Fring

Infobox_Software2
name = fring


developer = [http://www.fring.com fringland Ltd.]
operating_system = Symbian 8 & 9 (S60, S40 2nd, 3rd & 4th edition, Java ME, iPhone, Linux and UIQ on limited devices), Windows Mobile 5 & 6
genre = / Mobile VoIP/instant messaging
license = Freeware
website = [http://www.fring.com/ www.fring.com]
Slogan = "Its fringing freedom!"

fring is an israeli peer-to-peer Mobile VoIP based internet telephony network founded by Avi Shechter [cite web | url=http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/07/business/FRING.php | author=Victoria Shannon | title=Bringing Fring into the mainstream | publisher=International Herald Tribune | accessdate=2008-02-10] , formerly co–CEO of ICQ and a VP at AOL [cite web | url=http://www.reuters.com/news/video/videoStory?videoId=62926 | author=Reuters News Video | title='fring' aims to ring in new era | publisher=Reuters | accessdate=2007-08-06] co-founded by Boaz Zilberman [cite web |url=http://www.voipuser.org/btn/interview_101.html |title=VoIP Interview |accessdate=2008-08-24 |publisher=voipuser.org |date= 2007-12-27] and Alex Nerst [cite web | url=http://www.lucafiligheddu.com/2007/03/fring-30-interview-with-one-of-co.html | author=Luca filigheddu | title=fring 3.0 interview with one of the co-founders | publisher=lucafiligheddu.com | accessdate=2007-03-27] . fring enables users to talk and chat using Skype, ICQ, Google Talk, MSN Messenger, AIM, Yahoo Messenger and SIP providers. [cite web | url=http://laptopmag.com/Features/Turn-Your-Cell-into-a-VoIP-Phone.htm?Page=1 | title=Turn Your Cell into a VoIP Phone | publisher=laptopmag.com | accessdate=2007-08-06] fring is headquartered in Israel, and has representation in Italy, UK, Taiwan and Germany.

Background

fring launched its P2P service during January 2007 [cite web | url=http://telecommagazine.com/search/article.asp?HH_ID=AR_3891&SearchWord | author=Ken Wieland | title=Fringing in the changes | publisher=Telecom Magazine | accessdate=2008-01-29] , offering MoIP (mobile VoIP) [cite web | url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30400-1251428,00.html | author=Martin Stanford | title=The Future Is Very Shiny | publisher=Sky News | accessdate=2007-02-13] talk and chat over mobile phones via 3G [cite web | url=http://youtube.com/watch?v=Y5KRTe-qO2Q | author=Sky News Video with Martin Stanford | title=3GSM World Conference | publisher=Sky News | accessdate=2007-02-13] , GPRS or Wi-Fi Internet connections [cite web | url=http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/prnewswire/AQM01806082007-1.htm | title=AT&T Expands Wi-Fi Access | publisher=CNN Money | accessdate=2007-08-06] . fring based communication utilizes existing 3G data plans instead of GSM (talk) minutes. [cite web | url=http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/01/31/fring_launched/ | author=Bill Ray | title=Fring brings Skype and Symbian together | publisher=The Register | accessdate=2007-01-31] [cite web | url=http://money.independent.co.uk/personal_finance/invest_save/article2823727.ece | author=Rhodri Marsden | title= Are mobiles just a rip-off? | publisher=The Independent | accessdate=2007-08-01]

Technology

Handset software This native MoIP solution uses a proprietary adaptive protocol which optimizes itself to network capabilities and characteristics. The thin client consumes minimum network requirements, battery and has a low memory footprint. [ cite web |url=http://www.lucafiligheddu.com/2007/03/fring-30-interview-with-one-of-co.html |title= Fring 3.0: interview with one of the co-founders |accessdate=2008-08-24 |author=Luca Filigheddu |publisher=lucafiligheddu.com]

Infrastructure

All fring calls are routed to a VoIP gateway and PSTN termination server. Calls destined to GSM and PSTN networks pass through a circuit switch such as Skype or SIP. Calls to VoIP users continue through the VoIP gateway to their destinations.

