MediaRing breaks out of PC mold

MediaRing announced last week that it will begin offering worldwide PC-to-telephone calling service under a deal with Delta Three.

The enhancement will be added to MediaRing Talk 99, an Internet voice communications product that MediaRing now uses for PC-to-PC calls. The upgrade will let PC users place calls over the Internet via the Ericsson IP Telephony platform, which is deployed worldwide by Delta Three.

The new service allows a PC to operate as a telephone through a standard sound card, said Suzanne Chu, director of marketing for Delta Three. A graphical user interface on MediaRing's Web site, which resembles a telephone, guides users through the calling process.

The upgraded software is expected to be available to consumers in about a month, said Mike Dean, vice president of corporate communications. MediaRing Talk 99 can be downloaded for free at www.mediaring.com.

The move to PC-to-telephone is representative of MediaRing transcending Internet telephony and moving toward the greater Internet voice market, said Dean. MediaRing was among representatives demonstrating the product last week at the CeBIT show in Hannover, Germany. The company sees itself as an "alternate voice community," Dean said.

The upgrade also will include MediaRing technology that uses enhanced voice modem chipsets by Conexant Systems Inc. The chipsets allow users to connect calls to any PC, even if it is not logged on to the Internet.

Despite a rough reception during early attempts at Internet transmission, Chu said the fact that a call is taking place over the Internet is now "totally transparent."

The goal is significantly lower rates. Calling time can be purchased at MediaRing's Web site and retail calling cards will eventually be available in stores.