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1. Quick Introduction
Soft-Dial is the world's easiest to use internet phone software. It is FREE and can be downloaded and used immediately by anyone with a computer.
For example, Soft-Dial comes with a ready-to-use PUBLIC account, so there is NO need to apply for any internet phone account NOR need to supply any information like your email account.
Anyone can call both normal phones and internet phones easily and anonymously.
Note, there is no need for the receiving party to have a computer or Internet connection
- just any normal phone will do.
Soft-Dial also has a lot MORE features that makes it BETTER than other software internet phones. Please refer to the Superior Features section below.
2. Superior Features
No other software phone even come close to Soft-Dial's power and ease of use:
Please click on the orange entries listed ABOVE to get more details on individual features. Please Click HERE to read usage information.
2.1 No Registraion
Anyone on an Internet connected computer with speaker and microphone automatically qualifies.
There is NO sign up process and NO need to register for any account of any sort in order to use Soft-Dial.
2.2 No Installation
Soft-Dial does NOT need any "setup" or "install" processes or programs. Once downloaded it can be used immediately by clicking on to it.
2.3 No Configuration
There is NO need to configure Soft-Dial with a particular phone network or with a particular account.
There is also no need to configure any microphone or speaker devices, all audio devices are automatically detected and default volume values are already set.
2.4 Tiny Download
The Soft-Dial software is very small, less than 600K byte in size. Other internet phone software (like Jajah) can go up to 16M byte (16,000K byte) in size.
The tiny size allows very fast download and also make it feasible for people on slow dial-up connection to download. It is possible to fit the whole program onto a floppy disk.
2.5 Adaptive Interface
Soft-Dial automatically provides a different interface for different people. There is the easy to use Standard Interface:
Besides the Standard Interface, Soft-Dial has an even easier to use Basic Interface and a more powerful Advanced Interface.
The Basic Interface only has 3 buttons for beginners:
Information (to display information about the call)
Dial (to dial a phone number)
Hang Up (to hang up a call)
The Advanced Interface has 3 extra buttons more than the Standard Interface, giving people more control on the phone calls:
Transfer (to transfer the call to somewhere else)
Hold (to put the call on hold)
Lines (to make and answer calls on multiple lines)
2.6 Web Dialing
Besides dialing of phone numbers manually, Soft-Dial can also dial certain phone numbers automatically. The caller simply clicks on a link on a web page and they will be connected to a predefined destination phone number.
Once Soft-Dial has been downloaded and ran once on a computer, all web pages with phone numbers on them can be made active - people browsing the web pages can just click on the phone numbers and be connected to those phone numbers.
Soft-Dial will dial the phone numbers on the web pages and people can just talk through the mic and speaker attached to the computer.
If you have Soft-Dial on your computer and you have ran it at least once before, you can click on the links below to dial our Sydney office:
Both links above will go to our Sydney office, one through the Internet Line and one through traditional phone network.
Any web page designer can specify their own destination phone numbers on their web page, by using the "callto:" tag in the standard <a href=""> </a> link format.
For example, a link above is created with:
<a href="callto:89906092176000">
Sydney Internet Line +899 060 9217 6000 </a>
When the above link is click on a web page, the Soft-Dial program (with Standard Interface) will come up automatically and the associated phone number +899 060 9217 6000 will be dialed automatcially.
2.7 Filename Dialing
Beside manual and web dialing, Soft-Dial also support filename dialing. The caller simply run the program and click on the "Dial" button and they will be connected to a predefined destination phone number.
There is no need to even enter a phone number. It allows people with no computer knowledge to make calls to internet phone or normal phones.
There is no remembering and no dialing of the phone number, just one click and the caller is connected.
Anyone can specify the predefined destination phone number by simply changing the file name of the Soft-Dial program.
There is no programming, no editing of configuration file, no need to go through complex menus.
This patent pending feature allows people to create and distribute their OWN Internet Phone software, so that anyone can just click and call them.
If you have Soft-Dial on your computer, then you can rename its filename to a phone number you like to dial. From then on, everytime the filename is click on the filename will be dialed.
For example, change the filename from Soft-Dial.exe to 89906092176000.exe will dial the phone number +89906092176000 immediately when clicked on.
Putting just the phone number as the file name will show Soft-Dial in the Standard Interface.
If the smaller Basic Interface is required, then a "b" should be put in front of the phone number as the file name. For example, b89906092176000.exe.