Features

* Mobile VoIP communication [ cite web |url=http://gigaom.com/2007/12/24/fring-adds-aim-yahoo-support/ |title= fring Adds AIM, Yahoo Support |accessdate=2008-08-24 |author=Om Malik |date=2007-12-24 |publisher=Gigaom ]
* Interconnects with PC VoIP applications [ cite web |url=http://mashable.com/2007/08/07/fring-icq/ |title= Fring Now Supports ICQ for Integrated Mobile Chat |accessdate=2008-08-24 |author=Kristen Nicole |date=2007-08-07 |publisher=Mashable ] , including Skype, Windows Live Messenger, ICQ, Google Talk, Yahoo! and AIM [ cite web |url=http://www.download.com/8301-2007_4-9824821-12.html?tag=blog.2 |title= Fring starts chats, Skype calls for less dough |accessdate=2008-08-24 |publisher=CNET Download Blog |date=2007-11-29 ] .
* Live chat between Skype, Windows Live Messenger, ICQ, Google Talk, Yahoo Messenger, AIM and Twitter [ cite web |url=http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/16/iphone_fring/ |title= Fring brings Skype to the iPhone |accessdate=2008-08-24 |author=Bill Ray |date=2008-04-16 |publisher=The Register ]
* PSTN and GSM lines using SkypeOut or SIP termination
* Send & Receive files [ cite web |url=http://www.intomobile.com/2008/02/21/fring-for-uiq-updated-to-include-file-transfer-support-and-language-localization.html |title=Fring for UIQ updated to include file-transfer support and language localization |author=Matthew Miller |accessdate=2008-08-24 |publisher=IntoMobile |date=2008-02-21 ] between Skype, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger and fring [ cite web |url=http://www.pocketpicks.co.uk/latest/index.php/2008/02/06/fring-adds-free-multimedia-file-transfer/ |title=Fring adds free multimedia file transfer |author=Fraser MacInnes |accessdate=2008-08-24 |publisher=pocket picks |date=2008-02-06 ]
* Real time presence indication
* Call History [ cite web |url=http://www.gsmhacks.com/forums/symbian-os-9-1-applications/55574-fring-v3-30-06-s60v3-06-a.html |title=Fring v3.30.06 S60v3 06/02/08 **Update** |accessdate=2008-08-24 |publisher=GSM Hacks |date=2008-02-23 ]
* Auto-roam [cite web |url=http://www.mobileeurope.co.uk/news_wire/113167/fring_auto-roaming_delivers_mobile_internet_convergence.html/ |title=fring auto-roaming delivers mobile internet convergence |accessdate=2008-08-24 |publisher=Mobile Europe |date=2007-09-04 ] in and out of WiFi hotspots [ cite web |url=http://www.voipcentral.org/entry/fring-adds-auto-roaming/ |title=Fring adds auto-roaming |accessdate=2008-08-24 |publisher=VoIP Central |author=Bhagaban |date=2007-09-10 ]

Growth

February October 2008: It is reported that more than 120,000 200,000 new users from 180 200 countries are now downloading, installing, and registering to use fring each month. [cite web |url=http://www.fring.com/newsroom/fringAppStore.asp | author=Neal Fullman | title=Fring on the app store | publisher=fring | accessdate=2008-10-04] [cite web |url=http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/02/0214_mwc_startups/source/9.htm | author=Jennifer L. Schenker | title=Fring Me When You're Free | publisher=BusinessWeek | accessdate=2008-02-14] [cite web |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/12/technology/11fring-web.html?_r=1&ref=technology&oref=slogin |author=Victoria Shannon | title=Start-Up Brings Free Calls to Mobile Phones | publisher=New York Times | accessdate=2008-02-12]

fring clocks 91,000 downloads during only 24h after launching fring on the App Store. [cite web |url=http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/news.phtml/18235/19259/view.phtml |author=Amy-Mae Elliott | title=fring sees 91,000 iPhone App Store downloads | publisher=Pocket-lint | accessdate=2008-10-08]

