Iobi is Verizon’s answer to those who want to be able to manage their home phone, work phone, computer and wireless devices from a single point.
The service links the Internet, the public telephone network and users’ computers to allow for point-and-click control over phone calls, voice mail, call lists, directories and calendars.
For example, iobi allows a user to intercept an incoming call while it’s still ringing and forward it to another number, send it to voice mail or play a preset message. Subscribers also can schedule their calls to forward to different numbers by day and time.
It also does trickier tasks such as pulling up maps showing where calls are coming from, posting on-screen caller ID and automatically logging calls and voice messages. Users can forward voice messages via e-mail as attached sound files.
The goal is to provide a convenient call-management service for the masses and bring some of the same goodies found on Voice over Internet Protocol software to regular phone customers.
Iobi costs an additional $7.95 a month for Verizon’s residential phone customers. Broadband Internet access is not required for the service, though it works better with the faster system.
A version of iobi also is available for small businesses, with an enterprise version for larger companies still on the way. Verizon also has a new phone with a built-in computer screen that’s designed specifically to handle “convergence” services such as iobi. Competing telecommunications providers offer similar services.
By the way, the name iobi (pronounced eye-oh-bee) is made up, according to Verizon. More information can be found at www.iobi.com.
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