IDTC Internet news:
Thursday February 4, 8:27 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
Net2Phone Direct to Offer E-Mail By Phone and Free E-Mail Accounts to all Users
HACKENSACK, N.J. and FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Feb. 4, 1999--
Nationwide Internet Telephony Service Signs Agreement With
Mailcall to Offer E-mail Services Via Telephone
IDT's (NASDAQ: IDTC - news) Net2Phone today announced that users of its Internet-based phone service, Net2Phone Direct, will be able to now retrieve their e-mail messages by using cutting edge text-to-speech technology.
Through an agreement recently signed with MailCall, subscribers will be able to hear their e-mail messages via a call to their Net2Phone Direct account, without the need to use a computer or laptop.
Additionally, Net2Phone will be giving free e-mail accounts to all of its Net2Phone Direct customers who select the MailCall option.
How it Works
Net2Phone Direct works similarly to a pre-paid calling card, where users dial an access number, enter their account number, and the number they wish to dial. If users want to retrieve their e-mail, they can enter a code in order to retrieve e-mail. Users who would like to retrieve e-mail from an account other than the free Net2Phone Direct account will be able to change their preferences on a designated secure web site. Users will receive a free Net2Phone e-mail account upon first-time use of the MailCall option.
Upon activating the service, users hear the headers for each of their e-mail messages, after which they have several options for managing their e-mail. Subscribers can choose to listen to the text of the message (in English or Spanish), have a hard copy of the message sent to any fax machine in the U.S., Canada, or Mexico, or reply to the message using one of several state-of-the-art features.
Additionally, users have the ability to reply with ''canned'' responses, a customized pre-set response of up to 512 characters set by the user, or a callback phone number which the user touch-tones in and is then sent as part of the reply. Users can also respond to messages via their voice, which are sent to recipients as an audio file attachment.
The company expects the service to be available to Net2Phone Direct users beginning February 15, 1999. The cost of the service is $0.25 per minute with no monthly fee. Net2Phone Direct enables users to place telephone calls and send faxes over the Internet for as little as five cents per minute. Those interested in signing up for Net2Phone Direct can call 800-225-5438.
Net2Phone Direct will also offer several preference options, which can be set by the user on a security-encoded web site: Six different voices with three pitches each, a default fax phone number, a customized response, and several pattern matching strings which can be used to filter and prioritize e-mail.
''Net2Phone has always been committed to offering unique and innovative services to our users, and computerless e-mail retrieval is one of many products we plan to bring to the market,'' said David Greenblatt, Chief Operating Officer of Net2Phone. ''By introducing value-added services to our Internet telephony suite of services, we continue lead our sector with innovative services for consumers.''
IDT is a leading emerging multinational carrier that combines its position as an international telecommunications operator, its experience as an Internet service provider and its leading position in Internet telephony to provide a broad range of telecommunications services to its wholesale and retail customers worldwide. The company provides its customers with integrated and competitively priced international and domestic long distance, pre-paid calling cards, Internet access and, through its Net2Phone product offerings, Internet telephony services including Net2Phone Direct, Net2Fax, Click2Talk, and easysurf.com. For more information about IDT's Internet telephony services, please visit www.net2phone.com.
Except for historical information, all of the expectations and assumptions contained in the foregoing are forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements, include, but are not limited to, the competitive environment for Internet telephony, changes of rates and services, legislation that may affect the Internet Telephony industry and IDT 's ability to operate the services described on a large scale commercial level. For additional information regarding these and other risks associated with the Company's business, please refer to the Company's reports filed with the SEC.
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Contact:
IDT Public Relations, Hackensack
Sarah Hofstetter
201/928-2882
or
IDT Investor Relations, Hackensack
Janine Kutliroff
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