Pfingo - Phone, Finger, Internet oN-theGO

Pfingo is launched in Mar 07 and it is an interesting VOIP service. It provides you a local Singapore number starting with "3" instead of "8" or "9". It provides 2 services:

• Desktop - For users who have no wifi-phone and use desktop or notebook as platform; and
• Mobile - For users who have SIP or wifi-phone and more features are available.

Pfingo Desktop (free for 3 months)

1. If you use Goggle Talk, Skype or similar service, there is nothing new to talk about. The only comparison will be the IDD rate charges which may vary;
2. You can send and receive fax via your given number starting with a "3";
3. You can forward this number to your mobile phone to receive call;
   
4. You can sign up for a foreign number (mostly non-asian countries) and others can call you paying local call rate; and
   
5. Other services (email, SMS, PIM Sync) are already offered by competitors so there is nothing much to talk about. SMS and fax are chargable so there are many free services which can offer better.
   

Pfingo Mobile (free till 31 Dec 08)

1. Many services (push mail, push news, push stock, chat, sms, weather forecast, horoscope) are already offered by other competitors (like blackberry) so there is nothing much to talk about;
2. The interesting part is the link between your wifi-phone to your local internet connectivity to enjoy cheaper call. Therefore, you need a wifi-phone or SIP phone to exploit the full features of pfingo.

So, how good is pfingo?

1. If calling overseas bill contributes the bulk of your mobile phone bill, this may be a cost saving solution in the long term;
2. Voice clarity is definitely a PLUS here. Perhaps due to a small scale of beta-testers in Singapore;
3. Calling China is only S$0.02/min which is reasonably cheap; and
4. If you want to get a free local number for 3 months, why not? Sign up is free but the confirmation of OTP code takes a long wait of 24 hours.
   

Any bad?

1. If you have a non-wifi phone, please do not attempt to download the mobile client as you are using GPRS/3G to make calls. Your high connection charges may offset the savingyou enjoy on the cheap calling rates. However, you are still able to enjoy desktop features till 31 Dec 08;
2. Most of the services require subscriptions. Starting in 2009, besides the normal subscription of S$5, users are required to pay for outgoing calls too; and
   
3. Are the services enough? It may provides the basic communication needs but normal users are pampered with more services such as reading blogs, payment services over mobile, shopping, downloads, games which are not provided by pfingo.
   
4. Another issue with pfingo is that it wanted to ties mail, sms, voice and fax together thereby spreading itself thin. There are professional services like goggle and yahoo for email and skype for VOIP etc. Limiting its service to wifi phone users is confining itself to a small market segment. In the long run, when wifi phone becomes popular, maybe more users will use pfingo. Let's wait and see.