In search of the 'Killer App'

Killer Application

noun.  (often shortened to Killer App.) 

1.  A term borrowed from the software development world and now used both on and off-line. It refers to the eternal search for next big idea.

2.  A computer application that surpasses its competitors.

Since moving to Israel, Zahava and I have been exploring various solutions to inexpensively bridge the communication gap between ourselves and the friends and family we left behind in the old country.

Obviously email is our primary communication tool since it is fast, cheap and reliable.  However there is something about actually hearing someone's voice that email can't hope to replace.  That leaves various incarnations of the old-fashioned phone call:

Dial Direct - This is the easiest and most intuitive way of hearing the voices of friends and family abroad.  Unfortunately it also requires that one have a money tree growing out back (heck, Israelis assume we Anglos all have money trees!).  Even with the cut-throat competition between international long-distance carriers direct dial is still a very expensive way to reach out and touch someone.

Calling Card - There are countless companies out there that sell calling card plans with blocks of minutes that can be used to pretty much any calling destination.  There are some real bargains in the calling card market, but the hassle involved with navigating a multi-level electronic touch-tone menu and then punching in a long list of code numbers before you can even dial your call is daunting, to say the least.  And I have yet to meet someone who hasn't lost their calling card or put it through the wash long before the minutes on it were used up.

Skype (et al) - We have been using this extremely inexpensive Voice over IP (VOIP) program for a year or so with very good results.  It is similar behind the scenes to Vonage and other VOIP schemes except that you don't need a special phone to make it work.  A standard computer headset and microphone is all it takes.  Sure, you can buy special Skype phones (even cordless ones), that are designed to be hooked up to your computer, but we always just use the headset.  However I couldn't help thinking there must be some way to get the computer all, or at least most of the way out of the equation.  Enter the killer App:  Jajah.

Jajah - A loyal treppenwitz reader was kind enough to send me an invitation to join Jajah (it is still in Beta testing so it is by invitation only).  Simply put, Jajah has almost everything I love about Skype... except that it has almost entirely eliminated the computer from the process.  Almost. 

Here's how it works (from the Jajah website):

"Unlike other companies that are trying to replace the phone with the computer, JAJAH believes that phones are great the way they are. Phones work. People are not interested in headsets, downloads or hotspots. They simply want to make a call. And we completely agree."

Calls between JAJAH users are FREE under the following conditions:

• You and your friends have to use mobile or landline phone in Zone 1 (USA, Canada, China, Singapore, Hong Kong) or a landline phone in Zone 2 (mainly Europe, Australia & New Zealand, [Israel] Taiwan)
• Your friend's phone number must be registered with JAJAH
• Your friend's account must be "active" (an account will become inactive after two weeks of no operation, ie. a free call, a cheap call or sending a text message)
• You have not exceeded the FAIR USE policy: 1000 minutes a month, five hours a week, 1 hour a day

Basically you only need the computer to initiate the call.  Jajah then calls your home or mobile phone (whichever you choose) and simultaneously calls the home or mobile pone of whoever it is you wanted to speak with.  Calls to most other Jajah users are free, and calls to non-registered phone numbers are pretty cheap (most are in the Skype price range and like Skype, you can buy blocks of time).  There are also free plug-ins you can download to your mobile phone so that you can initiate the calls from there (using an SMS) rather than via the computer! 

There are a couple of catches to the free call thing (see above).  For instance, the fair usage policy limits you to an hour of free calls per day before you get bumped over to the low cost rates... but still, an hour a day ain't bad!  Also, if a registered Jajah user goes more than two weeks without using the service, they are considered 'inactive accounts' and any calls to them are now cheap instead of free (but you can see this before you initiate the call by whether or not their home or mobile number appears green in your Jajah phone book).

So, perhaps referring to Jajah as a 'killer app' might be a very slight exaggeration... but for the long distance calls you make on a regular basis it seems to make a LOT of sense (and cents).  And not surprisingly, although the company HQ is in California... the development center for Jajah is right here in Israel!

I have no idea how many Jajah invitations I have to give out... but if anyone would like to give Jajah a try, just ask me in the comments and I'll try to send you an invitation to join.

Oh... if you leave me a comment AND vote for me in the Weblog Awards finals I'll really, really want to send you an invite!  ;-)