MTT, a Russian telecom group owned by VTB and former telecommunication minister Leonid Reiman, announced last week the launch of a Skype-like VoIP application named ‘Beam.’
The company stated it had invested 100 million rubles (approximately $3 million) in the project, which is based on MTT’s own VoIP platform for call rerouting, billing, and integration to operators worldwide.
The application is already available via Google Play, but iOS and Windows Phone versions will be offered later this fall and next year, respectively.
Beam claims to “offers better tariffs to landline and mobile numbers than any other mobile operator.” An advantage is that “balance and rates are displayed on the phone, so you will always know exactly how much your call costs.”
MTT has set a target of 5 million downloads by the end of next year. The application targets mainly international users, especially from Southeast Asia, South America, and Arabic countries.
Beam’s interface will be adapted to each country “to a maximum extent.” Paid functions have been made available in several currencies, but the generous “10-ruble credit” ($0.3) offered to new users is announced in rubles on Beam’s presentation page on Google Play.
MTT claims it has agreed with Fly and Prestigio to embed the application in smartphones, and that it is holding talks with other device manufacturers for similar partnerships.
There were at least 22 million VoIP users in Russia in late 2011. By 2015 the figure could increase to 37 million, or a 23.5% penetration rate, according to J’son & Partners Consulting cited by the Russian telecom and IT news portal CNews.ru.
Among MTT’s other apps is Frolik, a service that allows parents to organize a safe and exciting online and multimedia environment for their children, while preventing them from exposure to unwanted content.
