Visual voicemail is still in its infancy – it’s only available on a handful of devices from the nation’s top four carriers – but as the service becomes more prevalent, smaller wireless providers may see it as a way to separate themselves from the crowd.
Visual voicemail hit the big time last year when it was included in the first generation of Apple Inc.’s wildly popular iPhone. Since then other operators have lined up to introduce the service, which essentially allows users to manipulate voicemails via a screen instead of audio prompts. That way, users can pick and choose what they want to listen to.
Tole Hart, research analyst at Gartner, said visual voicemail is an important feature for carriers that are trying to refocus on voice services. “It makes sense for the carrier,” he said. “It’s also time efficient.”
The nation’s major carriers are in various stages of visual voicemail rollout:
–Sprint Nextel Corp. introduced the service in May through the release of its Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Instinct – the carrier’s answer to the iPhone. Though the service comes at no extra cost, Sprint Nextel has not yet extended it to any other devices.
–Verizon Wireless upgraded to visual voicemail in August, but according to its Web site only the LG Electronics Co. Ltd. “Voyager Refresh” and enV2 sport the service. Verizon Wireless promises “additional devices will be introduced in the future,” though the carrier did respond to questions for specifics. Verizon Wireless charges $3 per month for the service.
–AT&T Mobility Inc. has yet to bring visual voicemail to any other devices outside the iPhone. AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel would not comment on any future offerings.
–Finally, T-Mobile USA Inc. has no visual voicemail services, not even on its first touchscreen device, the G1 by Google Inc. However, a carrier spokeswoman said the G1’s open platform paves the way for a developer to add visual voicemail to the gadget.
“There is an opportunity to provide various services, like visual voicemail, on the G1 through the Android Market, if an application was to be developed there,” she said.
Touching on the G1’s lack of visual voicemail, Gartner’s Hart said it’s likely that the feature was left out because the device is much more focused on data and implementing services such as texting and e-mail.
“To me, it feels like a mini-computer that [happens to have] voice,” he said.
Third-party preferences
A number of startups and third parties have stepped into the visual voicemail void in an effort to cash in on the nascent market. CallWave, Vonage, Acision and SimulSays are among those offering some from of visual voicemail – either to carriers, handset makers or directly to end users.
One such vendor, YouMail, offers a roundabout way for wireless users to get visual voicemail features. The company signs up customers through its Web site, guides them to forward voicemails to YouMail, and then takes control of the voicemail functions. YouMail works on any device with a mobile Web browser.
Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail, said those who want to see voicemails on their phone’s screen can log onto the YouMail mobile site, sign in one time and see all their voicemails.
YouMail also has capabilities to send voicemails to an e-mail address, send alerts via text messages and soon expects to offer transcription services so customers can read voicemails. Quilici said YouMail services are most attractive to people who can’t answer their phone during the day or those who get bombarded with voicemails and don’t have time to listen to each one.
“If you have a lot of messages, it’s worth clicking a button, opening the browser and clicking on the message you want to play,” he said.
However, since YouMail isn’t built straight into users’ phones, and requires a number of steps to access voicemails, it might not always provide the fastest route to messages.
“If you only have one message, you might as well press 1,” Quilici said. Turning YouMail into a direct application is the plan, though, Quilici said. “It’s in the works,” he promised.
YouMail hasn’t established relationships with any of the large U.S. carriers, but is working with a few of the smaller ones. Immix Wireless, a regional carrier in Pennsylvania, has incorporated YouMail into its business plan, ensuring all customers automatically receive YouMail services. Quilici also noted a relationship with a soon-to-launch carrier in Montana, ISmart L.L.C., which will also enlist YouMail to take over voicemail.
“Regional carriers are the ones who are crying out for differentiation,” he said. “They have to have a far more compelling offer to get people to switch off their current carrier.”
