Last week saw the launch of Jajah.com, a new service that is set to revolutionize the way people use the Internet to make phone calls. The VoIP industry has been heating up for a good while, climaxing with eBay’s purchase of Skype at the end of 2005. Skype’s software enables people to make PC to PC calls for free, and make PC to mobile/landline calls for competitive rates.

eBay paid billions of dollars to gain access to Skype’s technology and user base ( more than 250 million downloads to date). However, this is only the beginning. eBay makes money from facilitating trade. eBay users pay commission for sales they make through the site, sales leads, and for promoting their services on the web site. In the (near) future, a buyer could call a seller directly from eBay’s web site, using Skype’s technology. Imagine the increase in transactions this may bring.

This is also the imperative behind Google’s GoogleTalk. Advertisers that pay for every visitor Google sends to their web site will be happy to pay even more for every client that rings them directly. Instead of the traditional model of paying per click or per sale, web sites will be able to charge advertisers for direct calls they receive from clients. PPC ( pay per click ) is dead, long live PPC ( pay per call ). Well, maybe one day.

Despite Skype’s popularity, VoIP is yet to become a mass product. Skype and similar services’ growth is hindered by several factors:

1. They require users to download and install a software on their computer;
2. They require a functioning microphone and headset/speakers;
3. The voice and service quality varies in accord with the user’s internet connection;
4. Users still differentiate between “internet calls” and normal calls, and tend to use Skype for leisure and long distance calls, while sticking to a “real” phone for business calls.

Jajah.com offers quality VoIP service at low rates with a "twist" that enables it to overcome the aforementioned hindrances. The process is simple: A user visits Jajah’s web site, enters the number he wishes to call and his own mobile or landline number. Jajah then connects the two. Hence, the web is used to initialize the call, but the actual talking takes place on a normal phone. This eliminates the need for additional software or hardware and the dependence on the user’s bandwidth. The only bandwidth necessary is to send two phone numbers through an online form. In fact, a user does not even need a computer to make a call. Mobile internet users can visit Jajah.com and make calls from their mobile to other mobiles or landlines for low rates.

The service is already available in China, and a full Chinese version of the Jajah web site is expected in the near future. Jajah is backed by technology heavyweights and it would not be surprising if its service will soon be integrated with one or two other Internet giants. Stay tuned for further developments.

Check out Jajah.com for more info and a test run.