New Tools Will Mash Up Phone, Mobile, & Net

A startup called Ribbit today unveiled a tool to let developers create voice communication applications that unify Internet-based and traditional telephony services, including phones and text messaging. Developers can include voicemail and calling functions, and can embed their apps in Web pages and Web-based services, reports Reuters. The platform supports Internet calling systems such as Skype.

Ribbit will allow developers to charge for their services and handle billing on their behalf. One developer already created an application that embeds calling and voicemail in Salesforce.com's web pages. In addition to making and getting calls, it lest users listen to and send voicemails, see transcripts of voice messages, and sort them. Ribbit said more than 650 developers are creating similar applications.