Viber - How do they make money

trad

I've got viber on my i-phone.

I have rang my daughter in Australia on her i-phone for free. How can they do that when it costs me money to ring my other daughter down the road?

There has to be a catch

cookie1977

They're just using data like skype. They facilitate the call over the internet. SO it's not techincally costing them anything. According to their founder they haven't decided how they'll make money:
http://www.quora.com/How-is-Viber-going-to-make-money

Blazer

Well they haven't ruled out a subscription fee
Technically if they were to charge let's say €20 a year etc they could still claim that they still meet the below criteria.

1. We will NOT charge for the app
2. We will NOT charge for Viber to Viber calls
3. We will NOT charge for Viber to Viber texts
4. We will NOT advertise on the Viber app

cookie1977

True and that maybe the case but then people will switch to tango or other software. They may go down the skype route of charging for calls to fixed line numbers

Mellor

trad wrote: »

I've got viber on my i-phone.

I have rang my daughter in Australia on her i-phone for free. How can they do that when it costs me money to ring my other daughter down the road?

There has to be a catch

It wasn't for free. It was over the internet, so you were charged just like any other data download/upload. You paid for it, viber just managed it. It was a fraction of the normal per minute rates obviously

banquo

It doesn't cost any more to send data to Australia than it does, say, Cork.

Though they must be losing money.

trad

It crossed my mind that apple could own viber to get more people using i-phones but I'm just a cynic.

kippy

trad wrote: »

It crossed my mind that apple could own viber to get more people using i-phones but I'm just a cynic.

There'd be major issues with the network carriers that sell iphones.....
I doubt any would sell the iphone if that were the case although that mind set may change in future.

BTW, viber is just doing what skype does, not sure why it is such a revelation to some.

Mellor

banquo wrote: »

It doesn't cost any more to send data to Australia than it does, say, Cork.

did anyone sugget it does?

kippy wrote: »

BTW, viber is just doing what skype does, not sure why it is such a revelation to some.

Exactly, but people just get baffled when its on their phone and not the PC

trad

kippy wrote: »

BTW, viber is just doing what skype does, not sure why it is such a revelation to some.

I'm 52 and i've learned that nothing in this life is free, there's allways a catch.

naasrd

trad wrote: »

I'm 52 and i've learned that nothing in this life is free, there's allways a catch.

Not all the time, and I'm not too far behind you age wise. I've used apps that ave given me free calls to the USA without ever costing me a cent. I've deleted them and tried other free apps and am at present calling and texting a friend on his US mobile free from mine using a new one. I use Viber all the time, moved to it from Skype, which I'd been using for years. Total cost to me for all these over the last year...? Zilch, nada, nothing.

Sometimes it's good to see that the glass is half full.

AdMMM

I'd imagine that Viber are currently offering their app for free until they either reach a certain number of users, or until a certain standard of quality in their app is reached. It will be at this stage that they offer their app for subscription, or implement some other method of collecting revenue. Big advantage to this is that they'll have a full featured app with millions of users already built up which puts them in a much better position than a startup who have to start from nothing.

Mellor

naasrd wrote: »

Not all the time, and I'm not too far behind you age wise. I've used apps that ave given me free calls to the USA without ever costing me a cent. I've deleted them and tried other free apps and am at present calling and texting a friend on his US mobile free from mine using a new one. I use Viber all the time, moved to it from Skype, which I'd been using for years. Total cost to me for all these over the last year...? Zilch, nada, nothing.

Unless you somehow get free internet all the time, you paid for the calls that way. Which was the point made earlier.
It's incredibly cheap, but its not free - to explaining to the OP how it works

Eoin

Mellor wrote: »

Unless you somehow get free internet all the time, you paid for the calls that way. Which was the point made earlier.
It's incredibly cheap, but its not free - to explaining to the OP how it works

I think that's being a bit pedantic though. The OP is wondering what Viber get out of it, and that's totally unrelated to what you pay your mobile operator to have internet access.

Unless you exceed your data allocation, then you won't actually have paid any more money to make the call using Viber than if you hadn't made the call.

kippy

trad wrote: »

I'm 52 and i've learned that nothing in this life is free, there's allways a catch.

