Call My Email !?

Startup Yoomba Thursday launched its namesake service that lets e-mailers place VOIP calls and exchange instant messages.

The year-old company positions its free, consumer-targeted service as an alternative to big portals, such as AOL, Google, Yahoo, and MSN, that offer free communications services, such as instant messaging, but only to registered users and only with other registered users, says Elad Hemar, Yoomba CEO.

In contrast, Yoomba operates a peer-to-peer service that lets any e-mail-address owner place a VOIP call or begin an IM session with any other e-mail address, whether or not the recipient also is a Yoomba user, Hemar says. Yoomba offers other features, such as presence -- letting users know who on their contact list is online -- and popularity -- resorting contact lists so those most often contacted rise to the top.