Q1. What are the iobi services?
A1. iobi Home and iobi Professional are innovative communications management software applications and "thin" client/server architecture that allow users to manage communications from wherever they are, any time of day.
Available from properly-equipped PCs using either an onboard client server or a Web site access portal - or by landline or cell phone using a voice recognition portal - iobi services represent the next generation of integrated communications.
iobi services are a control panel for all your communications - voice, voice mail, e-mail, TXT and personal information.
Using IT applications to control traditional switched services and voice mail platforms, iobi delivers a combination of telephony services and Web-based tools and services that can be accessed through whatever medium is most convenient - by phone through a toll-free voice portal, or from any Internet-enabled PC. This Web-based application serves as a platform for advanced technology that includes:
- Desktop Caller ID
- Voice Mail Retrieval
- Call Management
- Call and Voice Message Text Notification
- Address Book
- Calendar
- Text Messaging
- SMS Alerts
- Access to Information Services Like Verizon SuperPages, Caller Mapping and Weather Forecasts
Q2. Where did the name iobi come from?
A2. The name iobi was chosen after careful consideration of the image that we want to convey for this service - simple, friendly, easy to use. In consumer focus groups, we've found that this type of 'coined' name has great appeal. While consumers and business customers recognize that it represents a technology product, they like the fact that the name suggests a user-friendly service - one that truly will simplify their lives, rather than add more complex technology to it.
Q3. How do iobi services work?
A3. Powered by a link between the Internet, the public telephone network and a PC, iobi services give point-and-click control over incoming phone calls, voice mail, e-mail and text messages, as well as call lists, directories and calendars.
iobi services use a proprietary platform for knitting the Internet and Web-based services with the public phone network and its call-management functions and channeling the merged service to a user interface.
iobi services add VoIP-like capabilities to traditional network service, such as providing point-and-click dashboard access to call-management features and integration of voice with data (i.e., information), as in the case of forwarding voice messages via e-mail.
Essentially, Web tools help you manage communications functions. To control telephone services, iobi services engage what's called the Advanced Intelligent Network, an enhancement to the stored program control of the modern digital network, where the network queries a special database looking for instructions on managing traffic. On the Internet side, various optional services can be integrated into the iobi platform, such as calendaring, address book and others such as SuperPages and SMTP mail servers.
Q4. Where are iobi services currently offered?
A4. iobi Home first was offered last fall to Verizon residential customers in New York City, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont. It now is available from Maine to West Virginia, except Connecticut and Upstate New York, and in the Carolinas, Florida, Texas, Washington and Oregon as well as the Mid-Atlantic states. iobi Professional is available in NYC, Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island and New Hampshire, Vermont, the Carolinas, Texas, Florida, Washington and Oregon. Further expansion continues.
Q5. How much does iobi cost?
A5. iobi Home costs $7.95 per month. iobi Professional costs $11.95 per month per line served. Future iobi products will be competitively priced with comparable services for large businesses. We also will look at incorporating iobi services into existing bundles that allow customers to choose from a diverse portfolio at the most cost-efficient price point. Voice mail is a stand-alone feature not included. Home voice mail prices range between $6.23 and $6.95. Business voice mail prices range from $5.95 to $6.23. Many customers have voice mail as part of their service bundle.
Q6. What are some future iobi services that will be offered?
A6. In the future, iobi can be used to manage communications between any and all devices linked via networks. This is not limited to voice applications. In addition, more privacy features are in development for effective call-management.
Q7. When will iobi for large businesses be commercially available?
A7. Enterprise customers who use Centrex calling systems can purchase iobi Enterprise across the northeast from the Virginias to Maine.
Q8. Describe iobi Professional.
A8. Like iobi Home, iobi Professional is a revolutionary new service from Verizon that helps businesses manage their voice and data communications from anywhere and at anytime. However, this service is geared to small-business customers, with an administrative console that allows them to easily and quickly assign telephone numbers provisioned with iobi Professional to any employee in their business. iobi Professional is accessible from an individual's computer and also provides Web and voice portal access allowing businesses to stay in touch and continue managing their business whether in the office or working remotely - thus enhancing the businesses' overall productivity.
