1. A licensed operator can offer Internet Telephony service in India. In such a scenario, what is your strategy in India?

The recent approval by TRAI brings telecom operators at par with OTT providers. The stage is open for various innovations. Operators can provide cheaper calls by efficiently leveraging the internet and tackle underlying network costs. However, that is yet to happen,and the process would require multiple tests and trials.

On the other hand, our hybrid-OTT platform is a readymade solution that has been tried and tested across several countries.The key differentiator is that InstaVoice ReachMe doesn''t require both caller and recipient to have a particular app or network to connect. Unlike OTT apps, ReachMe comes in the outfit of a carrier’s brand, giving the subscribers an authentic brand experience.

2. Please elaborate more on ReachMe product and other products offered by you?

InstaVoice ReachMe fundamentally interconverts regular GSM and Voice-over-IP (VoIP) calls, using Kirusa’s proprietary voice technology.

• It enables users to make and receive calls over data or Wi-Fi, from their regular phone numbers.
• It disrupts the roaming industry, by providing an all-new way for carriers to offer roaming services to their customers, at dramatically cheaper rates.
• It allows users to experience the benefits of Wi-Fi calling – in cases of poor network but good internet. 
• It also provides a single platform for multiple numbers, giving users a SIM-less voice experience over the cloud and breaking traditional limitations of physical SIM cards.
• In case of an unconnected call, ReachMe activates voicemail and missed call alerts, also delivered over data.

Our other products include
• InstaVoice, a unique app-based call completion suite that bundles voicemails and missed calls, and helps mobile carriers monetize missed calls in their networks;
• Kirusa Konnect, a Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS) for enterprises that helps bolster enterprise-audience engagement over mobile channels, and
• Kirusa Channels, a Celeb-fan engagement platform that offers users access to live voice blogs from their favorite celebrities, sports clubs, news portals, and other streams.

3. In how many countries are your services operating? What has been your experience in these markets? How many people are using? Which services are more successful?

Kirusa’s diverse solutions are deployed in 46 countries, with 50 mobile carrier partnerships in Africa, Asia, and LatAm, serving 100 million active mobile users, every month. Our platform has processed over 100 Billion calls thus far.

We rose to the scene as the inventor of Voice SMS. In terms of adoption, InstaVoice and Kirusa Channels are our most popular products, capturing large market shares in their respective segments. InstaVoice ReachMe, one of our newer solutions, was born as a result of our voice innovations and aspiration to disrupt the roaming market. The App is supported in 22 countries so far, and the response has been overwhelming. Users, as well as network carriers, have found resonance with the concept of its hybrid-OTT model.

4. What kind of revenue do you expect in India with these services? Will you sell directly to the customer or through an operator?

India is a country where more than 80 percent of the population spend time on their mobile phones. We have highly informed consumers with access to multiple touch-points. Considering these points, Kirusa is continually evaluating every development in the country’s telecom space.

Owing to the expensive roaming arrangements, a large portion of travelers are silent roamers – they use zero or minimal telecom services when they travel. This is an untapped opportunity, and we’re looking to create this piein India. I estimate this to be a billion dollar opportunity in the next 4-6 years.

In a country where people are open to solutions that can significantly improve calls without incurring huge expenses, we can expect them to embrace the ReachMe Solution.

The solution will be deployed via operator as a hybrid-OTT appwhich allows users to access traditional telco services over data while also increasing operator revenue. We have seen this model work well with our previous InstaVoice partnerships in India.