Bangalore Startup, SliQBits, Releases Free Cross Platform Voice and Video Calling App Especially for the Billions of 2G/3G Consumers in Emerging Markets

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 28, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- SliQBits (www.sliqbits.com) today announces SliQ, a voice and video calling app that incorporates the Company's advanced, proprietary adaptive bit rate technologies, enabling quality video calls at bitrates as low as 45kbps, and voice calls at 25kbps. This fills a big hole for billions of smartphone users in emerging markets. The app is specially designed to be simple to use, in local languages, to work on 2/3G networks which will continue to be the dominant standards in emerging market networks through 2020.

Android owns over 90% of the emerging smartphone market. Penetration of this market by the leading call apps is quite low because these apps don't take into account the volatile network conditions and so just don't work. These companies do not have local development teams. SliQBits' development teams are in Noida and Bangalore, India, enabling development of call apps that can be used throughout the emerging markets.

Currently raising funds on Crowdfunder, SliQBits' streaming technologies are proven and licensed to companies such as Cisco, Motorola, TiVo, Sony, Micromax, DirecTV, Belkin and Arris. Its investors include Paul Bulcke - CEO Nestle, Sanjay Kapoor - ex CEO Airtel, Banque Piguet, Dr. Bruce Ames - top 10 Biologist, Vijay Amritraj - Indian tennis legend, and Ariel Winiger - Head Equity Finance SGC, Hong Kong.

"We have developed technologies that adapt voice and video to available bandwidths more efficiently than competitors like Skype, FaceTime or Viber. Due to more efficient data management, video and voice calls cost a fraction of other call apps," noted Aloka Mitra, CEO of SliQBits, "Emerging market users can now see their loved ones for less than 1c a minute, and talk for less than 0.5c a minute. In addition, in order to enhance the consumer experience, we have brought significant innovations such as scaling and cropping the video image at low bandwidths to provide better quality video."

SliQ is a free voice and video app enabling connections at 25kbps for voice and 45kbps for video. On high-speed connections, the app caps data speeds at 500kbps, to reduce consumers' data charges. It generates revenues by banner, audio and video ads at the bottom of the screen and during the call rings. Nestle is already advertising its Nescafe brand with banner and jingle ads.

The app also gives quick access to short region-specific streamed video content. It is currently available in three languages (English, Hindi and Telugu) soon to be expanded to ten.  SliQ's modular low bit rate engines are also available for licensing to social media apps that need voice and video in emerging markets.

About SliQBits  
SliQBits was founded in 2013 by a highly talented team of 35 young technologists in Bangalore/Silicon Valley The team has developed video technologies licensed by blue chip companies such as Cisco, TiVo, DirecTV, AT&T, Sony, Comcast, Micromax, Belkin, and Motorola.  SliqBits has developed 3 apps: SliQ, a FaceTime/Skype-like app for the masses in emerging markets, Video Talkie, a one way video, two way voice app that dramatically reduces data charges, and Streek, a Periscope-like one way video streaming app. In addition, SliqBits has pioneered 10 video engines that can be used to bring Skype-like video into voice or chat apps. It has also developed a Video Streaming Cloud infrastructure that can be used in Set Top boxes, Smart TVs, Media Gateways, Cameras, Autos and Wearables.

Media Contact:

Ronjini Joshua 
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SOURCE SliQBits

Related Links

http://www.sliqbits.com