2.8 Destination Number Web Link
All Soft-Dial interfaces has an "Information" button, which when clicked on will go to the web site of the destination phone number.
This allows caller to get information on the owner of the phone number they are calling. It also allows the owner of the phone number to provide custom information to the caller.
2.9 No Application Form
Soft-Dial does not require any caller information before making a call. No name, no alias, not even an email address.
In fact, no other information needs to be supplied. Everyone can use Soft-Dial immediately without filling in any online or offline forms.
2.10 Public Account
Unless the caller specifically applied for and then entered his or her own account information into Soft-Dial, all calls made by anyone using Soft-Dial are registered as being made from the same Public Account.
This Public Account has an username of 1 and password of 1. This will allow anyone to call any Internet Phone Number (those starting with 898 and 899) without having any real internet phone account of any sort.
2.11 No Spyware
Soft-Dial does NOT contain any spyware. It is a pure phone call program.
Soft-Dial does not gather any information which is not related or needed to the call making process.
2.12 Signature Verification
Soft-Dial can be distributed under different names by anyone through email, web etc. In cases where the source of the program cannot be trusted, there is an optional checking mechanism to confirm that the Soft Dial software received is indeed genuine and of correct version.
Each version of Soft-Dial has an unqiue signature (called MD5 checksum) that can be used to check against any software that claims to be Soft-Dial.
This signature remains the same independent of the filename of the program, but will be different if any part of the program itself is not the same as the original.
Click HERE for details on this optional 3-step signature verification process.
2.13 No Virus
Soft-Dial does NOT contain any virus. It is a pure phone call program.
Soft-Dial does not spread or reproduce itself. It does not do or take up resources that is not related to the call making process.
2.14 No Resource Sharing
Soft-Dial does NOT use up any of the user's resources (like internet bandwidth, computer power etc.) to service other non-related Soft-Dial users.
The resources used by Soft-Dial are only for the user alone and not for any other users.
Some other internet phone networks take up resources from its users to service other non-related users. Indirectly asking them to pay an additional fee (in terms of resources used).
This not only increase costs for the user and slow the user down, it also comes with the risk of other strangers passing traffic through the users' computers and networks.
2.15 No ActiveX
Soft-Dial is not ActiveX, so does not require Microsoft's products (like Internet Explorer browser) to run. In fact, Soft-Dial is standalone and does not need any browser.
There is no need to go through messy process of installing an ActiveX object into the user computer.
2.16 No Java
Soft-Dial is not Java, it does not require Sun's Java Environment to run. In fact, Soft-Dial is standalone and does not require any runtime environment.
There is no need to go through messy process of installing an Java Environment into the user computer.
2.17 Direct Application Integration
Soft-Dial is not a plug-in (does not require a browser to function) and does not have complex APIs (application programmic interfaces).
Any program can make use of Soft-Dial by supplying the phone number to dial to Soft-Dial directly at the command line level.
For example, within Microsoft Windows:
C:\>Soft-Dial 61292176000
This will fire up Soft-Dial (in Standard Interface) and it will automatically ring the phone number +61 2 9217 6000 in Sydney, Australia.
There is no need to enter the phone number into the Soft-Dial Inetrface and no need to click the "Dial" button".
You can fire up the Basic Interface if you put a "b" in front of the phone number.
C:\>Soft-Dial b61292176000
Note with either Standard or Basic Interface, there is NO need to click on the "Dial" button, the call will be connected immediately when the command is ran.
2.18 Optional Hardware
Beside most sound cards, keyboards and mouses, Soft-Dial also works with most optional hardware add-ons on the market. For example, USB handsets.
Soft-Dial will automatically scan for the most appropriate hardware to use. The amount of compatibility depends on the specific hardware and its drivers.
Most USB handsets with or without a keypad will work, this include the large number of Skype and other VoIP handsets. For the keypad on the phone to work, drivers for the handset has to be loaded and set to "keyboard emulation" or equivalent.
2.19 External Networks
Soft-Dial interacts with other internet phone networks.
It can do it much better with the help of the Net2MAX Web Dialer and Web PABX functions, but even WITHOUT them, Soft-Dial can already communicate with the most popular internet phone networks in the world.
Besides calls from other people on the Soft-Dial network, people on most SIP and IAX networks around the world can also call people on the Soft-Dial network very easily.
They just dial
or
depending on whether they are on SIP or IAX networks. Note xxx is the Soft-Dial phone number of the callee (e.g. 8990601234).
