Ribbit Technology

Not just another softphone, Ribbit Technology has put together a sophisticated open platform that allows developers to integrate telephony functions into a myriad of new and existing applications all accessible from a browser page. No phone, just a widget.

The integration of telephone functions into desktop applications is a major trend that goes beyond simply using VOIP for cheap telephone calling but to raise the desktop productivity bar through the synergy of enhanced communications capabilities embedded into day-to-day application duties. Microsoft has its Communications Server 2007 and IBM has its Lotus Sametime for medium to large organizations and now Ribbit allows for such capabilities to be included in all web pages and web services but in a unique way.

Ribbit bought its own carrier-class softswitch, called the Ribbit SmartSwitch (TM), a piece of central office equipment that works with VOIP calls. They loaded it with special applications and interfaces to support several new capabilities.

For starters, this softswitch provides connectivity to and from the following types of calls: PSTN/land line, mobile phones (cell or WiFi), Flash (Adobe) phones/browser pages, desktop widgits, Web applications (Facebook, Saleforce.com), VOIP applications (Skype, GoogleTalk, MSN), messaging (Skype, SMS), and SIP phones. Secondly, it transcribes voice mail to text and visa versa. Third, Ribbit allows developers to program the softswitch via open APIs (Application Program Interfaces) to create their own unique offerings. Fourth, Ribbit provides developers telephony related adjunct services such as billing, reports, call QoS (Quality of Service) and SLAs (Service Level Agreements), and customer support. In other words, the capabilities offered would be like the legacy telephone company opening up the CO switch to outside programmers so they can create new, money making business and consumer services and provide the programmers with operational support as well.

Who knew?

Because of the ease of programming the softswitch and creating money-making applications, Ribbit has signed up a herd of developers who will be releasing many new telephony oriented consumer and business based capabilities shortly. There are already some completed.

Current Applications

The AIR iPhone is an on-screen replication of Apple’s iPhone handset. However, the telephony and other functions do not require downloading client software as these are Web-page based. Another ready application embeds phone capabilities into Salesforce.com. By keying a code into a mobile phone, for example, users can listen to or see text transcripts of the mobile voice-mail messages within Salesforce, send messages to colleagues and tag then for easy sorting later. They can make and receive calls through their Saleforce page, which will be automatically logged in the Saleforce application.

A veterans’ association has built a call center application that lets veterans who work for the group make and receive browser-based phone calls while at home. This capability is integrated into a Web site that also hosts tools they use while making calls, which allows the association to take on the cost of the calls rather than reimbursing workers for the use of home phones.

More To Come

These are good examples of how such new services could make it easier for Web sites visited from PC and mobile devices to offer a host of calling functions that allow users to easily make calls, manage their communications and integrate calling with other functions. For example, this type of telephone integration can happen for a number of applications allowing people to blend phone access with social networking sites, communities-of-interest sites, private organizations and other Web destinations. For that matter, small and medium size businesses could use capabilities developed on the Ribbit platform in place of any office phone system, either legacy or VOIP-based, and add unique features just for their business. No phone system at all, just an icon on a web page!

Who knew?

Further Training

These types of insights can be found in all training classes provided by McGuire Consulting. The high quality nature of these courses is based on the many years of work and training experience of the author, Jay D. McGuire.