QuteCom
| QuteCom | |
|---|---|
| Basic data
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| developer | QuteCom |
| Publishing year | June 25, 2005 |
| Current version | 2.2.1 (May 2011) |
| operating system | Windows , Linux , macOS , Windows Mobile |
| programming language | C ++ , C |
| category | VoIP , IM , video conferencing |
| License | GNU GPL ( Free Software ) |
| German speaking | Yes |
| qutecom.org ( Memento from March 12, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) | |
QuteCom (formerly WengoPhone ) is VoIP - Software eponymous Community (formerly OpenWengo ) by supporters of free software , which is concerned with the development of this software. The program is available for the Windows , Linux , macOS and Windows Mobile platforms . It enables free internet calls from one computer to other users using software that is also SIP compatible. It is also possible to make calls to the landline network or to cell phones, send SMS messages and make video calls. These functions are not tied to a specific SIP provider and can therefore be used with any provider available on the market, in contrast to the proprietary solution from Skype . The latest generation also uses parts of pidgin .
properties
The software works, like other softphones (telephone software running on the PC), without problems behind most firewalls and NAT routers, since TCP port 80, which is normally used for surfing in the World Wide Web is used and is therefore activated in almost all cases. QuteCom is free software that is sold under the GNU GPL and, in contrast to the Skype program, uses the open and standard-compliant VoIP protocol SIP.
This has some advantages:
- IP telephones, softphones or conventional telephones (if they have access to the Internet via a telephone system or adapter) can be called, provided they support the SIP standard.
- Free calls can be made worldwide between these SIP terminals if they use the same provider or an IP call takes place.
- Since there is only one central registration server with Skype, but SIP servers are distributed, only the respective provider is affected in the event of a hacker attack and not all of the telephony switched via SIP.
In addition to telephoning, QuteCom can also make video calls (full screen depending on the Internet connection), instant messaging and sending SMS messages.
The call and contact lists are saved locally on your own PC. The possibility of also storing these lists centrally on a server on the Internet will be included in one of the upcoming versions and is already being developed.
Encryption
QuteCom offers the possibility to encrypt phone calls from PC to PC with 128 bit AES ( marked as beta in version 2.1.2 ).
Versions
WengoPhone Classic
WengoPhone Classic was programmed and distributed by OpenWengo. The goal of the OpenWengo community was to provide a productive platform for the development of free software related to VoIP technologies.
WengoPhone 2.x
WengoPhone 2.x (working title WengoPhone NG) was free video conferencing software published by the OpenWengo project under the General Public License.
WengoPhone 2.x made it possible to set up free VoIP calls with all SIP phones using the SIP standard, but could also set up connections to the fixed network via a call-out service . It was also possible to communicate with the following instant messaging services: MSN Messenger , Google Talk , XMPP , Yahoo Messenger , AIM , iChat .
Up to version 2.0, WengoPhone could only be used with an account from the Wengo.com provider. Other SIP providers from version 2.1 can also be used.
Firefox extension
There is also a Firefox extension for the now obsolete branch 1.5 of the Firefox browser for Windows, Mac OS X and GNU / Linux (Alpha), which enables calls to be made directly from the browser. QuteCom is available as a sidebar .
Current versions
- QuteCom 2.2.1 in May 2011
- QuteCom 2.2 on January 26, 2010 (Windows, Linux, Mac OS X)
- WengoPhone 2.1.2 and 2.2 alpha 2 on September 24, 2007 (Windows, Linux, Mac OS X)
- WengoPhone Classic 0.99 (Windows) 0.958m (Linux) in December 2005
- Firefox Extension 0.68 on February 2, 2006
- WengoPhone PDA 1.0 Beta on May 24, 2006
- WengoPhone SmartPhone 1.0 RC2 on June 9, 2006
Further development
Wengo planned functions such as its own call-in service with a local telephone number, answering machine (Voicemail), call forwarding, conference calls (both for audio and video), PIM synchronization, and a centralized contact list.
However, Wengo stopped financing software development at the end of 2007 and is now using Flash-based software for telephone advisory services. The French company mbdsys.com and the Austrian company osAlliance.com have been completing version 2.2 since 2008. In the course of this change, the name of the software was changed to QuteCom. The version for Austria is called kvats. However, this is not a fork of the project, but adjustments to specific providers that support the project.
The QuteCom community
The first software to emerge from the community was WengoPhone Classic , a SIP-compliant VoIP client . At the same time, several other applications were developed, including WengoPhone NG (for Next Generation), which was completely rewritten based on WengoPhone Classic . In the past, WengoPhone NG the code name Picard .
OpenWengo released a Firefox extension that allows you to call directly from Mozilla Firefox . There are still versions available for Windows , macOS and Linux (version 2.1.0).
Since the French telecommunications company Wengo has not financially supported the development since the end of 2007, it was discussed in the community whether the project should be continued alone. With the French company mbdsys.com and the Austrian company osAlliance.com, two new partners were finally found at the beginning of 2008. The company mbdsys.com financed four employees (two full-time and two part-time) on the project. With the exit of Wengo and the entry of new partners, short-term administrative tasks (new provision of sources, forms of cooperation and distribution of tasks, new roadmap) were added.
Due to Wengo's exit, a new name was sought for Wengophone and found with QuteCom.
Today QuteCom is supported by Arcor , kvats.net and osAlliance. After the first release of QuteCom for Windows , packages for Mac OS X and various Linux distributions are also available.
aims
The goal of the OpenWengo community was to further develop the WengoPhone on the basis of free software. The goal of the QuteCom community is accordingly.
resources
The QuteCom community uses the # qutecom IRC channel in the freenode network and several mailing lists for communication.
Individual evidence
- ↑ The qutecom Open Source Project on Open Hub: Languages Page . In: Open Hub . (accessed October 18, 2018).
- ↑ QuteCom is the new name for WengoPhone ( Memento from March 12, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ ORF Futurezone reports on mobilkom austria's commitment to kvats
Web links
- kvats preset as a version with A1 as provider (German, English)