I get lots of stuff "free".
The main "catch" nowadays in most "IT" things is the advertising.
Some applications use in your face advertising for revenue, others just some more subtle adds.
Stuff that is essentially free, that I currently use:
Skype.
Microsoft Security Essentials
Malwarebytes,
VLC Media player.
GIMP
PICASSA
Cardio trainer
(Lots more "free apps"
The Google Suite of online software, including phone apps, google docs, google books, gmail, calendar etc etc
Facebook.com
Teamer.net
WGT.com (and numerous other online games)
Youtube.com (for music, howto's and improving my own knowledge of varios areas)
HOWSTUFFWORKS.COM
WIKIPEDIA
and on and on and on

Lots of free resources once you have "paid for" your internet connections. The key part of all of them really is that they are either add supported (in the case of most websites) or have some portion of a paid component that people can pay for if they wish.

Theres lots of free stuff out there (a very good stickie thread in the computers and technology forum contains a lot of free software you might need). Stuff you dont pay directly for.

You just got to make sure what you are either downloading and installing, or signing up to is legit - that's where this "free advice" site boards.ie comes in.

coylemj

Mellor wrote: »

It wasn't for free. It was over the internet, so you were charged just like any other data download/upload. You paid for it, viber just managed it. It was a fraction of the normal per minute rates obviously

If he isn't exceeding his monthly data limit then the call was free in the sense that it didn't cost him more than if he didn't make the call.

Saying that it wasn't free is like saying that it costs me money to invite friends to come into my house just because I'm paying a mortgage and house insurance - pedantic in the extreme!

Viber will make money when someone takes them over, same as happened with Youtube and Skype, they're just waiting for someone with a big chequebook.

Mellor

Eoin wrote: »

I think that's being a bit pedantic though. The OP is wondering what Viber get out of it, and that's totally unrelated to what you pay your mobile operator to have internet access.

Unless you exceed your data allocation, then you won't actually have paid any more money to make the call using Viber than if you hadn't made the call.

i was simply explaining to the OP how it works and who pays for the data.
Another user didn't get this so I explained it again.

I never said you paid any more.

coylemj wrote: »

Saying that it wasn't free is like saying that it costs me money to invite friends to come into my house just because I'm paying a mortgage and house insurance - pedantic in the extreme!

There is a difference in explaining it to somebody who asked/didn't understand and being pedantic.

Viber will make money when someone takes them over, same as happened with Youtube and Skype, they're just waiting for someone with a big chequebook.

The fact that they've stated they won't ever charge is a tricky spot. but i'm sure google or who ever buys it won't have a huge problem goinf back on it.

My prediction, viber remains free, service is restricted (calls per day, elngth of call etc)
ViberPro gets released

naasrd

Mellor wrote: »

Unless you somehow get free internet all the time, you paid for the calls that way. Which was the point made earlier.
It's incredibly cheap, but its not free - to explaining to the OP how it works

Nah, you're not getting this. Your focus is so narrow and the only strength in your argument is a jaded, worn and hollow semantic one. By your bizarre yardstick then visiting boards on on iPhone or iPad costs money. Arrant nonsense. What's paid for's paid for, like it or not. To suggest that the use of so something you bought has an extra cost is churlish and beyond logic.

kippy

Ah lads, let it go.

trad

As th OP here lads thanks for the clarity about this. Never though about the data end of things as I do all my browsing at home so I've loads of data stuff available.

I suppose the outcome is that once I pay my bill and I haven't hit my download limit there is no additional charge for the international calls. Wait 'till I try and explain this to my 78 year old mother.

kraggy

Do you and the person you're ringing have to be in wi-fi zones for viber to work?