899 is the special international direct dial (IDD) "country code" for internet phones and applies across all types of different internet phone protocols like SIP, IAX etc.
2.20 Value-Added Networks
Most software internet phones can only call other internet phones and normal phones, supporting only voice conversations.
Soft-Dial has special support for calling Value-Added phones, allowing the callers to move beyond straight one to one voice conversations toward much richer online experiences.
Value-Added phones link to other communication mediums like sms, fax etc. and link to complex applications like fortune telling, friends introduction etc.
The way of dialing the 3 types of phones in the diagram above are as follows:
To dial normal phones, the full the country code, area code have to be enter (e.g. 61 2 92176000 to ring a phone in Sydney, Australia)
To dial internet phones, the country code 899, network code have to be entered (e.g. 899 060 92176000).
To dial value-added phones, the country code 898, network code have to be entered (e.g. 898 060 92176000).
2.21 Web PABX
Other software internet phones provide free calls to other internet phone (which Soft-Dial does as well). But Soft Dial can also provide free calls to normal phones (landline or mobile).
By dialing into Web PABX, the caller can reach normal phone numbers without paying anything. It is the receiver of the call who pays for that.
There are many more ways that Web PABX can enhances Soft Dial. Like access to audio conferences, voice mail, interactive voice response systems etc.
For more information on Web PABX enhancements, please Click HERE.
2.22 Web Dialer
Other software internet phones only allow the caller to use one phone network to make calls at any one time. But Soft Dial allows multiple phone networks to be used at once (depending on what the destination is).
With Web Dialer, Soft Dial can automatically use different networks for dialing different countries (depending on which one is cheaper or has better quality).
There are many more ways that Web Dialer can enhances Soft Dial. Like private network access, local dialing conversion, network number conversion etc.
For more information on Web Dialer enhancements, please Click HERE.
2.23 Message Portal
Other software internet phones provide limited messaging features (just simple text messaging within its own messsage network). But Soft-Dial can also access other messaging networks using voice, images as well as text.
With Message Portal, Soft-Dial provides the caller with an integrated multi-media web based interface which provides more messaging features than any other messaging service in the world.
There are many more ways that Message Portal can enhances Soft Dial. Like text to voice and text to mage conversions, messaging to mobiles (e.g. SMS) and computers (e.g. MSN), video conferencing, sharing of computer desktops etc.
For more information on Message Portal enhancements, please Click HERE.
3. Usage Information
Currently, Soft-Dial is available for the Microsoft Windows platform. Although not officially supported, it has been used on Unix platforms (Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris etc.) under WINE.
Native support for MacOSX and Linux is under development.
Please click on the orange entries listed ABOVE to get more details on getting and using Soft-Dial.
3.1 Downloading Soft-Dial
Soft-Dial can be download right here from this web page:
Step 1:
You must read, understand and agree to the usage terms and conditions before downloading Soft-Dial. Click HERE to read the terms and conditions now.
Step 2:
If you accept the usage terms and conditions, the official copy of Soft-Dial can be downloaded by Clicking HERE
Once the download has started, you can save the Soft-Dial.exe program onto the DESKTOP of your computer and run it later by clicking on it at anytime.
Step 3:
If you believe that the integrity the copy of Soft-Dial you downlaoded cannot be fully trusted for whatever reason, you can check the Soft-Dial's signature BEFORE you run it. Click HERE for instructions on how to check the signature.
3.2 Setting Up Soft-Dial
There is NO set up if you just want to use Soft-Dial to call other internet phones. These phone numbers all starts with 898... or 899...
Just run the Soft-Dial program and enter the destination phone number you wanted to call from the key pad then click the "Dial" button.
If you want to receive calls or to make calls to normal phones, then you HAVE TO click on the "Account" button and enter the internet phone number and password given to you.
A dialog box will appear if you click on the "Account" button:
The default entry is that of the Public Account, which you have to change from the value 1 to those of your own account.
The "Username" is your Internet Phone Number which is 899060 followed by your OZnumber (e.g. 899060123456, where 123456 is your OZnumber).
The "Password" is the PIN given to you. Type the PIN in again under "Confirm". Click "Save" to save your settings.
Once the "Username" entry is not 1, you will get the Advanced Interface as show below (instead of the Standard Interface above).
3.3 Receiving Soft-Dial from 3rd-Party
It is possible to received a customised version of Soft-Dial program from a 3rd-party other than OZtell. If you cannot trust that 3rd-party 100%, do NOT run that program initially, follow the steps here instead:
Step 1:
The copy of Soft-Dial you received may NOT be named Soft-Dial.exe. It will most likely be a number like 61292176000.exe or 89906012345.exe.
