Dell has partnered with Ontario-based Fongo to offer Dell Voice, a VoIP app exclusively available exclusively in Canada that offers a Canadian phone number and free calls to most of Canada. Also, incoming calls and Dell Voice-to-Dell Voice calls are free of charge. This reminds me of how Dell partnered with Sightspeed, now a part of Logitech to offer a multi-party video conferencing service called Dell Video Chat. I reviewed the software and it works well, but with free alternatives like Skype, having the ability to do 9-way (3x3) Brady Bunch video is a very niche application. Practically nobody has ever heard of Dell Video Chat, so here let me share a couple screenshots of it...
Screenshot of me testing it:
2x2 (4-way video call)
I suspect Dell Voice will suffer the same ignominious fate as Dell Video Chat. There's just too much competition, including superior offerings from Google Voice, Skype, and most recently Vonage. It's like Dell is getting killed by their core market (PCs & laptops) by the explosion of the tablet and they're trying anything to diversify. Dell mobile phones - fail; Dell Video Chat - fail, Dell Voice - soon to fail.
In any case, the Dell Voice app currently available for Android, iOS and Windows (Desktop), with a Blackberry version coming. You can port your existing number for $25. Although this app is only available on the Canadian iTunes and Android app stores, there are hacks around that.
Google is your friend!
