We recently published a guide on how to configure the Counterpath Bria app for FreedomIQ service on both Apple and Android devices. Now we want to go over some of the benefits that this handy little app can offer.
Why would I want to buy and configure the mobile softphone?
A softphone is a piece of software that works as your VoIP phone without actually needing to have a physical “hard” phone. One of the things we really like about this app is that it’s not just an extension of your VoIP phone, it can be your VoIP phone. The Bria app maintains our popular call reports and call record (if purchased) features as well as the ability for administrators to listen to live calls. It really is like having your VoIP desktop phone inside your mobile device.
We think this is a great piece of software for the mobile professional. Now you can have access to your office phone system while attending a trade show or an out of town conference. It’s also a great product for our virtual phone system customers who are thinking about upgrading to FreedomIQ but don’t want to purchase VoIP phones for all of their employees. Now they don’t have to.
How is this different from call forwarding to my cell phone?
Call forwarding uses your cell phone minutes. We’ve all picked up the occasional business call that goes much longer than expected. While normally just an inconvenience, a lengthy chat using call forwarding could eat up the cell minutes that cost you money and should be saved for family and friends. Remember, FreedomIQ allows for unlimited calling within the U.S. Take advantage by making your calls over Wi-Fi and/or 3G/4G. Note: Enabling 3G/4G will use data rates for these calls. Check your data plan with your wireless provider for details.
Another big advantage is that the Bria app helps you keep your private life private. When you call out, the recipient will see your professional FreedomIQ outbound caller ID. Even though you’re making a call from your iOS or Android device, you’re not using your cell service to make the call. Your cell phone number won’t be given away, and you won’t be getting any unexpected business calls at home.
What else should I know?
From our testing, we’ve found the Bria app to work best over Wi-Fi connections. 3G may or may not be optimal depending on your signal strength. Some complementary Wi-Fi access points, like you would find in restaurants and stores, restrict the use of VoIP calls for various reasons. Most of these free access points do not have QoS and Traffic Shaping resources configured on their routers. As a result, many different connected users on the network can lower call quality. That being said, we have found the Bria app to be the best mobile softphone on the market today, and we have many of our own employees regularly using it.
Have you installed the Bria app? Leave your impressions in the comments below.
Are you happy with your FreedomIQ service? If so, please leave a product recommendation on our LinkedIn page.
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