While half-way across the world (or maybe just the next state over) how can business travelers make the most of mobile communications without breaking the bank?
While some may choose to deck out their mobile's home screen with a host of different communication apps for travel -- apps for calling, messaging, fax, language translation, location and media sharing, etc. -- those looking for convenience often choose an all-in-one communications app like Voxox. Below are some ways that Voxox can be valuable to business travelers...
1. Free U.S. Phone Number & Free Worldwide Calling
Sky-high international calling rates can place stress on your communications as well as your business’ bottom line. When you sign up for Voxox, you get a free U.S. phone number that your business partners, clients and family can use to call, text and fax, no matter where you are. All incoming calls and Voxox-to-Voxox communications are free, so if the caller is using Voxox, you can connect at no cost. (Just make sure you're not roaming - see our note at the end of the post.) The Voxox phone number also comes with a slew of additional features, including call forwarding, multi-party conferencing, voicemail transcription, etc. More on these below.
2. Call Fowarding
Once you pass out your Voxox number, you can forward your incoming calls to up to five other phone numbers so you'll never again miss an important call when you travel. At any moment you can add your hotel room phone number, prepaid mobile, new temporary work number at the local branch office, etc. To do this, go to the app's Settings, select Call Forwarding, and enter/change the phone numbers as you like. Now anyone in the U.S. who has your Voxox number can reach you internationally by dialing a domestic number! (And for those outside of the U.S., there's iNum.)
3. Cheap International Calling & Voxox Call Connect
Voxox-to-Voxox calls are always free. But what if you need to call someone who is not in your Voxox network? That's just fine! With Voxox, worldwide outbound calls are super cheap and many international rates start as low as one penny per minute.
If you have a solid internet connection, you can place a VoIP call directly (default setting). However, if you don't, or if you want to save your limited mobile bandwidth during your trip, you can use Voxox Call Connect to place "callback" calls and send them to any phone, such as your hotel room landline or a cheapo prepaid mobile.
Simply go to Phone Settings > Call Mode, and Select "Call Connect." Then, where it says "Call Connect #", enter the phone number of the device from which you'd like to place your call (e.g., your hotel room phone or prepaid mobile). Then, head on over to your Voxox app's keypad and dial the phone number of the person you'd like to reach. You'll hear the phone you selected ring, and, when you pick up, your friend will be on the line.
With Voxox Call Connect, Voxox places two outbound calls using our super low Voxox rates, and then bridges them together to create incoming calls for you and your conversation partner. Most carriers don't charge for inbound calls, so, instead of blowing the budget on calling, use that saved money to impress your clients. After all, everyone loves a catered lunch -- no matter what language they speak!
4. Worldwide Texting
Sometimes you just need to send a quick text, but if you didn't activate an international data plan from your carrier, you're roaming, and that can cost you... a lot. The good news is that you can use Voxox to text via Wi-Fi, which is available nearly everywhere. (Tip: just download a free Wi-Fi finder app, put your smartphone on "airplane mode" during your trip, and then switch on your Wi-Fi.) Once connected to a Wi-Fi hotspot, text away with your Voxox mobile app! With Voxox, it's free to receive texts from anywhere in the world, a penny to send a text to the U.S. or Canada, and two pennies to send an outbound text worldwide. Whether you need to contact an international client or need to text a team member to confirm a meeting, it’s a fast and convenient way to stay in touch. In fact, check out this post on how one of our own team members saved $300 on texting while traveling abroad by using Voxox SMS over Wi-Fi.
5. Language Translation for Text Messaging
While language barriers can cause unwanted stress and glitches in travel plans and business communications, Voxox helps you avoid these awkward and unnecessary miscommunications by automatically translating your business communications for you. Voxox will translate text messages you send and receive (for both you and the person you're texting) from and to dozens of languages. Check out this how-to on this perfect solution multi-lingual business communications!
6. Map and Location Sharing
Navigating new cities and explaining directions can sometimes be confusing, so before the next big meeting, you can use Voxox to share your map and location with your clients and business partners to ensure no one gets lost!
To do this, go to the messages screen and create a new message by tapping the icon in the top right corner. Add a phone number in the "to:" field. Press the small up arrow button in the bottom left corner to open the Media Drawer. Press the share location button, and voila!
7. Photo and Video Sharing
Want to send your team members a video of your big presentation? Did you get a snapshot with an important client? With Voxox’s new photo and video sharing feature you can capture a photo from Voxox or share one from your camera roll with any of your contacts. Showing off your business successes has never been so easy!
You get to this feature the same way as the map and location sharing (above). In the Media Drawer, select "take new" or "choose existing" options.
8. Fax
In the business world, the fax is not dead, but it can be a pain to send and receive a fax when you’re on the go. Voxox’s mobile faxing feature lets you receive faxes for free and send a fax for just a small fee. Here’s a detailed how-to.
9. Multi-Party Conference Calling
Need to talk business with your colleagues back home? No problem! Voxox lets you conference up to 20 people on your call.
Just use your Voxox app to call the first person on your list (see calling options above), then press *3 to start the conference - the active call is placed on hold. Dial the next party and press "conference" to join all three parties. Repeat as needed.
10. Voicemail Transcription
Missed a call because you went to check out the (noisy) local attractions? Not a big deal -- Voxox has voicemail transcription so you get a text transcript of the voice message someone leaves you when they call your Voxox number. You get a notification as soon as the message has been left for you so you can judge if it's important enough to abandon your spot in line to take care of business, or enjoy your night on the town.
So before you head out on your next business trip around the world, you make the choice – 10 communication apps for travel, or just one? Once you’ve given Voxox a test drive on your Android or iPhone, be sure to let us know how it has upgraded your business travel communications!
***NOTE: Make sure you are in the loop about your carrier's roaming and mobile data policies when using communication apps for travel. You'll want to either get an international data plan from your carrier or go the (free!) Wi-Fi-only route, which is described in #4 - Worldwide Texting (above).
Image credit: Flickr user Lars Plougmann