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TuGo VoIP app by O2

Jeremy Green, telco strategy analyst at Ovum believes the application is more than just another 'me too' VoIP app by an operator. “It delivers tangible differentiation for Telefonica and is a lesson for its peers in integration with carrier telephony services.”

Green continues: “TuGo is an app-based extension of telephony services including voice and messaging. Only available to O2 UK’s postpaid customers, it is a cloud-based telephony service, allowing the user to register multiple devices and make and receive calls and messages from all of these as if from their telephone number. Any usage comes from the user’s postpaid inclusive bundle. TuGo can therefore be used regardless of physical location over Wi-Fi using the user’s home contract. This also makes it an FMC solution, because it will work indoors on Wi-Fi at places where mobile coverage is poor.

“Significantly, the integration with native communications services (telephony and SMS) means that users are not restricted to communicating just with other adopters. Exchanging calls and messages with users of basic services works well, with information (e.g. caller ID and dialed number) shared between the native dialer app and the TuGo service. All communication is organized in threaded timelines and displays regardless of the device used, including both the PC and Macintosh apps."