The Emerging Communications conference in Silicon Valley this week has been discussing the latest trends and technologies in telecoms, with the web dominating proceedings.
Among the presentations, Stuart Henshall described Phweet, a service that uses Twitter as a platform to allow users to control their phone calls through a simple URL.
A URL contained in a tweet to a friend can be clicked on, indicating their acceptance of a voice chat. The sender is alerted to the acceptance by a whistle and then clicks to initiate the call.
Palo Alto’s Conveneer announced it had secured $4.5m in financing for its Mikz platform, which gives users real-time access to their phone’s content through a web browser.
It works again through a URL – the phone is assigned one and it can be accessed by inputting the address into a browser.
And Mountain View’s Ditech Networks announced toktok, the first consumer application to give voice access to the web and productivity tools during a cell phone call.
When “toktok” is said during a phone conversation, the speaker can access Google calendar and Gmail contacts without fear of dropping the call.
A “Voice Poke” Facebook application is planned, showing friends that are on the phone and allowing audio messages to be inserted into their ongoing calls.
It’s voice and web convergence, Jim, but not as we know it.
