PCIA GlobalXChange: InterActive unveils Airvoyant family of wireless applications
"The opportunity and need for real-time call management technology goes well beyond the standard PC connected to the Internet," said Bill McMullin, CEO and chairman of InfoInterActive. "The Airvoyant platform and family of products address the wireless portion of this opportunity and deliver on our vision where consumers can manage calls made to any of their telephone numbers no matter where they happen to be. Key to Airvoyant is the ability to do this in a dead simple manner and without the need for new telephone numbers."
Two services are ready for immediate deployment. AirvoyantCSD and AirvoyantCallMate enable cellular phone users to monitor and manage calls to their cell phones as they happen using their laptop and desktop computers. Future products will embed real-time Internet call management technology into Internet-enabled wireless devices such as data-enabled cellular phones, two- way pagers, and palmtop organizers.
Consumer play
AirvoyantCSD allows data-enabled cell phone users to monitor and manage incoming calls while their phones are being used to access the Internet. Users are always accessible. Each time a call comes in and the customer is online, an interactive window pops up in real time on the laptop screen providing the caller's name, phone number, city and state/province. The user can choose one of several options to manage the call, including answering it, sending it to voice mail, ignoring it, or playing the caller one of several personalized, pre-recorded messages.
"Accessibility is the number one benefit of AirvoyantCSD," said Giles Crouch, InfoInterActive's director of marketing. "The service is ideal for 'Road Warriors,' business people who spend the majority of their time travelling and rely on wireless as their primary, and often sole, means of communication."
SOHO product
AirvoyantCallMate is designed for people who use their wireless phones frequently but also spend a lot of time at their Internet-connected desktop computers. This could be small business, home office, and enterprise workers. The product adds value to every call placed to a wireless phone by displaying complete call information on the desktop, regardless of whether the phone is turned on or off, whether the user is in range or experiencing poor reception, whether the phone is digital or analog, and even while the user is using the phone on a normal telephone call.
If the phone is turned on and able to receive a call, both the phone and desktop application "ring" at the same time. In every case, the product displays the name, number, city and state/province of the caller, and allows each call to be answered, ignored, a customized message played for the caller, or the call sent to voice mail.
Bridge the gap
Many phones lack caller name or number display, and millions of calls placed to wireless phones every day are missed because of poor reception or the units being turned off. These services bring new management potential to millions of wireless phone users before the next generation of real-time Internet-enabled handsets reach the market. Because wireless carriers typically receive revenue on every completed call, it's great for both the wireless carriers and their customers.
The two services will be sold exclusively through wireless carriers and are available immediately throughout North America. InfoInterActive will work with resellers to customize the services to their specific needs, providing services that can be added to their existing line or bundled with packages to increase revenue opportunities and customer loyalty.
Edited by Ellen Jensen
Managing Editor, Wireless Networks Online