Save that program onto the DESKTOP of your computer. You can run it at anytime later by clicking on it.
Anyone can change the filename into their phone number (say 89906012345.exe instead). So, when you run the program their phone number will be automatically entered. This way you just click to call them, without having to enter their phone number into Soft-Dial.
Step 2:
You must read, understand and agree to the usage terms and conditions before using Soft-Dial. Click HERE to read the terms and conditions now.
Step 3:
If you believe that the integrity the copy of Soft-Dial cannot be fully trusted for whatever reason, you can check the Soft-Dial's signature BEFORE you run it. Click HERE for instructions on how to check the signature.
3.4 Using Signature Veification
Signature Verification is a very powerful way of checking to see whether a program is really what its supplier claims it to be.
Step 1:
Download a copy of the MD5 checking program (md5sum.exe) to your DESKTOP by Clicking HERE. This web site should be your ONLY source of the md5sum.exe program.
Step 2:
Open up a command prompt (the DOS box) and cd (change directory) into your DESKTOP.
C:\Docu...user> cd Desktop
C:\Docu...\Desktop>
Step 3:
Run md5sum on the Soft-Dial program (e.g. Soft-Dial.exe or 61292176000.exe etc.)
C:\Docu...\Desktop> md5sum Soft-Dial.exe
which will give you back a 32 digit checking number that must match one of the signatures below:
Soft-Dial.exe v0.99.4
eab7284e4e61a9b3a3ed272b848f7bd3
Soft-Dial.exe v0.99.5
355c885b4ce6bd3ade809d27468467c5
Soft-Dial versions NOT in the above list are NO LONGER supported and should NOT be used. Please replace them with one of the above versions.
The md5sum.exe is a generic file checking program, it can be used on any file you like (not only on Soft-Dial.exe). It is a good way of checking to see whether a certain file you have has changed.
3.5 Sending Soft-Dial to Others
If you are a member of Net2MAX then you are allowed to send the Soft-Dial program to people. In most case it will be to call you for free using the Public Account.
You are also allowed to modify the program file name so to make it ring your OWN phone numbers (e.g. changing from Soft-Dial.exe to 89906092176000.exe if you have the phone number 89906092176000), but you are NOT allowed to put any other phone numbers as the file name.
You must make people using the Soft-Dial program aware of the usage terms and conditions. Click HERE for a copy.
If you are going to send the program via email (rather than offering it as a download on your website), then you could rename the file name's extension at the end from ".exe" to something else like ".abc" to avoid it being filtered out by some email systems.
For example,
from 89906092176000.exe to 89906092176000.abc
Note, the program file name extension needs to be renamed back to ".exe" before use.
You should also encourage the use of Signature Verification by telling them the signature of the program you are sending out.
3.6 Using Soft-Dial Basic Interface
The Basic Interface is the most simple of the 3 interfaces and will come up when someone click on Soft-Dial program icon (where Soft-Dial's filename has been changed into a phone number starting with a "b").
e.g. b61292176000.exe
(Please refer to Filename Dialing for more information).
There are only 3 buttons:
1. "Information" button
which will open a web page about the Soft-Dial program and also provide information about the specific predefined destination phone number.
2. "Dial" button
which will dial the predefined destination phone number. Soft-Dial will dial the predefined destination phone number automatically when first started. This "Dial" button is only used for re-dialing the same number.
3. "Hang Up" button
which will hang up any ongoing call.
Note Soft-Dial Basic Interface is activated when the predefined destination phone number has a character "b" in front of it.
This is the most basic interface and is good for simple telephone conversations without the need for the caller to input any digits during the conversation.
3.7 Using Soft-Dial Standard Interface
The Standard Interface is the most popular of the 3 interfaces and will come up when someone:
- Click on a phone number on a web page.
e.g. Sydney 92176000 (using Web Dialing)
- Click on Soft-Dial program when Soft-Dial's filename has been changed into a phone number.
e.g. 61292176000.exe (using Filename Dialing).
- Click on Soft-Dial program when Soft-Dial's filename is NOT made up of digits.
e.g. Soft-Dial.exe (default name).
The Standard Interface looks like a real phone handset with a few extra buttons.
1. "Information" button
"Information" button will open a different web page depending onabout the Soft-Dial program or and also provide information about the specific predefined destination phone number.
