Spikko Ltd., a start-up that has been operating in stealth mode for three years, claims that it has found a way to offer free telephone calls and make a profit at it. The company's technology offers VoIP telephony services gratis for members. The only way to join the service is by invitation from an existing member. The service currently has 50,000 members.
Spikko has obtained funding from private investors, including Jdate founder Alon Carmel, who serves as Spikko chairman and business development and marketing manager; UK real estate tycoon Igal Ahouvi, who invested $1 million, which will be used to launch the company's service internationally.
"Globes": How does the service work?
Spikko CEO Shay Gilboa: "Each user receives a local telephone number and an initial grant. For each incoming call, he receives credit to make an outgoing call by either landline or mobile. Each call goes to a computer, and will soon also go to a mobile telephone. The calls go to the devices' data channel, which means that the average payment (for airtime) will be no more than NIS 0.05 per minute, which will be collected by the cellular operator."
Gilboa adds that the service also offers video and chat services, and will soon also offer e-mail and instant messaging. He declined to disclose Spikko's business model, but it presumably resembles the model of virtual mobile operators who trade in airtime. Gilboa would only say that the service would be shortly launched globally.
Skype is struggling to achieve a critical mass of revenue. Will you succeed?
Gilboa merely smiled.
What are your future plans?
"We've raised additional capital for deployment overseas. In future, each member will receive a local number in each country, which will operate automatically, and which can accept calls from any device anywhere in the world."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on March 27, 2008
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