Dutch based, instant messaging platform Nimbuzz announced a strategic tie up with internet service provider Spectranet. Both the companies have come together to launch a low cost Internet-powered international calling platform Hello Ip, through which customers can make international calls at an extremely cheap prices as low as one paise per second.
Spectranet’s ‘hello ip’ service would be available for all the Nimbuzz application users and would allow the chat platform’s users make affordable international calls from the country to all over the world. Nimbuzz’s Chief Executive Officer, Vikas Saxena said, “hello ip will allow our Indian users to reach out to their loved ones across the world without cost concerns. It is a unique proposition that allows Nimbuzz users to make calls at rates almost 450 per cent less.”
He further added, customers on average, collectively spend nearly Rs9,000 crore on international calls but through this move, call charges will fall drastically. Since it is internet based, the costs are extremely reduced. Currently Indian customers pay nearly Rs6.40 per minute for calling to US, Rs10 per minute to call Canada and Rs 14 per minute for United Kingdom but through Hollo Ip, they can call these countries at just 60 paise per minute. The rates vary for other countries.
Spectranet Chief Executive officer and Managing Director, Udit Mehrotra said, “The service can be used across all data networks and Wi-Fi starting today. Nimbuzz and Spectranet hello ip have also set up 24x7 calling email support to assist users with their concerns around Spectranet hello ip powered by Nimbuzz.”
It is India’s first legal VoIP (Voice over IP) service is a completely prepaid service where users can purchase call credits online. “Apart from online purchases, users will soon be able to buy pre-paid calling cards to avail this service,” Mehrotra added.
Nibuzz currently has 150 million users worldwide out of which nearly 25 million are from India. Talking about the future prospects, Udit said, “We plan to double our customer base in the next 12- 18 months.”