TringMe

Convenient click-to-call services generated a lot of buzz recently. The more advanced apps allow the user to talk directly via an integrated Flash widget embedded in a website. No other soft phone application like Skype is required. Many of the recent call widget start-ups have packed their flash applications with features like voicemail, texting, conferencing and video.

Again, the beauty about these widgets is that the user doesn't need to install additional software. All that is required is an up-to-date Flash player.

Among the companies that are developing Flash VoIP widgets TringMe is one that stands out for me, and I will cover them in more detail in the days ahead.

In addition to browser to browser communication with peers TringMe's flash widget allows users to terminate calls directly to landlines, cell phones, Skype, GTalk, Yahoo Voice and Windows soft phones.

Webmaster, online directory services and local search engines can easily embed the TringMe widget on their websites, in e-mails, social networking profiles and immediately connect users to individuals, sales and customer service departments on the other end.

This month, April 2008, TringMe released their source-code to developers who want to create their own application layers. The company also made an API available, to connect applications to TringMe's Tring Switch - their platform that connects a soft phone application to range of TringSwitch-compatible protocols.

Again, I will cover TringMe in more detail here. Be sure to check out their blog.