Verizon VoiceWing Adds New Features, Geography

Verizon Communications Inc. has added a new service package to its VoiceWing consumer VoIP service.

VoiceWing 500 provides 500 minutes of outbound local and domestic long-distance calling for$19.95 a month, including unlimited inbound calls and free calls to other VoiceWing subscribers. This new plan is in addition to VoiceWing Unlimited, launched last year, which provides unlimited local and domestic long-distance calling for as low as $29.95 a month. The service now extends nationally to 167 area codes.

The VoiceWing service still is based on the wholesale consumer voice offering of deltathree Inc. with Level 3 Communications Inc. providing origination and termination services as well as DID phone numbers.

Verizon also has added fax capability with the Linksys (a division of Cisco Systems Inc.) PAP2 telephone adapter. Customers who wish to fax will need to change out an earlier Cisco terminal adaptor for the new Linksys unit.

The VoiceWing service includes a number of convenience services that consumers do not get in standard telephone service or in many VoIP services. These include

* Incoming Call Block: A new feature that blocks up to 20 telephone numbers and sends the calls directly to voice mail. Numbers can be added or removed from the list using either the online account manager or by entering a code on a telephone handset.

* Anonymous Call Rejection: A new feature to refuse calls from parties who have blocked or restricted their caller ID information

* Call Logs with Click to Dial: The Web interface includes a list of incoming, outgoing and missed calls for three days, including name, telephone number, date, time of day, physical location and duration of the call. Customers can click on calls to have VoiceWing dial them, or to add the caller information to the customer's address book.

* Visual Voice Mail: Customers can view and listen to voice mail online, and forward audio messages by e-mail.

* Enhanced Call Forwarding: Customers can schedule call forwarding ahead of time for a specific date and time of day, or as a recurring event. Calls can be redirected to another phone directly from the online personal account manager. E-mail alerts remind customers when a scheduled call-forward is about to take place.

* Scheduled Call-backs: This allows customers to schedule important calls in advance online. The customer’s phone will ring at the appointed time, and they will then be connected to the call.

* Synchronized Personal Address Book: Customers can save telephone numbers and e-mail addresses of people who have called, arrange contacts in groups, click on a phone number to dial it, or send an e-mail directly from their account manager. Customers' VoiceWing address books can be synchronized with a variety of other PC and PDA address books.

* Simultaneous Ring: Customers can designate up to three phone numbers where calls can ring in addition to their VoiceWing phone number. The first phone answered will be connected to the call.

* Back-up Number: Customers can designate another phone, such as their cell phone or office phone, where their VoiceWing calls can be automatically routed in case of a power failure or broadband outage.

* Permanent Caller ID Block: All calls are anonymous until the VoiceWing customer disables the feature.

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