Wire Multi-Platform Communications App Launched for Android, iOS, OS X

A Skype-like messaging app called Wire, from new communications startup, launched on Wednesday for Android, iOS and OS X. The company will soon be launching browser add-ons as well.

Built by a team of more than 50 people from 23 countries, Wire is supported by Skype co-founder Janus Friis. Just like Skype, the Wire app for Android, iOS and OS X will allow users to chat, participate in group messages, sync conversations, and make voice calls, apart from share pictures, music and videos across devices. Although Wire doesn't support video calling as yet, its Co-Founder and CEO, Jonathan Christensen, believes that the team is capable of including that functionality as well.

"It's not available now, but let's just say we have those skills in-house," Christensen told The Guardian.

The company says that Wire's voice calling feature benefits from its in-house developed audio technology, which is a result of company's deep expertise in media processing technology. Due to this, Wire can make calls with 'crisp and clear' sound, along with remaining compatible with standard WebRTC.

"We asked ourselves how modern communications could look and work. How could we take full advantage of the latest devices and advances in cloud computing to deliver something that is really simple, very useful and truly beautiful?" said Christensen in the press release.

Supporting Wire team, the Skype Co-Founder Janus Friis, said, "Skype was launched [in 2003] more than a decade ago. A lot has changed since then - we are all used to free calls and texting, and we have taken to carrying our computers in our pockets. [...] It is time to create the best possible communication tools, as beautiful as they are useful. Wire is just that."

Wire is available for devices running iOS 8 and higher (App Store), Android 4.4 KitKat and higher (Google Play), and OS X 10.9 Mavericks and higher (Mac App Store).