The Story about mobile coupons, cheaper calls, social media and RingBack Tones
As AT&T puts an end to its "all-you-can-eat" calling plans and millions of consumers become more and more frustrated with how they are treated by telecoms, the need for a knight in shining armor to rescue consumers becomes more and more apparent. Ring Plus, Inc., already loved by all its customers who took part in its beta test, has already locked down the pole position to become the hero who saves the day for cell phone customers everywhere. You probably remember the free calls offered by RingPlus in 2009 during the test of its advertisement platform and its excellent service. Today, RingPlus is ready to launch as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). Many aspects of the launch are still confidential for obvious reasons, but here is a description of how the RingPlus user experience will be:
While making a phone call on the way to work, instead of the ringback tone you hear a special offer from the local coffee shop. Simply by saying 'yes' you receive a coupon for 50% off. Then you call a friend and hear a readout of his most recent social network post saying that he's in London. It's 1:30 a.m. in London! You press 1, which takes you directly to his voice mail. You might also leave a tweet. Next you make a business call, and while you're waiting for your client to pick up, instead of the ringback tone you hear the latest information you entered in the sales management software. Later on, during lunch (where you of course use a mobile coupon from a prior phone call to get 30% off) a telemarketer with no caller ID calls you. Instead of getting angry, you just say "block call" and this number will be permanently blocked from calling you even without caller ID. After lunch, you call your wife and instead of the ringback tone you hear music from your library mixed in with some world news. On your way home, you call to order a pizza and you hear a special mobile coupon offer from another pizza joint. Just by saying "yes" you're connected to the other pizza delivery service, and you save $10 on your pizza. During the other phone calls you make that evening, you're entertained by your friends' different social network posts, as well as more of your favorite music. If you've subscribed to one of RingPlus's celebrity phone services, you'll be personally and interactively updated by the celebrity about what's going on in his/her life and showbiz.
RingPlus' mission statement is to be "a free-spirited telephone community in which all users interact in an environment of trust, honesty, and respect," and consistent with this mission RingPlus will also enable other MVNOs to offer the exact same service provided over its platform. (RingPlus owns U.S. Patents No. 7,006,608 and 7,227,929, which cover the technology invented by Karl Seelig and Anita Erickson for RingBack tone replacement as well as several other important features of RingPlus' products and services.) RingPlus' services will not be free as they were during the company's beta test, but RingPlus will use the additional revenue to greatly reduce costs to the consumer and provide them with added benefits. For developers, RingPlus is the first telecom to embrace and enable technology created by third parties. RingPlus believes that this open environment for new developments will be in the best interests of all telecom users, and that it will open up a completely new industry as application stores did in the past, fostering economic growth for many small firms and individual developers.
Contacts:
Ring Plus, Inc.
Anita Seelig, 310-990-0001