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Smart Communication is keen on launching a new service that will rival Skype. This new service comes with their new product called Plug N Text, a USB thumb drive pre-loaded with a “softphone” application developed by Smart.

This new service which is targeted at Filipinos abroad, will allow PC-to-PC and PC-to-mobile calls as well as short messaging service (SMS). It is aimed at rivaling Skype and Yahoo! Messenger because it is said to be cheaper, Smart officials said.

The product uses an ordinary SIM card much like an ordinary mobile phone and can also be reloaded. The cost of the kit, which includes the SIM, headset and 1 Gigabyte of hard drive, is P1,800 or about $40. The rates of the calls are as follows:

PC-to-mobile calls to Smart Subscribers -- P7.50 per minute
PC-to-mobile calls to non-Smart Subscribers -- P8.50 per minute
SMS to local numbers -- P1.00 per SMS
SMS to International numbers -- P15.00 per SMS

Jojo Fermin, Smart manager for international services said that these rates are actually cheaper than the P9 to P10 per minute on Yahoo! Messenger and about P12.50 per minute on Skype. The service allows two-way calls to any local or mobile, and since it is directly connected to Smart’s network, there are no roaming fees unlike cellular calls.

“Our advantage is our robust network so we could guarantee better quality when it comes to voice calls” Fermin said. He also said that Filipinos abroad commonly carry two handsets, one with local number and another one with a Philippine-based number. Smart is hoping that with the new service “they can use their existing SIM when connected to the Internet so they can avail of lower rates.”

The new product will be launched in the country this month, followed by US, Japan, Middle East and Europe starting January of next year.

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