Start-up Ribbit unveils Web voice services

BEIJING, Dec. 18(Xinhuanet) -- Silicon Valley start-up Ribbit unveiled a platform Monday that will allow programmers to add telephone features to any Web page or Web-based service, according to reports of PCWorld.

It said Ribbit's technology allows developers to connect VoIP services with mobile phones, land-line phones and text messages.

"A developer can take telephony out of our sandbox and bring it to where you live," said Crick Waters, Ribbit's vice president for strategy and business development.

Developers can build applications that include functions such as recording, sending and receiving voicemail, and making and receiving calls. The applications can be built using Flash, embedded into any Web site, and integrated into existing Web-based services. The platform supports many existing Web-based calling services, such as Skype, GoogleTalk and MSN.

Rather than Skype-style chat programs, Ribbit offers a full telephone switchboard on its server that allows developers to embed the feature using Adobe Flash. It can add a calling feature to an online shopping site, for instance, and Salesforce.com plans to start marketing an application tying calling to its customer-relationship management services.

It will be taking on established rivals Microsoft and Avaya in unified communications.

For other applications that Ribbit is not directly involved in the third-party developer would also pay Ribbit a subscription based on the number of users of their service.

Ribbit opened its offering to developers in August but officially launched the company, along with details about how its technology and business model work, on Monday.

(Agencies)