Toku — will it be a market disrupter?: Page 2 of 3

 

What makes Toku special?

 

Toku — will it be a market disrupter?: Page 2 of 3

 

According to Laboulle, Toku has many special features that differentiate it from other market players.

Linking two mobile numbers to a username – new users can automatically detect this global identity based on either numbers previously stored in one’s contact list.

  • Click-to-call personal URL – Toku users can also receive calls via a customised personal URL (e.g. my.tokuapp.com/johnsmith). Callers do not require any prior application download.
  • Toku’s advanced algorithm – automatically selects the most cost effective option to connect a caller when they are overseas. The smart-technology can detect and analyse options – from Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTN), or a hybrid of both – to deliver the best connection which maintains high voice quality without the user having to make a decision on the connection mode.
  • Call Forwarding – Unlike most known chat applications (that offer voice calls), where both users need to have a data connection for a call to go through, Toku does not have this constraint. When offline, Toku calls will be forwarded to the selected number. If both numbers are selected, the first to pick up will take the lead.

Global identity

“Today no other player is structured around multiple handles,” said Laboulle. “For all other players, you are either tagged to your single phone number or email address or the account name that you create. Our patented architecture is able to link multiple handles so that you have one global identity and no matter how your life is evolving, you will never lose the contacts that you made previously and the number that you shared that time will still link you with your global identity. So, people will be able to retrieve you and contact you again even if at that time you are on a new number. As long as the initial number has been linked to the global identity. “

Today, in the app, a user can install two numbers for free, and the secondary number can be changed at any time. “The primary number can be changed as well but we have a cap on the amount just to avoid any abuse,” he added. “The global identity is the first differentiator that we have.”

Platform agnostic

“Going forward, another problem that people are facing is that they always have to think about the platform,” he said. “Is the person I am going to contact is on the same app as I am? Facetime is, for example, limited to Apple users. We are platform agnostic, meaning that you can contact easily who is not on our app, and people can contact you without being users of Toku.”

The third problem Toku solves is that it does not require the availability of Internet all the time. “Most of us, especially people living in cities like Singapore, think that connectivity is a given but actually more than half of the world is still not connected to the Internet. But that should not limit us in our reachability,” he said. “So, we have different connection methods planted in the app. What our technology does is that it avoids the decision making on the user side. If the user is tech savvy enough, he knows what he wants to do, he can decide on how to connect. Otherwise it will always be the app that takes the decision for him. If we can connect you for free, we will, otherwise the app will go for the lowest cost option.”

Moving on, we will introduce more intelligence in app. If, for you, the cost is more important than quality, the app will realise that and act accordingly, he said.

Next page: A Freemium model

 

 
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