Messagenet

Messagenet is an Italian communications-services company based in Milan. It develops and sells internet-based telephony, fax, messaging, and mobile communication services, with a particular focus on integrating conventional telephone functions into internet and software environments. The business began in 1999 under the name COMM2000 and initially concentrated on internet fax. Its first service, FreeFAX, allowed customers to receive faxes through email after activating a free geographic telephone number. This positioned the company as an early provider of practical communications tools that replaced dedicated fax equipment with web and email workflows. The company expanded its fax portfolio in 2002 with FAXin, a paid service designed to support unlimited fax reception from email to telephone numbers worldwide. In 2004, Messagenet moved into voice communications. It introduced FreeNumber, a free VoIP service, and SmartNumber, a broader version that provided users with an internet-based landline number associated with a selected geographic area. The company stated that the underlying voice infrastructure was developed internally, giving it control over service delivery and the integration of voice, fax, and messaging functions. Messagenet added computer-based mobile messaging in 2005 with SmartSMS, a web service for sending and receiving SMS messages from computers running Microsoft Windows or Mac OS X. A major regulatory and commercial step followed in 2008, when it obtained general authorization to operate as a telephone provider in Italy. This authorization enabled Messagenet to offer its own geographic numbers and support number portability from other Italian telecommunications operators, extending its role beyond an internet application provider. The company subsequently adapted its services for smartphones. In 2011 it released Messagenet Talk for iOS, allowing users to communicate with one another through free voice calls and text messages while also placing calls or sending SMS messages to external numbers at comparatively low rates. The application could add national and international telephone lines to mobile devices, a feature intended to reduce dependence on traditional roaming services. In April 2013, Messagenet presented a beta Android version of Messagenet Talk that it described as the first smartphone application based on WebRTC to operate as part of a commercial VoIP service without requiring a WebRTC-enabled browser. In February 2014, the company introduced Mtalk.net, a service that gave registered users a free, permanent personal web address. Contacts could use the address to initiate a voice call or text conversation, extending Messagenet's broader objective of making telephone communication accessible through web identities and software interfaces. Messagenet is associated with the COMM2000 Group and is described as a sister company of KPNQwest Italia. Public reference material reports that the company has claimed more than 500,000 registered users, approximately 400,000 assigned telephone numbers, over seven million minutes of conversation, and about 2.5 million faxes processed per month. These figures are company claims cited in reference material rather than independently verified current operating statistics. Messagenet's public profile is therefore best understood as that of a specialized Italian communications provider combining VoIP numbering, internet fax, SMS, mobile applications, and web-initiated communication.

Messagenet originated in 1999 as COMM2000, founded by Marco Fiorentino and Andrea Galli in Italy. Its initial product, FreeFAX, used email and geographic telephone numbering to let customers receive faxes without maintaining a conventional fax machine. This early focus established the company's core model: applying internet infrastructure to familiar business communication functions. In 2002, the company broadened its fax business with FAXin, a paid offering intended for customers needing unlimited fax reception from email to numbers around the world. Two years later it entered voice services. FreeNumber provided free VoIP access, while SmartNumber expanded the concept by assigning users a virtual landline number with a geographic area code of their choice. Messagenet reported that the voice platform was developed internally, supporting closer integration between its telephony, fax, and messaging products. The company's communications portfolio expanded again in 2005 with SmartSMS, a web-based application for sending and receiving SMS messages from Windows and Mac OS X computers. In 2008, Messagenet obtained general authorization to operate as a telephone operator in Italy. The authorization was significant because it allowed the business to provide its own geographic numbers and accept number portability from other Italian operators, strengthening its position as a regulated communications provider rather than solely an internet application business. Messagenet then moved more aggressively into mobile software. In 2011 it released Messagenet Talk on Apple's iOS platform. The application supported free calls and messaging between Messagenet users, paid calls and SMS to external numbers, and the addition of domestic or international lines to mobile phones. These functions were also promoted as a way to limit roaming expenses. In April 2013, the company presented a beta Android application based on WebRTC. The application was notable in the company's account because it brought browser-oriented real-time communications technology into a smartphone app connected to a commercial VoIP service, without requiring the user to have a WebRTC-enabled browser. In February 2014, Messagenet launched Mtalk.net. The service assigned registered users a free, permanent personal web address. A contact could use that address to start a voice call or text exchange, extending the company's virtual-number model into a web-address model for personal communications. Messagenet is linked to the COMM2000 Group and has been described as a sister company of KPNQwest Italia. Reference material reports company claims of more than 500,000 registered users, 400,000 assigned telephone numbers, more than seven million minutes of conversation, and roughly 2.5 million faxes processed each month. No current independently sourced financial or operational figures are provided here. The documented history shows a progression from internet fax to VoIP numbering, computer messaging, regulated telephone services, smartphone communications, and web-based calling identities.

