App lets smartphone owners use any device to call from their phone number

TU Go enables smartphone customers to use other handsets, tablets or computers to place and receive calls using their phone's number.

Smartphones and the information stored on them have become almost integral to our business and social lives, and we’ve already seen some companies offer mobile backup services for those whose handsets have been lost or stolen. But what if you’ve just left it at home and really need to get in touch with a contact whose number is stored on that very phone? A new app from Telefónica – TU Go – is enabling smartphone customers to use other handsets, tablets or computers to place and receive calls using their phone’s number. Developed for customers of O2, the UK subsidiary of Telefónica, the idea behind the app is that those who don’t have their phone on them can download the information to another device and log in using their existing phone number. They can then access a dashboard containing all of their contacts, call and message histories and voicemails. TU Go can also be used to initiate new calls or text messages to any number, regardless of whether they also have the app. The data is sent over a wifi or GSM connection, although they appear as a standard call or text on the customer’s bill – and are charged as such. Users can log in with their phone number on up to five devices. The app is currently available at no cost for pay monthly customers using a device with iOS, Android or Windows 7 platforms. The company plans to release the app for those on other tariffs in the near future. Phones have become much more than just calling devices since the advent of the smartphone, and now it seems we don’t even need the physical handset itself to make a call from it. TU Go could be useful for anyone who has left their phone at home, or let it run out of battery, but could also prove to be beneficial to those who need to contact relatives in emergency situations. Telecoms businesses – one to replicate in your part of the world? Spotted by: Murtaza Patel