2. Destination Number Input Box
Destination Number Input Box displays the destination phone number to be dialed.
If the filename of Soft-Dial is a phone number (refer to Filename Dialing) then that phone number will be automatically inserted into this Destination Phone Number Input Box when the program starts.
Note there is a down arrow on the right of the input box, you will see a list of recently dialed or recently received phone numbers there. You can then scroll down and click on them to initiate a call - without the need of re-entering the phone number again.
3. "Phone Number" Button
"Phone Number" Button allows you to maintain a list of recent incoming and outgoing phone numbers.
All phone numbers are automatically added to the list. You can add you own numbers, you can delete numbers or you can assign meaningful names to those numbers on the list by clicking on the "phone Number" button.
4. "Dial" button
"Dial" button will dial any phone number in the "Phone to" Box. If the filename is a phone number then that predefined destination phone number will be dialed automatically when the program first started - without need of pressing this "Dial" button.
5. "Hang Up" button
which will hang up any ongoing call.
6. "Volume Control" bars
"Volume Control" bars allow the user to control the microphone and speaker volume.
Soft-Dial will try to pick a level for the user automatically. So, it is best NOT to touch these (leave them at the initial left most position) unless you experience problems.
If you really want to adjust the volumes, then normally the lower the volume the better to reduce echo.
7. "Account" button
"Account" button allows users to enter their own Soft-Dial account information into Soft-Dial so to replace the Public Account (which has username = 1 and password = 1).
The "1" entries in the Username and Password fields within the Account dialog window can be put back at any time - when the user wants to use the Public Acount again.
8. "Keypad" buttons
"Keypad" contains the buttons for digits "0" to "9" and also "*" , "#" and "Back".
It is used to make entries into the "Phone to" Box above it. The "Back" button is used to delete the last entered digits.
To make a phone call, just enter the phone number you wanted to dial on the keypad, and press the "Dial" button.
Both Internet Phones and Normal Phones can be dialed this way using the Universal Dialing Format.
Note the Soft-Dial Standard Interface is NOT shown when the following occurs:
- Soft-Dial Basic Interface is shown instead when the predefined destination phone number starts with a "b".
- Soft-Dial Advanced Interface is shown instead when the Account entries are not that of Public Account (not 1s).
- Soft-Dial Basic Interface is shown if predefined destination phone number starts with a "b" AND the Account entries are not of a Public Account.
Like the Basic Interface, Standard Interface is for dialing out only. It CANNOT receive phone calls. The Advanced Interface is needed in order to receive phone calls.
Standard Interface should be used instead of the Basic Interface when the entry of digits to Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems is required during a call.
3.8 Using Soft-Dial Advanced Interface
The Advanced Interface is the most powerful of the 3 interfaces and will come up when someone:
- Click on a phone number on a web page.
e.g. Sydney 92176000 (using Web Dialing)
- Click on Soft-Dial program when Soft-Dial's filename has been changed into a phone number.
e.g. 61292176000.exe (using Filename Dialing).
- Click on Soft-Dial program when Soft-Dial's filename is NOT made up of digits.
e.g. Soft-Dial.exe (default name).
The Advanced Interface looks like the Standard Interface above with 4 extra features:
1. "Lines" area
The "Lines" area displays the status of call on the phone lines.
For an incoming call, the words "Ring In" will be shown under the Ring column. The inbound caller phone number is also displayed.
When a call comes in, it will appear in the "Lines" area with "Ring In", the user has to click on that call in order to answer it.
For an outgoing call, the words "Ring Out" will be shown under the Ring column. The outbound call server's name is displayed.
For both incoming and outgoing calls, when a call is answered (people talking), the word "ACTIVE" will be displayed under the Ring column.
You can move between two different ACTIVE calls at anytime by simply clicking onto each call in the lines area.
2. "Transfer" button
"Transfer" button allows the user to transfer a call from Soft-Dial to another phone numebr (Internet or Normal phones).
When the transfer dialog box comes up, enter the destination phone number to transfer the current call to then click "OK".
Note your call will hang up, that is normal, since you have now transferred the call to the destination phone number. You are no longer having a conversation on that line.
3. "Hold" button
"Hold" button allows the user to put a call on hold. For example, to mute them, to make a second call or to receive a second call.
To resume the on hold call, click on it in the "Lines" area.
4. "Net2MAX" button
"Net2MAX" button allows the user to login to their personal Net2MAX web page directly.
This function will be available from November 2005 onwards.
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