Q9. What are some key features of iobi Professional?
A9. Businesses can manage calls on multiple phone lines and access a centralized calendar from the phone or computer. Businesses also can send on-screen alert reminders of key events or tasks; access their office phone's Caller ID information when they are away; be notified of new messages waiting in the office voice mailbox; schedule their Call Forwarding in advance so a phone call will reach them when they're away from the office; and store and categorize in their Verizon address book phone numbers that they get from Caller ID or SuperPages.com People Pages (Verizon's online directory assistance). In addition to call capabilities like Call Forwarding, Caller ID and Online call management in real time, iobi Professional offers businesses iobi Administration (Account Manager). This is a feature that allows a main administrator within the business to manage, via Web access, multiple iobi Professional accounts within the business. iobi Professional is not available to businesses with a PBX, key systems or RCF and is not compatible with some Centrex features such as Ultra Forward.
Q11. What does iobi Professional cost?
A11. iobi Professional is just $11.95 per month per line.
Q12. Do customers have to purchase Caller ID, call forwarding, voice mail, etc. on top of iobi service, or do they come with the purchase of it?
A12. iobi services are the interface that brings these services together for anytime/anywhere delivery. The Caller ID and Call Forwarding capabilities necessary to drive use of those features on iobi Professional are built into the product. So, businesses do not need to purchase them separately to operate the relevant iobi features. While voice mail isn't required for iobi services to work, businesses will need it to take full advantage of all iobi's capabilities. Businesses that want to continue to have traditional Caller ID and Call Forwarding functionality on their telephone equipment will purchase those separately.
Q13. Do you have to be a Verizon Wireless customer, too, or can any wireless service be incorporated?
A13. While iobi services don't currently incorporate management of wireless traffic, except as forward-to or call-notify points, that capability is being planned, adding call forward, tracking and real-time, point-and-click management to the wireless number. While we encourage customers to purchase Verizon Wireless because we have a market-leading product, we designed iobi services' features to work with any wireless service. For example, iobi Professional will send an SMS alert to your cell phone whenever a new call or voice mail is received on any iobi-supported line that that you choose to monitor. In addition to Verizon Wireless service, all of the major carriers are supported. You also can send traditional text messages to any SMS-enabled phone.
Q14. How intuitive are iobi services to run for a non tech-savvy person?
A14. iobi services were specifically designed with ease of use in mind. In a recent usability study, more than 70% of users rated ease of installation and log-in experience as "very good" or "excellent." Once installed and set up, iobi's graphical interface should be very intuitive for the average PC user. And, we will continue to refine the look and feel of the product as we get market feedback.
Q15. Will iobi services work with my current address book and calendar software?
A15. Yes, an iobi customer has the option to synchronize existing address book and schedule information from Outlook, Outlook Express, Lotus Notes and Palm Desktop, with an additional software download. The customer is guided through several wizard-like steps to perform the synchronization.
Q16. Can I get iobi services on my PDA? And, if so, which brands?
A16. iobi is not yet available on PDA's; however, personal management information in a businesses Palm Desktop can be synchronized into iobi Professionals calendar and address book functionality, for one-stop coordination of your schedule and contacts.
Q17. Do I need DSL to use iobi service or does it work with dial-up service?
A17. iobi services can be used with dial-up and DSL. However, as with many advanced features, consumers may find that DSL and other high bandwidth connections provide superior performance (iobi will also work on cable modem connections).
Q18. Are iobi customers provided with any privacy protections?
A18. Yes. Verizon takes customer privacy seriously, and that is why we adopted the Verizon Privacy Principles, which provide all customers - including those with iobi Home and iobi Professional - with meaningful protections.
Q19. Do I need to be a Verizon local customer to get iobi?
A19. Yes, you must have local service with Verizon in order to use the iobi service.
