VoxOx Can Help Screen and Manage Your Calls, Including Those From Pesky Sales Reps

In sales, the person keeping you (the salesperson) from the decision maker is often known as “the gatekeeper.” More often than not it’s a secretary or executive assistant.

I don’t have a secretary, but I do have VoxOx, and it works great in screening annoying calls from vendors and other folks.

One of VoxOx’s world-beating capabilities is a free personal assistant, which answers, screens and manages your calls better than any service on the market. It’s been compared favorably to Google Voice. I won’t go into all the specifics of the personal assistant, as I’ve written about it many times before. But as I’ve been getting more calls from vendors (salespeople), the service has become even more useful.

Case in point: the other day I received a call from a webcasting vendor I wasn’t particularly eager to talk with. Here’s a breakdown of how the VoxOx Personal Assistant helped me manage the call to a favorable outcome. It’s useful in seeing exactly how the service works.

• When the vendor called my free VoxOx number, my personal assistant, customized with a female voice, picked up the call and politely asked who’s calling. The vendor gave her name and company – let’s call her Alice from ABC Webcasting.

• My personal assistant then called me and told me Alice was on the line. She then gave me several options, including picking up the call or sending Alice to voicemail. There is another option called Eavesdrop, which enables me to listen in on a caller’s voicemail and then pick up the call right out of voicemail. So that’s what I did.

• I had no intention really of talking with Alice, but after listening to her live message for several seconds, I decided I actually did want to talk with her. So I hit *1 and picked up the call in mid-message.

I’m glad I did because Alice and I had a good conversation. But I wasn’t done using my personal assistant yet. With some noisy colleagues in the background, I hit *2 during our call, and conveniently transferred the call from my office phone to my cell phone so I could walk outside. My personal assistant stayed on the call and I could have used her for a number of other functions.

So there you have it, the play-by-play of how I managed a single call using the VoxOx Personal Assistant. Our web page has a full instruction guide.

Do you have cool experience you want to share with the personal assistant, or VoxOx in general? Leave a comment below and you could win free calling minutes.

Beautiful Barcelona Welcomes the VoxOx Team

And now, “we’re baaack …” and what a trip it was! Already a hip and trendy place, Barcelona welcomed VoxOx (and our new Universal Translator) with open arms!

Despite several, well, blunders affecting folks we were in the company of (one person having her purse snatched, some folks getting food poisoning, and one person not even being able to leave their country on account of their passport being revoked), nothing could throw us off track!

What amazed me about this trip was that almost everyone I spoke with about VoxOx had already heard of it. I imagine that’s how up-and-coming rock stars feel, to be greeted with a smile when folks realize who you are. What’s even more amazing is the amount of press attention we got at the show.

Walking around the show and peering in at some of the hundreds upon hundreds of booths, from infrastructure equipment manufacturers to mobile “adult content” vendors, it was all too obvious that mobile is where everything is going! That’s why it gave me great joy to tell reporters who asked “So, what’s your mobile strategy?” that VoxOx is completely platform independent and primarily runs “in the cloud.” What that means is, the infrastructure that runs the majority of VoxOx services does not run on the desktop, or on a mobile phone, but rather in the Internet cloud and can be accessed from virtually anywhere.

It is true that we are planning to launch apps for the iPhone, Android and other mobile phones, but more importantly, VoxOx has been built first and foremost to deliver a level of functionality that operates from any mobile phone, anywhere in the world, and not just “smartphones” that are operating on their local network with a (sometimes expensive or unavailable) data connection.

For example, imagine the billions of people around the world who are using phones that do not have “apps” at all, who want to place an inexpensive phone call while on the road. With VoxOx SMS CallBack, you can simply send a text message to a special number we give you, and then type in the number of the person you want to talk to. Within a minute, VoxOx calls you back and conferences you in with that person at astonishingly low VoIP rates.

Or imagine calling your VoxOx Personal Assistant from ANY phone and instructing it to call one of your contacts, create a 20-person conference call on the fly, change settings like your “Find Me” numbers, listen to your messages, dial directory assistance, and so on. No app to download or keep up to date, or to worry about a data connection for, and no need to continually launch something that takes over your phone whenever you want to access a feature.

