Goober Networks VoIP and Instant Messenger for iPhone

by Bill French on 31/03/10 at 8:01 am

Bill French is an information architect specializing in Internet applications. He is also the co-founder of MyST Technology Partners and Senior Editor for iPhoneCTO.

Yes, the name “Goober” caught my eye too. Goober is an urban slang term for peanut and is sometimes used to informally refer to a person who is acting silly or funny. And then there’s Goobers, a brand name of chocolate-coated peanut and the Goober (brand), a food product combining peanut butter and fruit preserves. A “goober” is also known as a dog or puppy with human like features or actions, a critter of sorts. And lastly, there’s the infamous Goober Pyle, a character on The Andy Griffith Show.

Any company with enough confidence to name themselves Goober Networks deserves a closer look, and while the name suggests a legacy of humorous identities, there’s nothing funny about their latest VoIP announcements for iPhone. I dare you to try to read this article without mentally giggling every time you read the name. All kidding aside – you’re probably going to remember this company for a number of reasons including its kooky name.

image5 Goober Networks VoIP and Instant Messenger for iPhone

Goober VoIP

for the iPhone allows users to make local and international VoIP calls for significantly less money than their carrier would charge, saving up to 90 percent on all phone calls, with costs [reportedly] as low as $0.01 a minute. Connected to any WiFi or 3G network, goober VoIP delivers crystal-clear HD (high definition) voice capabilities for all destinations, nationally and globally. With goober VoIP, users prepay directly via their iPhone at flat-rate fees and avoid any charges on their mobile carrier’s phone bill. Also, the first two minutes are free of charge for calls anywhere in the world; that’s pretty cool.

image thumb4 Goober Networks VoIP and Instant Messenger for iPhone

With nearly 3 billion users worldwide, the mobile phone has become the most personal and ubiquitous communications device. Gartner Group, a research firm tracking mobile communicates, has predicted that by 2012 the iPhone will gain 13.7 percent of the global smartphone market.

According to Goober’s CEO Peter Uhlich, their service

“… was designed from the beginning to unify all communications, from instant messaging, voice and video chat/conferencing to VoIP calling and social networking, across all IP communication devices including PCs, softphones, mobile phones, and soon via the television. Goober VoIP and goober for the iPhone bring us one step closer to meeting our goal as the most advanced and unifying communications solution on the market today, allowing businesses, enterprises and consumers to publish, connect and share content and communication from a single point, anytime, anywhere.”

Goober for the iPhone also gives users full access to the Goober Webfolder. Serving as a virtual hard drive, the goober Webfolder allows users to manage, download and edit their data externally from any location, anywhere and anytime. From the iPhone, it lets users directly display files and images, and add images to the gallery, which can also be viewed and shared by their friends, family and colleagues. Additionally, users can change images and view friends profile information while on the move, right from their iPhone.

Mobile Voip is indeed a huge market and growing. To be competitive, Goober offers flat rate services for forty countries but they have some stiff competition. Sr Editor Craik Pyke. (Best Enterprise VoIP client for the iPhone?) wrote late last year that VoIP performance from most providers was spotty and call quality was inconsistent. Perhaps this has (or will) change with 3G improvements in late 2009 and recently reported widespread [planned] network upgrades from AT&T.

My sources indicate that Goober is signing up new customers at the rate of about 1,000 new users a day and there’s good evidence that a new deal worth $270 million US annually is in the works with an unnamed Asian carrier. Goober has raised approximately $8 million US in early stage funding.

Goober VoIP for the iPhone allows users to make local and international VoIP calls for significantly less money than their carrier would charge, saving up to 90 percent on all phone calls, with costs [reportedly] as low as $0.01 a minute.