Press Room

Kall8 Toll-Free Service Heats Up Competition with Virtual Calling Card, New Features

SEATTLE, Wash. - December 15, 2005 - Kall8, the online hosted toll-free service provider of choice for more than five years running, has just announced the introduction of its Virtual Calling Card service. With Virtual Calling Card, users can now make outbound calls on their toll-free numbers from any phone. Particularly useful is Kall8's integration of the new Virtual Calling Card feature with its Dialup Voice Mail Retrieval service.

Kall8 has engineered a system whereby users of the service call a common access number and enter their account information to retrieve voice messages, administrate account settings, and now make outbound calls. The ability to retrieve messages left at the toll-free number from any phone and return calls made to the number without hanging up is what makes the Kall8 Virtual Calling Card so compelling.

“It's about convenience for the user,” said Bill Johnson, Director of Marketing and Business Development. “The integration of message retrieval and outbound calling on the same number, regardless of the phone used, provides the simplicity that multi-location and mobile users need in managing calls.”

Kall8 allows users to make their toll-free number appear as the Caller ID. That can be especially useful when returning calls, since the person who left the message will be more apt to recognize the toll-free number they previously dialed when it appears on their phone. Sales professionals, mobile executives, and remote agents who use Kall8's custom routing features for “follow me” connectivity, benefit directly by not confusing their customers with multiple phone numbers.

Kall8 also just recently launched an Address Lookup enhancement to its online Call Detail Reporting tool. Address Lookup appends the address information of callers onto the corresponding call record, allowing the user to reference that information and know more precisely where calls are coming from and even use the information later for follow-up contact with the caller.

“Businesses that rely on their toll-free number for lead generation and direct response marketing can use Address Lookup to compile or confirm addresses to be used in direct mailings and order fulfillment,” Johnson said.

“It adds another layer of service to the relationship our users have with their customers,” Johnson added. The information provided with the Address Lookup feature may be different than what appears as the Caller ID because telephone service subscribers may choose anything to appear as their Caller ID. Address Lookup, on the other hand, pulls its information from what is listed on the subscriber's account and appends that data to the call record. “Address Lookup is much more complete and reliable information than what is provided with only Caller ID.”

“These are just some of the latest enhancements added to Kall8 service in recent months,” Johnson points out. “Many enhancements [sic] have been made to answer both the specific needs of Kall8 users as well as remain an innovator in an industry that has grown increasingly competitive,” he said. “Kall8 users have never had it so good. Kall8 service continues to improve and add value over the competition.”

Kall8 is a hosted telephone service offering toll-free and local numbers that businesses and others can provide. For as little as a $2 set-up fee and $2 a month service fee, they can establish a Kall8 number that will be toll-free for customers. There’s no equipment to buy, no software to install, no contract to sign. All Kall8 users need is a dial tone. With an existing Internet connection, they may self-manage their toll-free number online.