Vonage app for iPhone earns Apple's approval

Voice-over-IP service provider Vonage announced that its mobile application for Apple's iPhone and iPod touch has earned the App Store's seal of approval. Borrowing a page from Apple's own playbook, Vonage has offered precious few details on the application--for now, the firm said it is conducting beta tests, and will announce general availability at a subsequent date.

The Vonage app did not earn App Store approval on its first pass through the virtual storefront's submission process--Vonage first submitted the application sometime in August, but it hit technical snags. "[Apple] identified one issue stating that it is ‘simple to fix,'" Vonage said in a statement issued last week. "The issue is cosmetic and relates to the labeling of an icon. We've made the requested change and resubmitted the application."

The Vonage snafu follows hot on the heels of Apple telling the Federal Communications Commission it is still reviewing a Google Voice app offering VoIP functionality of its own. Apple's handling of the Google application prompted the FCC inquiry into both the App Store approval process and iPhone operator partner AT&T's role in which applications are greenlighted--in its response, Apple says that it has approved a number of VoIP applications that operate over WiFi, among them Skype, Nimbuzz and iCall, but none that use AT&T's 3G network.

According to Apple, any decisions concerning Google Voice were made solely by internal brass--iPhone operator partner AT&T was not consulted. However: "There is a provision in Apple's agreement with AT&T that obligates Apple not to include functionality in any Apple phone that enables a customer to use AT&T's cellular network service to originate or terminate a VoIP session without obtaining AT&T's permission," Apple says in its response to the FCC. "Apple honors this obligation, in addition to respecting AT&T's customer Terms of Service, which, for example, prohibit an AT&T customer from using AT&T's cellular service to redirect a TV signal to an iPhone. From time to time, AT&T has expressed concerns regarding network efficiency and potential network congestion associated with certain applications, and Apple takes such concerns into consideration."

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