Morpheus users who rely on the peer-to-peer service to swap files will soon have another option to get connected: The Morpheus Voicebox, which lets you turn a household landline phone into an Internet-based, Voice-over-IP telephone. StreamCast Networks, the parent company of Morpheus, is teaming with i2Telecom, a provider of VoIP services for businesses, to begin offering the service this week.
The Morpheus software has been downloaded more than 122 million times since it launched in 2001, and the company estimates 250,000 to 300,000 people use the application every day. This wide user base is the first target for Morpheus Voicebox. "Morpheus has millions of loyal customers around the world. Their users are tech savvy, and most of them have broadband connections, so this seemed like a natural fit," says Rick Scherle, i2Telecom"s vice president of marketing. This deal marks the first time i2Telecom"s services have been offered to consumers.
The Morpheus Voicebox is available from MorpheusVoicebox.com for $49.95. The device plugs into your phone and your computer"s Internet connection, and lets you use either your regular landline connection or the VoIP connection, which you acces by pressing pound before dialing a phone number. Users also pay a one-time setup fee of $25, plus fees for a choice of subscriptions