One powerful example of VoxOx’s platform-independent mobile integration is the new VoxOx Universal Translator feature, which we launched at the show last week. From VoxOx, you can text someone in just about any country in your native tongue and the message will be translated to their language when they receive it. With NO app running on their phone (and, in fact, without them even needing to know what VoxOx is), their replies will instantly be translated back into YOUR native tongue - voila! If you think about the functionality a user wants in a mobile application, it’s often quite different than what they’d want in a desktop app. The media immediately “got it.” We kept hearing things like, “wow - there’s just NOTHING out there that covers the breadth of functionality that VoxOx does!”

So as I reflect back on the meetings and the comments about what the future looks like for us, my thoughts were validated on multiple levels. VoxOx seems to be the only player that has both the most advanced front-end technology (VoxOx) and back-end technology (the award-winning TelCentris cloud-based UC Service Delivery Platform) and that mobile is an increasingly important space that we will play in.

And now it’s time to get back to work… until next time!

Text from Your Desktop -- and Save Big! VoxOx offers dramatically lower texting rates than the major carriers. You also get additional features, such as follow-me texting and more.

If you haven’t seen the movie Network I suggest you stop everything (well, after you’ve read this), find it, watch it, and then this might make more sense to you afterward. With the help of a certain crazy-eyed fictitious network anchor named Howard Beale, we’re going to explore how texting with your cell phone carrier is an expensive proposition, and how using VoxOx can save you big.  Below are actual quotes from the movie to help us along with this post.

Howard Beale: “This is not a psychotic breakdown; it’s a cleansing moment of clarity.”

Just like you, we’re sick of cringing as we open our cell phone bill having no idea, or worse, too much of an idea of how bad it will be. It’s the kinda thing that can drive you a little crazy. Cell phones have become an integral part of our life. Many of us (myself included) can’t leave the house without one.  But don’t we all have a breaking point? Where we are no longer willing to pay through the nose for what has become a basic right. That’s why we, the good people at VoxOx, created plans for you to save boatloads of money on your monthly cell phone bill. Save enough and you might even be able to buy a boat…or at least pay next month’s rent.

Howard Beale: “ I want you to get mad! I don’t want you to protest. I don’t want you to riot - I don’t want you to write to your congressman because I wouldn’t know what to tell you to write. I don’t know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians (disclaimer — it’s an old movie) and the crime in the street. All I know is that first you’ve got to get mad.”

The fact is that texting rates are out of control. While they cost the cell phone companies almost nothing to deliver, we the customers end up paying a markups about 6500 percent (!), according to a recent CNNMoney.com article on “America’s Biggest Ripoffs.” That’s right, 6,500 percent on a simple text message! How do these companies get away with it? Who knows! But when you take a look at it, something becomes pretty obvious–their prices are remarkably similar. Check out the different texting rates when you don’t have a contract for the four major carriers:

T-Mobile:  Ever tried to find this info on T-Mobile’s website? It’s like doing graduate level research they have it so well hidden there.

• $0.10 per text domestic
• $0.35 per text out international/ $0.20 to receive an international text

Verizon: Not too easy to find, but good ol’ Google came through for me.

• $0.20 to send and receive texts domestic.
• $0.25 to send and receive texts sent to non US numbers, when you’re in the US.

Sprint:  Also makes it hard to find this information. Click on the “messaging link” and it shows you how to send a text message. Thanks Sprint. Why is this so hard? Anyway…this is the best I could come up with.

• $0.15 per text international
• $0.10 per text domestic

AT&T: Finally! A phone company comfortable enough not to hide their texting rates!  Kudos to you AT&T. But, geez…that’s a lot…anyway.

• $0.20 per message domestic
• $0.25 per message international

Now all of these carriers have unlimited texting plans, which of course would offer a better deal, but they range from $10/month (Sprint) to $20/month (AT&T) for domestic texts. So what are we supposed to do?

