"One Million Free Internet Phone Calls Made Using TalkFree from I-Link"
Site attracts 25,000 users per day making Internet calling latest Web craze
DRAPER, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 10, 2000--I-Link, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILNK), an enhanced voice/data service provider, announced that one million free Internet calls have been made using the company's TalkFree(TM) service during its Alpha trial on the company's Web-site, i-link.net. TalkFree allows anyone on the World Wide Web to place free phone-to-phone calls to anywhere in the U.S. An average of 25,000 users per day have connected via TalkFree since the Alpha trial began on Feb. 7, 2000. The immense traffic on the TalkFree site demonstrates the popularity of Internet telephony and the reliability and quality that Net callers have experienced. The phone calls take place through I-Link's Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, and are made possible through I-Link's SoftSwitch routing intelligence and its GateLink enhanced application programming interface (API).
I-Link plans to provide TalkFree as a service to Internet portals that wish to enhance a Web visitor's experience with real-time communications. Web sites can partner with I-Link to deliver free Internet calls to their customers with no set-up or maintenance costs. I-Link hosts all of the TalkFree services at its application centers located throughout the country.
"As the old saying goes, `one million people can't be wrong,'" said John Edwards, Chairman and CEO of I-Link. "The excitement that TalkFree has generated is proof that Internet telephony is ready for the mass market. We look forward to expanding TalkFree's availability and ensuring that all Web users get an opportunity to experience quality Internet phone service for free."
When deployed on a partner Web site, TalkFree opens a page that offers site visitors the option to immediately place a call to anyone in the country. Users will enter their phone number and the service will first call them directly. The service will then dial a second destination number that users type into the Web page. The TalkFree service is ideal for chat sites, online auctions and distance learning organizations.
About I-Link
Headquartered in Draper, Utah, I-Link (Nasdaq: ILNK) is an enhanced voice/data service provider. With its software defined network architecture, I-Link simplifies the delivery of unified communications today. I-Link offers a full range of enhanced services such as one-number call routing, caller screening, unified voice, fax, pager and e-mail messaging, voice-and fax-on-demand, conference calling and seamless call transfer from cell phone to land-line and vice-versa via a direct connection to its nationally deployed Internet Protocol telephony network. For further information visit I-Link's Web site at i-link.net. |