Major events

* January 2007: fring launched
* March 2007: Named in the 2007 pulver 100 list. [cite web | url=http://pulver.com/pulver100/ | title=The 2007 pulver 100 list | publisher=Pulver100 | accessdate=2007-03-05]
* March 2007: One of the winners of The Red Herring (magazine) 100 Europe 2007 awards. [cite web | url=http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:WdLu6KkUWtMJ:www.herringevents.com/vme07/vme_100_winners.pdf+http://www.herringevents.com/vme07/vme_100_winners.pdf&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=za&client=firefox-a | title=THE RED HERRING 100 EUROPE 2007 | publisher=Red Herring | accessdate=2007-03-19]
* May 2007: Launches customised mVoIP for [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2007_May_21/ai_n19155674 Cloud users]
* June 2007: fring available on Windows Mobile [cite web | url=http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/06/20/fring_for_windows/ | author=Bill Ray | title=Fring thing comes to Windows Mobile | publisher=The Register | accessdate=2007-06-20]
* August 2007: fring enables ICQ chat and talk
* August 2007: fring completes [http://www.americanventure.tv/index.php?seccion=ver&id=112 2nd round funding]
* August 2007: fring available on UIQ [ cite web |url=http://www.lucafiligheddu.com/2007/08/icq-is-back-to-life-with-fring.html |title=ICQ is back to life with fring |accessdate=2008-08-24 |author=Luca Filigheddu |publisher=lucafiligheddu.com |date=2007-08-07 ]
* January 2008: fring nominated as one of The Crunchies finalists [cite web | url=http://crunchies.techcrunch.com/finalists/ | title=Finalists | publisher=The Crunchies | accessdate=2007-12-21]
* February 2008: fring 3.30.6 is released, with additions such as free file transferring and real time chat chat notification [cite web | url=http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/ceb/2008/02/12/life/limpag.it.isn.t.just.ringing.it.s.fringing.html | author=Max Limpag | title=It isn't just ringing, it's Fringing | publisher=Sun Star | accessdate=2008-02-12] [cite web |url=http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/feb2008/gb20080214_750593.htm?chan=globalbiz_europe+index+page_top+stories | author=Jennifer L. Schenker | title=Mobile-Phone Show: The Startups Shine | publisher=BusinessWeek | accessdate=2008-02-14]
* April 2008 fring becomes the worlds first VoIP application to support the iPhone. [cite web | url=http://news.google.co.za/news/url?sa=t&ct=en_za/1-0&fp=4804b7d8c9476d20&ei=-78ESOCyB5-swAGcvcWDCw&url=http%3A//www.techcrunch.com/2008/04/15/fring-iphone-chatvoip-app-launching-today/&cid=0&usg=AFrqEzduhUm4JgGgUn6aR-p_gcWPM6Wtog | title=Fring iPhone Chat/Voip App Launching Today | publisher=Techcrunch | accessdate=2008-04-15]
* May 2008 fring walks away with both the prestigious MEFFY Award [cite web | url=http://www.m-e-f.org/index.php?id=969 | title=Meffys winners showcase diverse mobile entertainment industry | publisher=M.E.F | accessdate=2008-05-12] and the WBI Award [cite web |url=http://www.wbiawards.com/ |title=2008 Wireless Broadband Innovation Awards - all official category WINNERS announced |accessdate=2008-08-24 |author=Michael Gebert |date=2008-05-21 |publisher=WBI Awards '08 ] .
* June 2008 fring API is released [cite web |url=http://webworkerdaily.com/2008/06/19/fring-opens-its-api/ |title=Fring Opens its API |accessdate=2008-08-24 |author=Mike Gunderloy |date=2008-06-19 |publisher=Web Worker Daily ] .
* July 2008 fring supports Java J2ME and Linux handsets [cite web |url=http://www.tectonic.co.za/?p=2634 |title= Fring adds Linux, Java support |accessdate=2008-08-24 |author= Alastair |date=2008-07-18 |publisher=Tectonic ] .
* October 2008 fring is available on the iPhone and iPod Touch. [cite web |url=http://blog.fring.com/southafrica/index.php/2008/10/04/fring-now-available-from-the-app-store/ |author=Simon | title=fring now available from the App Store | publisher=fring | accessdate=2008-10-04] *Offical Fring app for iPhone and iPod Touch limted to WiFi for VOIP due to Contractual Agreement with Apple

References

External links

* [http://www.fring.com Official fring website]