Silent Circle Takes On Skype With Secure, Encrypted Voice Over IP Calling
Our illusion of privacy was shattered when it came to light that our government is plugged into just about every form of communication that exists. To give users back some measure of privacy, Silent Circle has launched a fixed price, global encrypted calling service that allows customers to make and receive truly private phone calls without Uncle Sam listening in.
According to Reuters, the secure voice and data calling plan will work on iOS and Android devices at the outset, with plans to port a version over to Windows Phone sometime down the line. Customers will be able to place secure phone calls with 79 countries.
Not only will this compete against traditional phone carriers, especially since it offers callers a way to sidestep roaming charges, it will also go up against VoIP services like Skype, which is owned by Microsoft. After all, the baked in security features are the real selling point here.
An idea candidate might be a business traveler headed overseas with sensitive company information. This could include lawyers or bankers, and so forth. Silent Circle offers them (and anyone else) a means of encrypted communications that goes the extra mile by wiping records of phone calls, texts, messages, and even documents on both the senders' and receivers' devices.
The calling plan will start at $12.95 per month for 100 minutes of outbound calls. On the high end, there's a $39.95 per month plan that comes with 1,000 minutes.
According to Reuters, the secure voice and data calling plan will work on iOS and Android devices at the outset, with plans to port a version over to Windows Phone sometime down the line. Customers will be able to place secure phone calls with 79 countries.
Not only will this compete against traditional phone carriers, especially since it offers callers a way to sidestep roaming charges, it will also go up against VoIP services like Skype, which is owned by Microsoft. After all, the baked in security features are the real selling point here.
An idea candidate might be a business traveler headed overseas with sensitive company information. This could include lawyers or bankers, and so forth. Silent Circle offers them (and anyone else) a means of encrypted communications that goes the extra mile by wiping records of phone calls, texts, messages, and even documents on both the senders' and receivers' devices.
The calling plan will start at $12.95 per month for 100 minutes of outbound calls. On the high end, there's a $39.95 per month plan that comes with 1,000 minutes.