Howard Beale: “You’ve got to say, ‘I’m a HUMAN BEING (gosh-dangit) my life has VALUE!’ So I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now and go to the window. Open it, and stick your head out, and yell, [shouting]  ‘I’M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!’

VoxOx:

• Incoming messages are totally free
• $0.01 per (outgoing) message domestic
• $0.02 per (outgoing) message international
• Note: unlimited domestic plan are $4.95 per month; international plans are $9.95. Click here to learn more.

Once these cell phone carriers realize that charging such an exorbitant markup is crazy, maybe prices will drop. But for the meantime, start texting your friends from your desktop (using the VoxOx client software), with a real phone number, just like you would with your regular phone. But this time, it’s not going to cost you everything you got just to stay in touch with people. Especially when you want to stay in touch, but not actually, you know…talk to them.

Thank you very much, enjoy the movie … and keep on Voxing!

1) Qu’avez-vous dit?

It’s a pretty typical new year’s resolution…”This year, I’m going to learn (whatever) language”. I say it all the time. I know for me, besides learning to juggle, perfecting my French has been up there for a while, which is being VERY generous to my current level of French. Do I do it? Of course not. But not everyone has to know that…and the VoxOx Universal Translator gives us a really nice shortcut. So I took advantage and faked out my Facebook friend Laura, from Paris mind you.

I found Laura in my VoxOx buddy list (under Facebook friends) and clicked the globe icon on the bottom right of the VoxOx chat window, selecting “English” for my language and “French” for hers. Then I started chatting with her in perfect French, convincing her that I suddenly was quite the francophone savant. Good times…I mean, quelle bon temps!

Quick Tip: Facebook translation works best when the person on the FB leg of the conversation has their default language set appropriately so that the symbols and characters come out right on their end.

2) Update my Twitter status via @reply…in Italian

Because..you know, why not. Kinda fun to write “vi soggiorno di classe, San Diego. Sono Ron Burgundy?”

Just find an unsuspecting Twitter contact in your VoxOx buddy list, click on the Twitter logo by their name, and select “reply to”. Then set your languages and blast! Now your Twitter status is in Italian and your friend knows that you’re… Ron… Burgundy?

3) Email….anyone, anywhere

Not to be all bussinessy, but ever have to send emails to a client, or a colleague who doesn’t speak your language very well? Well, this new tool is great for just that, and this way you don’t have to go back and forth from some online translating site. Just open up the email tab of whatever contact you want to email, click the globe icon again and off you go. You might even get business out of this…but go ahead and keep the commission for yourself, we’re in it for the love and adoration of our fans, not the money.

4) Text message my new Russian mail order bride

Just kidding.

5) Communicating with my Spanish in-laws

Well, not mine per se…since I don’t, you know, have any in-laws…But a friend of mine just got engaged to a girl from Zaragoza, Spain, and her family speaks zero English. Not the best way to keep yourself very ingratiated with the mother-in-law. But with the new VoxOx Universal Translator, his awkward family interactions can be a thing of the past…well, maybe, but at least there’s finally a way for him to placate his new extended family without just nodding and smiling. This doesn’t have to apply just to in laws of course. Use this tool to finally get to know your family from around the world better with just a few clicks!

Well that’s it for me. Thanks for reading everyone, and remember to keep on Voxin’

Ben a.k.a “the Intern”

Here’s a little tutorial from our CTO Kevin Hertz on how to use this new feature:

Not convinced? Check out some of the VoxOx Universal Translator news coverage:

“VoxOx Adds Native Translation to Differentiate From Skype, Google Voice” - eWeek

“First Real-Time Language Translation For SMS/Chat/Email/Twitter Makes You Fluent Across the Globe” - Gizmodo

VoxOx Universal Translator makes multilingual communication a breeze - Engadget

VoxOx debuts Universal Translator in real-time for SMS, email and social media - ZDnet

“VoxOx Universal Translation Tool Speaks 50 Languages” - PC Magazine Digital Network

“VoxOx Debuts Translator-in-the-Cloud for Instant Messaging, E-mails, Texting, Social Media” - xconomy

“TelCentris debuts VoxOx universal translator” - TG Daily

Well, what do you think?  If you like what you see, get the latest version of the VoxOx software — available here.  And don’t forget to share your feedback and suggestions with us about this newbie or any other VoxOx features.

