WengoPhone

WengoPhone is a Free software under license GNU LPG of voice on IP (related to the service Wengo) developed by the community OpenWengo.

It makes it possible to telephone free since its computer with other users of telephone software in conformity with the standard SIP but also on conventional telephones. The whole while offering to the choice of the salesman of minutes of phone calls contrary to the software equivalent owners such as Skype.

The next named version WengoPhone NG 2.0 is compatible with many services of Instant messaging, like MSN Messenger, Google Talk, Jabber, Yahoo! Messenger, AIM, IChat, thanks to the library Libpurple of Pidgin.

The graphical interface

The Graphical interface is very similar to that of Skype. Since the principal interface one can reach through various miters the list of his contacts, the list of the calls carried out but also on his account Wengo. Technically, it is coded in Qt/C++.

Calls

The calls of PC with PC are audio qualities high definitions and use the codecs ILBC, AMR-WB, PCMA, PCMU, AMR and GSM.

It is possible to establish a conversation with other users of the same software or with any other software respecting the standard SIP such as Gizmo Project.

WengoPhone also makes it possible to make video-telephony by using the software FFmpeg.

With regard to the calls towards the conventional telephones, the waiter by defect is that of Wengo which sponsored the project OpenWengo. It is however possible to use another such as NetAppel of them. This is an economic advantage for the users of WengoPhone because they can choose their operator according to the tariffs which they propose and not according to the software used.

Protocol

The protocol used is the open standard SIP, very largely used in the world of VoIP.

Characteristics

The characteristics of this telephone software are:

conformity with the open standard SIP;
choice of the operator;
sending of SMS towards France and the international one;
autodétection of configuration network (NAT and firewall);
conversation text, audio and video;
Multiplateforme on GNU/Linux Mac OS X and Windows.

Limitations

The principal reproaches made with the software are:

not of possible conference to more than two people in vocal conversation;
requires an access Internet high-flow, is not usable in low flow (contrary to Skype);
with the operating system Windows, it requires Windows XP or 2000 and are not usable with the older versions of Windows like Windows 98 or Millenium.
in the same way, about many operators complains about the regular dysfunctions of the service.

The company managing the accounts " bloque" the inactive users after a certain period and it is not easy to reactivate all the services for which one had paid.

Future

The new version is WengoPhone NG . The purpose of this one is to mitigate the majority of these limitations. Version NG makes it possible to use WengoPhone with any graphical interface thanks to a API. The new version is available since the May 19th 2006 and supports the protocol XMPP as well as the conferences.

It is about a complete rewriting of the software WengoPhone Classic , with for principal improvement compatibility with many services of Instant messaging (MSN Messenger, Google Talk, Jabber, Yahoo! Messenger, AIM, IChat) thanks to the library Libpurple of Pidgin.

Random links: