Vonage launches a PC phone device V-Phone

Vonage, a commercial voice over IP (VoIP) network company that provides telephone service via a broadband connection, on Thursday introduced a new portable USB device that enables its users to place PC-to-phone calls from any computer with high-speed Web access to anyplace in the world.

Adding one more device to its hardware lineup for all the VoIP-using road warriors, the broadband phone service provider has launched a new device called Vonage V-Phone.

In a company release the Vonage’s vice president of engineering, Daniel Smires said, “Vonage is pleased to offer our customers the convenience of making phone calls wherever they are, simply by plugging into any laptop or PC with a high speed broadband Internet connection,” adding that “One of the best features of the V-Phone is that customers are not limited to PC-to-PC calling and they still get a variety of choices with Vonage’s inexpensive flat-rate and full-featured calling plans.”

A sort of hardware mixture, V-Phone is a USB memory key and soundcard with a preloaded soft phone and a jack for a wired earphone. However, the key can be used on a Windows PC but has no Mac OS X or Linux support so far. The device has an additional 250MB of free space for convenient portable storage.

The V-Phone comes fully assembled and does not require any setup preparations, and it’s sold fully equipped with Vonage software that automatically updates itself on its 256MB flash drive, according to the company release.

The device also compatible with PCs that access the Web via wireless networks, and Holmdel, New Jersey located Vonage says it caters particularly well to business users or college students who move around frequently and use different computers. V-Phone users can access voice mail via the device, and related attachments can be directed to their e-mail accounts or BlackBerry handsets.

Vonage also claims the latest device can cut short on high landline and cell phone bills.

The Broadband Phone Company is currently retailing the V-Phone for $ 39.99 plus a $ 9.99 activation fee, under three monthly service plans. The first gives users 500 minutes for $ 14.99, while the second gives them unlimited residential calling for $ 24.99, and ultimately, users can buy unlimited business calling for $ 34.99, as per the release.