SpinVox Real Visual Voicemail Announced

Voicemail through SpinVox Delivers All iPhone Messaging Features And Much More To Any Mobile Phone

SpinVox will be demonstrating Voicemail through SpinVox – the ‘Real Visual Voicemail’ at CTIA 2007 San Francisco. Voicemail through SpinVox surpasses Visual Voicemail as implemented on the Apple iPhone in features, ease of integration and operation – delivering voicemail messages as text to a screen of the user’s choice.

Voicemail through SpinVox is a ‘third generation’ voicemail service: First generation voicemail was audio-in, audio-out with sequential notification in the voicemail box; the second generation, as defined by Visual Voicemail implemented on Apple’s iPhone remains as audio-in, audio-out, but with the benefit of a visual inbox on the wireless handset. The third generation – as exemplified by Voicemail through SpinVox- features audio-in, text-out, with direct delivery to the user using SMS text or email.

Visual Voicemail
Visual Voicemail features a graphical representation of a voicemail inbox, via an embedded – or downloaded – handset client. The user is able to view a logical list of messages and select which to play.

According to SpinVox, this only solves the challenge of achieving direct access – delivery is still via voice and this results in the user having to find pen and paper to write down key messages and a loss of privacy if playback is through a handset speaker. This viewpoint is supported by the findings from a 9-month market research program undertaken in advance of planned Carrier service deployment earlier this year among 6,500 North American wireless subscribers using SpinVox. This survey found that 70 percent of the group valued being able read messages discreetly as they can with Voicemail through SpinVox.

Utility and value is further limited if listening is inappropriate; for instance when in a meeting. The same survey also found that 75 percent of participants preferred not to have to write down the details of the message, such as specific content and the number of the caller.

Voicemail through SpinVox
Voicemail through SpinVox works on any mobile handset and is a completely intuitive experience for the user. The inbox is integrated with existing message types, for instance SMS text or email for Blackberry or PC users. Selecting a message displays the converted message on screen. In addition, once a message is received the user can respond via text or voice call with a single click. This experience, championed by SpinVox, is reinforced by its survey results, finding that 82 percent of respondents didn’t like to have to dial into voicemail.

More advantages and none of the drawbacks
“Visual Voicemail as implemented on the iPhone gives a logical view of an inbox and direct access to specific messages. Voicemail through SpinVox does all of this, converts the messages into convenient text and is available on any handset today. It’s easy-to-use and has none of the drawbacks of being handset-specific nor of still only being able to deliver audio which may be inappropriate and inconvenient,” says Christina Domecq, SpinVox co-founder and CEO.

“Voicemail through SpinVox leverages the simplest and most efficient input mode, and the most appropriate output mode: voice and text. Voice for input – simple, intuitive, fast and ubiquitous – and text for output – manageable, intuitive, fast and discreet. This is Real Visual Voicemail available on 100 percent of mobile phones today, not just the few percent of handsets represented by the iPhone. And it also works with the iPhone straight ‘out-of-the-box'”

Industry standard interface and fully managed deployment and service
For Network Operators, Visual Voicemail requires the selection of specific handsets, message network upgrade and complex user migration.

Voicemail through SpinVox, on the other hand, works on any network and any handset today. It’s simple to roll out with a simple integration into existing carrier voicemail system using industry-standard SMPP/SMTP interfaces and is offered as a fully managed service.

SpinVox is already integrated and live with leading carriers in North America, Europe, South Africa, and Australia and with VoIP and Unified Communications service providers worldwide.

About SpinVox
SpinVox brought together the two most popular methods of communication – voice and text – and created a new category of messaging called Voice-to-Screen™. Its award-winning service is now making everyday communication simpler and more powerful, creating new recurring revenues for wireless, landline, cable and VOIP carriers as well as service providers and web partners. SpinVox has already launched its service with Cincinnati Bell, Sasktel, Vodacom South Africa and Six Apart and announced deals with Alltel, Rogers, Vodafone Spain and Skype. As a managed service provider any network or service can rapidly and cost-effectively implement SpinVox.

At the heart of SpinVox is its Voice Message Conversion System™ (VMCS), which works by combining state-of-the-art speech technologies with a live-learning language process. VMCS is being rolled-out across four continents in four languages – English, French, Spanish and German.