| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Traded as | Euronext: MLVOP |
| Industry | Telecommunications |
| Founded | 2006 |
| Headquarters | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| Key people | Tanveer Sharif, CEO & Co-Founder Asad Parvaiz, CTO Jonas Holm, CFO Erik Neraal, COO |
| Employees | 100 |
| Website | www.vopium.com |
Vopium is a software-based provider of free and low-cost international mobile communication via VoIP and Wi-Fi technology. Vopium offers a free application that can be downloaded directly to mobile phones[1] to enable cheap international mobile phone calls and Short message service (SMS) text messaging[2], saving up to 90 percent on traditional international mobile and landline calls[3]. Vopium automatically integrates with the user’s address book[4] so that when they dial an international number, Vopium automatically detects the least expensive way to make the call, taking into account the user’s location and whether the person being called is also a Vopium user[5]. The software works independently of a SIM card or subscriber’s mobile network operator. Additional features include synchronization, webSMS, call back, and just dial. Vopium works on more than 900 different GSM mobile handsets[6] from 45 countries. Vopium was founded in Copenhagen in 2006 by entrepreneurs Tanveer Sharif, Imran Sadiq, and Brian Sussemiehl[7]. Vopium has more than 100 employees[8] across offices in Copenhagen, Denmark, Luxembourg, and Lahore, Pakistan. Vopium is listed on NYSE Euronext Paris.
Vopium supports more than 600 GSM handsets on platforms that include iPhone, BlackBerry, Android, Symbian OS[9], Java (programming language) and Windows Mobile[10] from manufacturers that include Research In Motion, HTC Corporation, Apple Inc., Motorola, Nokia, Samsung Electronics and Sony Ericsson.
Vopium is transparent to the user[6], running in the background on the mobile phone and automatically prompting users regarding whether they want to route a call using Vopium technology once an international number is dialed[1]. If the user chooses to use Vopium to complete the call, Vopium re-routes the call as a local call to a Vopium gateway and then via global traffic carriers as ordinary voice traffic in order to ensure the voice quality. The user is billed for a local call by their mobile network operator and by Vopium for the international call completion.
When sending an SMS, the message is converted into data and sent as a data package using the built-in data connection (GPRS, 3G or Wi-Fi) on the mobile phone over the Vopium-owned gateway. The cost to send an SMS is the fee for the data connection to the local operator and the SMS rate charged to Vopium for the international SMS.
Vopium’s technology has been described as “Smart VoIP”[5] and recognized as unique and innovative by industry analyst firm Frost & Sullivan[11] as a result of the company’s focus on high-quality, low-cost, global mobile communications that has resulted in high customer satisfaction and retention rates[12].
In Feb 2010, Vopium launched its VoIP and Messaging solution as a white label[13] and in March 2010, the first white label partner, Convergia Networks Inc was announced.[14] Vopium currently enable two white label partners: CVMobile [15] and Tel4less [16].
In June 2010 Vopium has expanded its group of owners to include the international telecommunications investor Raghuvinder Kataria. Raghuvinder Kataria invested 16.5 million dollar to secure Vopium’s international expansion.[17]