WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., Dec. 19, 2006 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- PrivatePhone(tm), the free phone number and voicemail service from United Online, Inc. (Nasdaq:UNTD), has added three exciting new Web features designed to enhance its members' social networking experience by allowing them to interact by voicemail online. PrivatePhone now enables members to embed their voicemails in a Web site or blog, store up to 10,000 voicemails, and post a glitter graphics version of their phone number online.
PrivatePhone launched in May as a disposable phone number that members can give out instead of their home or cell phone number in a variety of circumstances both online and off. PrivatePhone numbers are free and available in virtually every area code in the United States. All calls go directly to the member's voicemail box, where messages left can be checked either by phone or online.
"We launched PrivatePhone primarily as a way for people to give out a phone number without compromising their privacy," said Matt Wisk, chief marketing officer at United Online. "While many of our members do use it for that purpose, it has really morphed into a way for people to communicate by voice online. Bloggers are putting their PrivatePhone number on their blogs to allow readers to post voicemails instead of comments, people are adding it to their MySpace pages, and DJs, bands and other entertainment types are recording outgoing messages to tell their fans where they're playing or what they're up to. We took a look at what these members were doing to promote themselves online and came up with three new features to help them do it."
The new features are:
-- Embeddable voicemails - Voicemail previously has been one-to-one
communication between two people. With PrivatePhone, voicemail
can now be a one-to-thousands communication between members of an
online group. That's because PrivatePhone voicemails have now
been augmented with simple html code that allows users to embed
them into Web sites and blogs. Users can now post voicemails left
for them by others, or record a message that can be posted
online. Bloggers can now add audio clips to a discussion; someone
posting an online ad can include a voice description of what is
being sold; and a band can post a message to fans on their home
page like, "Hey everybody, we are playing this weekend at the X
Club. Come check out our new single. It goes something like
this . . . " Embedding a voicemail also embeds an audio player,
which plays the voicemail with the click of a button.
-- Increased voicemail storage capacity - Members can now receive up
to 10,000 incoming voicemails without having to save them to
folders. Voicemail can be used like email: composed, stored,
posted and forwarded to friends and online communities.
-- Glitter graphics - Members can now make their phone number into a
personalized "glitter" graphic using a variety of styles and
embed it in Web sites or blogs.
"I've been using PrivatePhone's free service to promote different events to our listeners here at the station, and it's perfect for keeping them all informed," said Nate West, disc jockey at a radio station in Jackson, Mississippi. "With PrivatePhone's new features, I'm able to use my phone number and voice mail like my own little private advertising agency."
PrivatePhone's three new features have the potential to change the way that voicemail is used. Voicemail will go from being a substitute for speaking on the phone to a technique that enriches and personalizes communication on the Web.
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Currently With PrivatePhone
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Voicemail is phone-based While the telephone will be
communication used to record voicemail, the
voicemail will then be posted on
the Web.
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Voicemail is recorded by one People will record voicemails
person for another person who for one person or a group of
they know personally. people who they may or may
not know personally, but who
share a common interest.
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Voicemail is private, one-on-one Voicemail becomes one-to-many,
communication. Voicemails are or many-to-one communication.
listened to, returned and Voicemail is recorded with
deleted. the expectation that it will
be forwarded to others, posted
to the Internet and otherwise
shared with other members of a
group, similar to email.
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Voicemail is recorded in In most cases, there will be
anticipation of a response. no anticipation of a response.
For example: "Bob, call me if Voicemails will be recorded
you want to go to the movies to be broadcast to others:
tonight." "My band rocked Thursday
night!" Voicemails might
start strings of posted audio
comments with each post
referring to the one preceding
it.
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Voicemails are a substitute for Voicemails are recorded with no
actually talking to someone on expectation of ever speaking
the phone. with those who listen to it.
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For more information about PrivatePhone, go to www.privatephone.com. For media inquiries, please visit, www.untd.com.
About United Online
United Online, Inc. (Nasdaq:UNTD) is a leading provider of consumer Internet and media services. The company's Content & Media services include social networking (Classmates) and online loyalty marketing (MyPoints). Its Communications services include Internet access (NetZero, Juno), email and VoIP. United Online is headquartered in Woodland Hills, CA, with offices in New York, NY; Fort Lee, NJ; Renton, WA; San Francisco, CA; Schaumburg, IL; Orem, UT; Erlangen, Germany; and Hyderabad, India. For more information about United Online, please visit www.unitedonline.com.
This release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. Any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results, and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual performance and results to differ materially from those predicted, and reported results should not be considered an indication of future performance. Potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, changes in Internet usage and technological problems or developments. More information about potential factors that could affect the company's business and financial results is included in the company's annual and quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (http://www.sec.gov), including, without limitation, information under the captions "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Risk Factors.
Note to Editors: United Online and PrivatePhone are trademarks or registered trademarks of United Online, Inc. or its subsidiaries. The names of other companies, products and services used herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.