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Viber vs SIP Apps

Friday, February 17, 2012

As a SIP devotee, I’m curious what  Viber can offer. How does it compare to SIP apps? - And most important, how does it connect with other devices?

From my observation, Viber is just like Skype for smartphones - offering unlimited free for Viber-to-Viber calls.  Looking at  Skype (available in iPhone and Android), also offer unlimited-free Wifi-to-Wifi call. Between the two, I still prefer Skype is better because Viber can’t connect with PC/Laptops.  Skype has more - it can dial regular phones by purchasing SkypeOut call credits. So,  I don’t see the need to install Viber.

How about SIP apps for iPhone and Android?  There are:

Connectivity? They offer the most!  Can Viber or Skype connect with the following?

Yes - all of them just like this SIPdroid demo video.

With SIP, imagine if you’re in London malling or at Starbucks.  You can call your cousin malling in Manila or to your non-techie parents in Cebu City! SIP connects all types of users - from dummies to techies - because SIP is an open standard protocol like GSM so nothing beats it when it comes to connectivity. 

But before you can use your SIP app, you need to have a SIP account. You can register for free from various SIP providers worldwide. Among them are  FonoSIP, DIDW, Callcentric, , etc. Their phone rates are generally lower than Skype or Yahoo. Among the providers, I recommend Callcentric. You can get a free Callcentric account here.

Finally,  configure your SIP app using your account parameters. For Callcentric accounts, you enter the following:

  • Host:  callcentric.com
  • Username: 1777xxxxxxx
  • Password: <Password you entered in the registration>

If your SIP app is online, you can give me a ring by dialing 17772930540. I’m in Cebu City, Philippines, by the way. If i miss your call, it will go to my voicemail :-) .

Good luck!

Posted by gcd at 11:26 am | permalink | comments[1]

Cheaper alternative to Vonage/Ooma for Philippine users

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Many Filipinos subscribe to Vonage/Ooma to connect with their parents back home in the Philippines. It was one of our option to cut the phone bills of my sisters in USA/Canada. Vonage is charging $18.95 per month for USA & Canada Unlimited (now they offer USA & Canada 300 for $11.99/month). Although, it’s a big savings, that didn’t stop me from looking for cheaper means.  Indeed there is a cheaper and better option - no monthly fee and it’s reachable worldwide for free - huge savings for hardworking and diligent Filipinos worldwide.
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Posted by gcd at 9:31 am | permalink | Add comment