T-Mobile's 'Bobsled' to Blur Communication Rules
Apr 19, 2011, 1:25 PM by Eric M. Zeman
T-Mobile USA today announced a new brand called Bobsled. Bobsled by T-Mobile encompasses a forthcoming range of products and services that will help people contact their friends and family in different ways. To start, T-Mobile is introducing Bobsled for Facebook, which harnesses voice over Internet Protocol to allow Facebook users to conduct two-way voice chats through Facebook's browser-based IM client. This Facebook VoIP service will work with any person on Facebook, and only requires the person initiating the call to have the plug-in installed. The app doesn't require the use of phone numbers or usernames, it simply connects users to their Facebook friends through the IM client. T-Mobile said that its new Group Text and Cloud Text features — available first on the Samsung Sidekick 4G — are powered by Bobsled. The company also said it intends to enhance Bobsled so that users can make VoIP calls from Facebook to mobile phones, tablets and landlines (regardless of device manufacturer or service provider). T-Mobile didn't provide a timeline for the introduction of its mobile products. Bobsled for Facebook is available starting today.