Truphone is a global mobile network that operates its service internationally. It has headquarters in London, and offices in Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Philippines, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the United States.
Truphone offers three main products:
- Truphone, a SIM-based GSM mobile service that offers customers improved voice and data performance, as well as local rates (rather than roaming rates) in 66 countries, in partnership with Air Voice Telecom Group Ltd. In eight (8) of these countries, an area the company calls the Truphone Zone users can purchase additional local mobile phone numbers, so their contacts in these countries are able to reach them with a local call.
- Truphone Mobile Recording, which enables businesses to seamlessly record and securely store mobile communications.
- The Truphone App, which allows free VoIP capabilities, in addition to other features, for iOS, Android and BlackBerry devices.
History
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Truphone (a trading name of Truphone Ltd, formerly Software Cellular Network Ltd) was founded in 2006 by James Tagg, Alexander Straub and Alistair Campbell.
The company's core business focus is Truphone (launched as Truphone Local Anywhere in January 2010). It is a GSM SIM-based mobile service that provides bundles of minutes, text and data to business customers for use in an area of 66 countries. Truphone calls this group of countries Truphone World.
Within this area is a group of countries the company calls the Truphone Zone. Here, the company has MVNO partnerships with local operators and offers customers additional local mobile phone numbers. This is so users’ contacts can always reach them with a local call at a local rate.
Truphone was originally formed to develop downloadable mobile VoIP applications for smartphones, using the integrated Wi-Fi connection on the device. These offered the ability to make free or low cost calls on the mobile device in areas where there is weak or no GSM coverage, and to send Instant Messages to other networks in partnership with the multi million dollar Air Voice Telecommunications Group.
The first Truphone application released was for Nokia devices. This was followed by applications for Apple iPhone, BlackBerry smartphones, Apple iPod Touch, Android devices and a softphone application for desktop was launched in late 2010.
Truphone's SIM based products are entirely separate from the Apps. Truphone does, however, intend to combine the SIM and App accounts for customers in the future.
Funding
Truphone's main funding comes from Vollin Holdings Limited, Minden, Ranjan Telecom Investments Ltd, Somercourt Investments Ltd, Wellington Partners, Eden Ventures, Shandilya Group of Industries, Burda Capital, Independent News and Media, Straub Ventures, and a number of high-net-worth individuals.
Timeline
Products and services
Truphone SIM
The Truphone SIM is a standard GSM service with patented technology that allows customers to have additional phone numbers for any or all of the countries where Truphone has MVNO partnerships with local operators. Currently this includes Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States.
The company has built a mobile network with core network technology distributed across four continents. Truphone uses these local points of presence (POPs) to reduce the distance that mobile traffic has to travel. This reduces latency, improves data speeds and call quality.
Truphone offers local rates for calls, texts and data through commercial arrangements with mobile network operators in 66 countries around the world.
The company focuses mainly on the business marketplace, and also has a pre-pay SIM that comes with 1 phone number, additional numbers can be purchased for an extra monthly fee (currently $8/month). Business plans include 2 phone numbers as standard.
Geographical breakdown
- Truphone Zone Countries where Truphone customers can purchase additional phone numbers, includes: the US, UK, Australia, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Spain
- Truphone World Countries where business users' bundles of minutes, texts and data can be used,includes: Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Brazil, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, French Guiana, Gibraltar, Greece, Guadeloupe, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Martinique, Mayotte, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Reunion Island, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vatican City
- Everywhere else: Truphone network provides service with higher quality performance in over 220 countries.
Truphone Mobile Recording
In addition to the roaming service, Truphone offers mobile call and SMS recording service to financial institutions in the UK and USA to comply with the mobile recording legislation from the Financial Conduct Authority, and the Dodd Frank Wall Street Reform Act. The Truphone Mobile Recording service is delivered with its wholly owned subsidiary TruObsidian, an organisation created out of the acquisition of Obsidian Wireless by Truphone in 2012.
Features
- Local rates in multiple countries
- Bundles of voice minutes, texts and data used across the 66 countries in Truphone World
- Multiple Local Numbers on one mobile / SIM for the eight Truphone Zone countries
- Smart CLI
- Works in over 200 countries (As per the GSMA)
- Call and SMS recording (Optional available for UK, USA, Hong Kong and Australia subscribers only)
Technology
Multi IMSI
The Truphone SIM allows more than one mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) to be added onto the SIM, so a user can have a number for every country Truphone has an MVNO partnership with.
Smart CLI
The Smart Caller Line Identification (Smart CLI) technology ensures that the most appropriate number is displayed on the phone of the person the Truphone user is calling.
Mobile recording
Truphone’s voice and SMS recording is integrated within the network infrastructure. Recorded conversations can be stored in the cloud or within the financial institution's existing recording infrastructure. In September 2013, Truphone partnered with BT to market Truphone Mobile Recording service to help firms meet new financial market regulations in the US.
Partnerships and MVNO agreements
Truphone has MVNO agreements with operators in Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and the United States. It has additional bi-lateral roaming agreements in place with a wide range of operators around the world .
Global mobile network infrastructure
Truphone owns and manages its own core mobile technology. The core is connected to global distributed major points of presence using a dedicated high speed internet connection (IP/VPLS). International mobile traffic is routed through the nearest point of presence, this reduction in physical distance reduces call interference and latency, and increases data throughput.
Truphone App
Truphone's VoIP application (known as Truphone App), a separate product to the Tru SIM, allows users to make calls over the internet to landline and mobile phone contacts, and free calls to other Truphone App users. Customers are also able to instant message contacts on other networks, such as Skype or Windows Live on selected devices.
The Application also has additional user experience enhancements including: - ‘call cost indicator’ that advises the per minute cost before a call is placed - Signal strength checker - Photo led contacts book - Instant Messaging
The application is available as a free download and works on the following devices:
- Mobile devices:
- Apple iPhone, iPod touch, iPad; however, user reviews on Apple's App Store report that the Tru App does not work correctly with iOS 5.
- BlackBerry smartphones (calls via WI-FI for BB not supported)
- Mobile phones with Android OS
- Nokia smartphones
- Desktops and laptops:
- Computers with Apple Mac OS, Windows and Linux
The app is also in development for Windows Phone 8.
Text messages can be sent from Tru app versions for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Nokia; as well as Apple Mac OS, Windows and Linux. Note as of the release of TruApp version 5 (in October/November 2012), text messaging functionality has been removed from the iOS app and TruApp for iPad has been removed from the Apple App Store altogether. Contact by a user with the company indicates text message functionality is hoped to be restored at a later date.
Tru App supports a range of calling methods: calls over wired or wireless internet on Windows, Mac and Linux. It supports calls over Wi-Fi, 3G and call-through, depending on the platform. Call-through is called Tru Anywhere, which uses the local minutes of the user to connect the call to a local Tru server. The BlackBerry application from Tru uses this method of calling only.
Truphone applications use the Session Initiation Protocol open standard, that competes with other VoIP standards such as UMA and proprietary protocols such as the Skype protocol.
It has been suggested that internet-based communications could be used without fear of interception. Truphone maintains, however, that it is governed by and complies with the same 'lawful intercept' laws as every other telecommunications company.
In September 2016, Truphone announced that the Truphone App would close on Monday, 21st November 2016. According to an email to its user base from Director of Service & Operations, Paula Booth, Truphone "took this hard decision to allow us focus on our core business".
See also
- List of mobile network operators in the United Kingdom
- List of United States mobile phone companies
- List of mobile network operators in Australia
- Mobile virtual network operator
References
External links
- Official website