Adios!

Natasha, from the PR Team

But how does that work, exactly?

Well, say you’re doing some online shopping for Valentine’s Day, and you see concert tickets on sale for Wednesday, Feb. 17. It’s on a weekday – and you need to reach your Valentine pronto to make sure that night is open for the “surprise.”

Plan of action:

1. Check your VoxOx Universal Address Book, which is your buddy list comprised of your friends on various IM and social networks. It will immediately show you if your Valentine is online and on which network. (For example, looks like my buddy Bryan is on Facebook right now… see the little green light in the corner of the Facebook logo below?)
2. Next, select the contact and click on one of the communication methods (the row of icons on the bottom of the contact highlight). If your Valentine is on Facebook, maybe start with a chat – it’s the second icon from the left.
3. As soon as you click on “chat” (or any of the neighboring communication mode icons)…. voila!  The VoxOx Universal Messaging Window appears. See how the “chat” tab below is selected on the top panel?  This means you’re in chat mode. Go ahead and shoot him (or her) an IM, which will appear in his Facebook chat window. To him, it will look like you’re on Facebook as well, even though you’re actually using VoxOx.
4. Uh oh … you just noticed that there are only two concert tickets left! Emergency mode:  Attempt to track him down all possible ways by switching communication modes in the Universal Messaging Window: text him, call all his numbers (stored in VoxOx), email, and, send him a fax!! Just kidding about the fax.

Well, hopefully one of these communication channels got you through.

And, if you want to test whether he even likes this band before you buy the concert tickets, send him an mp3 of one of the songs via VoxOx’s file-sharing capabilities (the Send File tab) and see what he says. You can send this file anyway you prefer – email, sms, even Facebook chat, which is pretty cool because there’s not really a way to transfer a file privately to a Facebook friend.

So, here’s to being efficient thanks to the VoxOx Universal Messaging Window!

Cool license plate!

Bob’s “Voxmobile.” Enough said.

What Do Users Think? UserVoice helps us see what features users want to see most.

It’s a web-based crowd-sourcing application called UserVoice, which enables users such as yourself to provide product feature suggestions, bug reports and other important feedback on our beta service. What sets this tool apart is the ability to vote on each product suggestion, whether your own or someone else’s. This allows you — and us — to see the “wisdom of the crowds,” i.e., what does the majority want to see added to VoxOx, what bugs are hot right now and need to be fixed? You’ll be able to see this the moment you visit the site. For example, right now you’ll see that using VoxOx with SIP devices is number one on the the list, with a total of 167 votes. This means essentially that many people would like to be able to incorporate VoxOx with a SIP-compatible handset at home (SIP stands for Session Initiated Protocol, but I won’t bore you with the details). Second on the list is folks who would like to see a Linux version of VoxOx.

Each person on UserVoice gets 10 votes — so use them wisely. You can get more by changing your vote, or getting credited when something is completed.

Another great thing about the service is that it allows you to see the status of each product suggestion or bug report. For example, you can see that the Linux project has already been started (sorry, can’t give you a completion date here), while the PayPal suggestion down below is being “planned,” i.e. on the roadmap.

Before you leave a comment or product suggestion, however, be sure to do a quick search in the search box at the top. This will allow you to see if anyone has already submitted that suggestion.

Finally, one last tip — be sure to log in to UserVoice using your VoxOx username and password. That way, when the status changes on something you’ve voted upon — for example a suggestion is now live — you’ll get an email notification right away.

So give us your wisdom — try out the new service today. In the future, you can access the feedback portal by clicking on the support link in the upper-right hand corner of the VoxOx web site (accessible from any page). From there, click on “suggestions” or “report bug” in the left-hand column. We value your feedback as we refine and enhance our beta service!

