LetsBrik Capitalizes on Bitcoin to Offer VOIP International Calling
LetsBrik, the world’s first entirely web browser based communication platform, announced the full release of its software after 12 months of open beta.
The San Jose-based startup will offer HD video chat, low-cost international calls and international SMS services to customers world-wide through various payment options including Bitcoin to help users avoid paying international transaction and conversion fees.
“LetsBrik is built on a complex set of emerging and proprietary web, video and VOIP technologies and after 12 months of open beta and rigorous testing, we couldn’t be more confident about the full release announcement,” said letsBrik CTO Tahir Jamil.
“It is incredibly hard to do consumer VOIP right – and we had to be 100% confident about the technology stack and the product before we launched the full release if you will.”
By using an independent digital currency like bitcoin, the platform enables users to make international calls with ease and top-up balances with microtransactions. Unlike PayPal, which can charge between 4-10% in transaction and conversion fees, the transaction settlement fees for bitcoin are substantially lower, qualifying as a viable medium of payment for online communication platforms like letsBrik.
Moreover, letsBrik eliminates third party applications and mediators normally involved in consumer VOIP services and solutions, allowing users to directly connect with the in-country carriers for highest quality cheap international calls.
By integrating an efficient payment network like bitcoin, the startup aims to eliminate any intermediaries involved in a traditional online communication platforms.
“Customers can use letsBrik to make cheap international calls to over 50 countries. More countries will be added soon. letsBrik directly connects with the in-country carriers to offer highest quality, cheap international calls. Since there are no middlemen involved, it can pass the savings on to the end customer in form of low calling rates,” said the letsBrik team.
Most importantly, letsBrik does not implement hidden costs such as connection fees and monthly commitments like other VOIP services such as Skype. The startup reached a consensus to integrate bitcoin for this very reason — to eliminate as many fees as possible for its web-based users across the world.
Over the last 12 months of development, the letsBrik team has secured direct relationships with over 1000 mobile carriers worldwide, providing a high level of voice quality without using intermediaries to send voice traffic.
Most other VOIP companies use “grey” routes or intermediaries to send voice traffic to the final destination, which can result in poor voice quality.
In the upcoming months, letsBrik plans to capitalize on the limitations of established VOIP services and their restriction in payment selections. By offering bitcoin and eliminating additional costs, the startup aims to establish itself as a leader in web-based communication.
