Talkster unveils a groundbreaking voice over Internet (VoIP) network that allows users to place calls from ordinary mobile phones to traditional and next generation voice services. As an important component of the company’s forthcoming enterprise communications service, the Talkster network connects mobile phones to VoIP networks and devices without phone numbers, such as IP-PBX office phones provisioned inside a corporate IP network.

To demonstrate this network capability, Talkster is offering an individual user beta service that substantially cuts the cost of international long distance and roaming, and is also the first service to enable mobile phones to call instant messenger with voice services such as MSN and Google Talk. The Talkster beta service can be used by the widest number of mobile phones without requiring software, special networks or convoluted calling methods. During this beta, calls to instant messaging services are free. People can sign up at http://www.talkster.comt and start using the beta service today.

The Talkster beta service and the company’s international network of access points adapts to calling, long distance and roaming plans worldwide, making it possible to lower costs on any calling plan with simple direct outbound or callback calling options. Such features will be of particular value to the nearly 400 million Europeans with mobile phones in the 25 EU countries. Today these European callers can realize cost savings immediately, and stand to realize even greater savings after the enforcement of new European Union roaming regulations expected in 2007.

“Today Talkster launched its network, but soon businesses will have a comprehensive solution from Talkster to give them unprecedented control over the mobile communications services and devices their employees use,” said James Wanless, president and chief operating officer of Talkster. “The first step in rolling out this solution is unveiling this network and the capabilities and intelligence we built into it. Beyond mobile VoIP and Voice over Instant Messaging, Talkster is also demonstrating the future potential of contact presence as well as the ability to use our VoIP network for long distance and roaming cost savings that works in a truly global fashion.”

Talkster architected its VoIP and presence network with patent-pending intelligence to reduce the cost of mobility while increasing workforce productivity. The Talkster network utilizes web services to integrate and manage calling services, and to provide contact presence features – used by instant messaging services to indicate a person’s online status – to drive a dynamic contact list, features that will be enhanced in the enterprise version. When released next spring, Talkster’s fully-featured voice and text communications solution for enterprises will consolidate the many different work and personal communications services and phone numbers already being used by employees into a centrally managed, policy-based service used from a basic mobile phone.

“Talkster's VoIP services are a good example of Voice 2.0 - the marriage of web services and telecom,” says Rebecca Swensen, research analyst for VoIP Services at IDC. “Talkster's beta service differentiates itself from other mobile VoIP companies by using web services to increase functionality, usability in more countries, and extending service capability to a large number of mobile devices.”

The Talkster beta service is open to users worldwide at http://www.talkster.comt. Enterprises interested in Talkster’s forthcoming enterprise service can send an email to enterprise@talkster.com. Resellers and system integrators interested in adding Talkster’s enterprise mobility service to their portfolio of top-selling solutions can send a request for more information to partners@talkster.com.