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Push-to-Talk on Orange's Treo
Orange will later this year launch a Push-to-Talk service, Talk Now, and will
make it initially available on the Orange Treo 600. This is the first
announcement we have heard from a carrier regarding the potential Push-to-Talk
capabilities of the Treo. At this point we don't know which software will power
the Talk Now solution.
Talk Now, similar to the US Push-To-Talk service but with a more advanced
feature-set and richer functionality, will give Orange customers a new way of
communicating alongside their existing voice and messaging services. Talk Now
will be launched in 10 countries this year, starting with the UK and France in
Q2 2004.
Talk Now creates an immediate connection between two or more mobile phones so
minimal time is spent searching for or dialing individual telephone numbers. You
can see who is available to speak or receive single or group messages instantly.
Talk Now will also allow Orange customers to:
- Create buddy lists that can be used to facilitate instant conference
calling
- Know when contacts are available to talk and when they are busy
- Speak to or message a contact who has selected themselves as available
- Record a conference call and send it to others if they are not available
- Send a voice message to other Talk Now users at the touch of a button
Talk Now will be available internationally allowing customers easy, instant
access to colleagues, friends and family in a different country who use the
service. Orange expects to attract one million users to the new service in the
12 months following rollout.
Speaking at the launch in London this morning, Sol Trujillo, CEO, Orange Group,
said: "As we are the first to launch in the world we are offering something no
other company can offer. Talk Now provides the business community with an
immediate and reliable way to better manage teams of people within an
organisation. It addresses a real need amongst businesses to disseminate or
communicate time critical information quickly and efficiently. The service also
provides consumers with an ideal way to keep in touch with friends and family by
making it easy to instantly communicate with each other as a group at the touch
of a button."
With the added functionality that it offers, Talk Now will be offered as a
premium service. Full pricing details will be available nearer commercial
availability, with pricing bundles geared toward specific customer markets.
Trujillo added: "Talk Now offers a level of functionality and a feature-set that
is relevant to every single one of our 47 million customers - instant access to
each and every one of their family, friends and colleagues."
Very exciting news! Will US Push-to-Talk carriers follow?
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