Or can you be on the street yapping away?

cookie1977

viber works over 3G unlike facetime

Mellor

naasrd wrote:

Nah, you're not getting this. Your focus is so narrow and the only strength in your argument is a jaded, worn and hollow semantic one. By your bizarre yardstick then visiting boards on on iPhone or iPad costs money. Arrant nonsense. What's paid for's paid for, like it or not. To suggest that the use of so something you bought has an extra cost is churlish and beyond logic

You fail to understand the rather simple issue. THe OP wanted to know how it worked. i explain, the OP has since posted in reply.
I never said there was an extra cost, I never suggested there was. You're are jsut being awkward,

cookie1977 wrote: »

viber works over 3G unlike facetime

Speaking of Facetime, I was reading a blog that suggested facetime over 3G would be included with iPhone/iPod 5. A friend beside me commented "makes no difference, skype is just as good and works over 3G"

I don't have a skype account, and never bother with video calls so i haven't a clue. But if Skype works over 3G, doesn't that make Facetime totally useless?

kraggy

So, to get free calls to another iphone, you just download the app, go into and dial the other person's number while in Viber? Is that it?

And they can just answer as normal, or do they have to have the app open when I ring them?

Want to make sure I don't increase my girlfriend's bill by 1000% when I use it to ring Ireland tomorrow..

Also, is it hard to unlock an iphone 4?

cookie1977

Mellor wrote: »

Speaking of Facetime, I was reading a blog that suggested facetime over 3G would be included with iPhone/iPod 5. A friend beside me commented "makes no difference, skype is just as good and works over 3G"

I don't have a skype account, and never bother with video calls so i haven't a clue. But if Skype works over 3G, doesn't that make Facetime totally useless?

Yes the current rumour is that iOS5 will allow facetime over 3G. Skype works over 3G with or without video. I'm sure apple will be able to spin it someway that they were the first to "perfect" video calls over the iPhone no doubt.

kraggy wrote: »

So, to get free calls to another iphone, you just download the app, go into and dial the other person's number while in Viber? Is that it?

And they can just answer as normal, or do they have to have the app open when I ring them?

Want to make sure I don't increase my girlfriend's bill by 1000% when I use it to ring Ireland tomorrow..

Also, is it hard to unlock an iphone 4?

As long as you both have viber you can call each other over data services (which for many is free due to inclusive data allowances in their plans)

No it's not hard to unlock an iPhone. You can jailbreak or ask your network to unlock it for you. What network are you on and are you bill or pre pay?

kraggy

cookie1977 wrote: »

Yes the current rumour is that iOS5 will allow facetime over 3G. Skype works over 3G with or without video. I'm sure apple will be able to spin it someway that they were the first to "perfect" video calls over the iPhone no doubt.



As long as you both have viber you can call each other over data services (which for many is free due to inclusive data allowances in their plans)

No it's not hard to unlock an iPhone. You can jailbreak or ask your network to unlock it for you. What network are you on and are you bill or pre pay?

Thanks Cookie.

But you have to actually go into the viber app to make the call, yeah? Does the person answering have to go into the app to answer it? I presume not?

It will be a Korean iphone. I'm in Seoul. I'm wondering about when I come back to Ireland will I be able to use it there.

cookie1977

You go to the app and make the call. If they have the app then their screen will light up saying in coming viber call and then can accept or decline it.

Viber currently only works with iPhone. If it's an iPhone and it's unlocked so you can use it with an irish sim then yes it'll work

kippy

cookie1977 wrote: »

You go to the app and make the call. If they have the app then their screen will light up saying in coming viber call and then can accept or decline it.

Viber currently only works with iPhone. If it's an iPhone and it's unlocked so you can use it with an irish sim then yes it'll work

Viber also works on android although that may just be a beta at the moment.

cookie1977

Yes it's just a beta but good news for the future

http://www.viber.com/download

Mellor

cookie1977 wrote: »

Yes the current rumour is that iOS5 will allow facetime over 3G. Skype works over 3G with or without video. I'm sure apple will be able to spin it someway that they were the first to "perfect" video calls over the iPhone no doubt.

Ah of course.
I still think Skype will always win out. due to the amount of PCs with it installed. But there's a lot of people out there who will just use go with apple default programs.

Thread reminds me, I should really set up skype

Et Cetera

Mellor wrote: »

Ah of course.
I still think Skype will always win out. due to the amount of PCs with it installed. But there's a lot of people out there who will just use go with apple default programs.

Thread reminds me, I should really set up skype

Yes, but if you use Facetime over 3G whilst disabling the Face aspect of it, it's data based video calling, incorporate this with iMessage and it's Apple trying to remove phone carriers. Everything to data instead of the 'x amount of calls/texts' sham.