VoxOx has been selected as the CES 2010 Editors’ Choice for “Best Software / Service” by Computer Shopper!

The Computer Shopper editorial team met individually with more than 60 companies at CES and selected the top contender in 10 categories. Other winning brands in the “Best of CES” Editors’ Choice include Blackberry (RIM), Lenovo and Intel. Computer Shopper is a resource for millions of online consumers for expert, labs-based reviews of technology products. It was originally published by CNET Networks Inc., and is currently published by SX2 Media Labs LLC. You can read our announcement here.

Also, check out this quote from Computer Shopper’s Senior Editor Sarah Anderson:

“VoxOx is the most comprehensive communications aggregator we’ve seen, and it promises to be 2010’s most effective method of organizing contacts and simplifying the way we reach one another.”

Here are some other recent awards we’ve received:

• Winner: “Best New Product / Service” – American Business Awards™ 2009 (”The Stevies”)
• Winner: “Best Consumer Offering” – TMC®’s ITEXPO West 2009
• Finalist: “IT Executive of the Year 2009” – San Diego Business Journal
• Finalist: “Greatest Gadget” competition – GadgetFest 2009

We’re thrilled to start 2010 off with a bang!

Keep Voxing, y’all…

Natasha, from the PR Team

After diving into the service pretty extensively over the past few weeks, I wanted to present my list of the top five ways the VoxOx PA can help you be more productive in your business and personal life.

1. Screen Your Calls — One of the best things about the PA is having someone answer and screen your calls — not unlike a real secretary. When someone calls my VoxOx number, my personal assistant will answer the call and politely ask the person to identify themselves. She (yes, she is a she, although you can choose a male personal assistant) will then let me know who is calling. I can then either answer the call or send it to voicemail (I can also listen in on the voicemail and pick it up, but I’ll save that for another post). Not only does this make me feel important (!), it forces people with blocked numbers to identify themselves. Knowing who is calling each time makes me more productive. Really cool.
2. Faxing — I admit I don’t send a lot of faxes, but when that occasion occurs — usually some sort of document signing — I sure don’t feel like paying companies like eFax $17 a month for an account, and then 10 cents per page (for outbound). Through the VoxOx Personal Assistant, all inbound faxes are free and all outbound faxes correspond with regular VoxOx calling rates (about a penny a minute in the US). This aspect of the PA can save you a lot of money each month.
3. Outbound Conference Calling — It’s cool that you can use the personal assistant to make outbound conference calls from your softphone (on your desktop), but the new version of the VoxOx PA enables you to do so remotely from your cell phone. When you are on a mobile call and want to bridge other people in, just hit *3 to access your personal assistant. Enter in up to 20 numbers and the PA will call everyone, and then bridge them into the call. So no matter where you are, you can have an on-the-fly conference call. That’s productivity — at extremely low rates. Click here to access a user guide for the PA.
4. Changing Your Find Me Settings Remotely — Say what? This doesn’t sound very exciting. Oh, but it is. One of the features the VoxOx PA offers is the ability to “find you” wherever you are. That means calling you sequentially on your mobile, your office, your home phone or any other number you program in (she will also ring all your phone simultaneously). But what happens when you are traveling overseas and don’t have access to a computer? No problem, just call into your personal assistant and add the number of your pre-paid SIM card or mobile phone to your Find Me list and you are good to go. People calling you won’t necessarily know you are overseas, and you don’t have to worry about giving them a new temporary number.
5. Call Recording — Using your personal assistant, you can easily record a conversation. For example, let’s say you are talking to a customer or a friend about something important. You just hit *1 to start recording a call. The PA will let you know that call recording has begun, but the caller on the other end will have no idea (so it’s up to you to tell them if so inclined). Hit *1 to stop the recording and a sound file of the conversation will automatically be sent to your email address. Depending on the conversation, this can be hugely productive and alleviate the need for taking notes.

There you have it — five ways the VoxOx Personal Assistant can make you more productive. I’d love to hear what you think are the best or most productive PA features.

Until next time!