acknowledged it and “recovered” in the style of true service excellence. So, well done Jonathan Schwartz and Sun. Other CEO’s conmpanies should learn from this!
Crayfish 2008, Gothenburg Sweden
Per Hendar in action
What else do you drink at a crayfish party–snapps or course!
Barbara Ritz and Per Hendar–thinking about the next Schnapps song
