BT and Ribbit Launch Platform for Building Web-Based VoIP Apps

What’s the easiest and cheapest way to launch a web-based VoIP solution? It might just be Ribbit and British Telecom’s new VoIP platform, which enables developers to create and deploy a web based VoIP application. The platform, which has been undergoing beta testing for a year, will be presented at Adobe MAX, together with a range of applications in areas such as social networking, marketing and business productivity. We’ve discussed the benefits of a web-based VoIP platform before; now developers will be further encouraged to build for the platform through Ribbit’s $100k “Killer App” contest that will award prizes for the most innovative Ribbit applications across five categories.

BT claims that this “has never been done before;” an important part of their solution is openness to everyone, even other carriers. Under the motto “Bring Your Own Network,” Ribbit’s platform enables other carriers to use the platform, design new apps, or generate revenue from the applications that currently exist for the platform. Whether or not other carriers be willing to take this opportunity remains to be seen.