• 2014

  Mtalk.net launched

  [1]Messageneten.wikipedia.org

  Mtalk.net provided users with permanent personal web addresses that contacts could use to initiate calls or text conversations.

• 2013

  WebRTC-based Android app presented

  [1]Messageneten.wikipedia.org

  Messagenet presented a beta Android version of Messagenet Talk using WebRTC technology within a commercial VoIP service.

• 2011

  Messagenet Talk released for iOS

  [1]Messageneten.wikipedia.org

  The company released a mobile app supporting free user-to-user calls and messaging and low-cost communication with external numbers.

• 2008

  Italian telephone-operator authorization obtained

  [1]Messageneten.wikipedia.org

  Messagenet received authorization to operate as a telephone provider in Italy and to offer geographic numbers and number portability.

• 2005

  SmartSMS launched

  [1]Messageneten.wikipedia.org

  SmartSMS enabled users to send and receive SMS messages through computers running Windows or Mac OS X.

• 2004

  Entry into VoIP telephony

  [1]Messageneten.wikipedia.org

  Messagenet launched FreeNumber and SmartNumber, offering virtual geographic telephone numbers through internet telephony.

• 2002

  FAXin added to the service portfolio

  [1]Messageneten.wikipedia.org

  The company introduced FAXin, a paid service for receiving unlimited faxes by email from numbers worldwide.

• 1999

  Company founded and FreeFAX launched

  [1]Messageneten.wikipedia.org

  Messagenet was founded by Marco Fiorentino and Andrea Galli, initially operating as COMM2000. It launched FreeFAX, which delivered received faxes through email using a free geographic number.

A software-oriented Italian communications provider offering internet telephony, virtual geographic numbers, fax-to-email services, SMS tools, and mobile or web-based communication at lower infrastructure and usage costs than conventional fixed-line services.

• Internet fax · 1999

  FreeFAX

  Messagenet's original fax service, launched under the COMM2000 name in 1999. It allowed users to receive faxes through email after activating a free geographic telephone number, replacing much of the equipment and maintenance normally associated with conventional fax reception.

• Internet fax · 2002

  FAXin

  A paid fax-reception service introduced in 2002. FAXin was designed for unlimited fax receipt through email and supported delivery from telephone numbers worldwide, extending FreeFAX into a more substantial business-oriented offering.

• VoIP telephony · 2004

  FreeNumber

  A free VoIP service introduced when Messagenet entered the voice market. It provided users with an internet-based landline number and represented the company's move from email-centered fax services into software-enabled telephone communications.

• VoIP telephony · 2004

  SmartNumber

  The extended version of FreeNumber, offering a VoIP landline identity with a geographic area code selected by the user. The service formed part of Messagenet's virtual-number proposition for customers seeking a conventional-looking telephone presence over internet infrastructure.

• SMS messaging · 2005

  SmartSMS

  A web-based messaging service launched in 2005 for sending and receiving SMS messages directly from computers. It supported Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X, connecting desktop communications workflows with mobile text messaging.

• Mobile VoIP application · 2011

  Messagenet Talk

  A mobile application first released for iOS in 2011 and later presented in a WebRTC-based Android version. It supported free calls and text messages between users, lower-cost calls and SMS to other numbers, and the addition of national or international telephone lines to mobile devices.

• Web communication service · 2014

  Mtalk.net

  A service launched in 2014 that assigned registered users a free, permanent personal webpage address. Contacts could use the address to initiate a voice call or text message, linking web identity with real-time communications.

• 2013

  Adopt WebRTC for an Android VoIP applicationProduct launch

  Background

  WebRTC was emerging as a technology for browser-oriented real-time voice communication, and Messagenet sought to apply it within a smartphone-based commercial service.

  Action taken

  The company presented a beta Android version of Messagenet Talk that used WebRTC without requiring a WebRTC-enabled browser.

  Aftermath

  The launch demonstrated Messagenet's effort to align its mobile VoIP service with newer real-time communications technology.

  Source

• 2011

  Extend communications services to smartphonesProduct launch

  Background

  Mobile internet access created an opportunity to make Messagenet's VoIP, messaging, and virtual-line services available beyond desktop computers.

  Action taken

  Messagenet released Messagenet Talk for iOS, combining free in-network calls and text messages with lower-cost communication to external numbers and optional telephone lines.

  Aftermath

  The move extended the company's service model into mobile applications and addressed roaming-related communication costs.

  Source

• 2008

  Become an authorized Italian telephone operatorStrategy

  Background

  Messagenet's earlier services centered on internet fax and VoIP applications. Obtaining regulatory authorization created a basis for operating more fully within Italy's telephone market.

  Action taken

  The company obtained general authorization to provide telephone services in Italy, including its own geographic numbers and number portability from other Italian operators.

  Aftermath

  The authorization expanded Messagenet's capabilities as a communications operator and supported its virtual-number and VoIP strategy.

  Source

1. 1Messageneten.wikipedia.org