Some things promise much then fail to deliver, while others come up with the goods but turn out to be pointless. Once in a while, something comes along that fills a need and actually works.
Unified messaging (UM) is one example. It could turn your phone into a full-time secretary. The world is buckling under the weight of communications devices. The market for services in which faxes, emails and voice messages are collected and delivered to one place is tipped by Ovum Research to grow from£1.3bn in 2002 to £6.9 bn by 2006.
It is a rapidly expanding market, and set to be riding high on that wave is the Slough-based Call Sciences, (www.callsciences.co.uk) currently offering subscribers a UM personal assistant that manages voice, email and fax communications, vets calls and doesn't take the day off. Capable of organising contacts and available 24 hours a day, this digital flunkey is yours for £2.99 a month.
"In the past unified messaging earned a bad name for failing to deliver a coherent service that people wanted," says Piers Mummery, Call Sciences' managing director. "Now, the technology has emerged from its troubled adolescence with a proposition that makes sense."
Cool? Unified messaging is the telecom industry's answer to hand-tooled snakeskin boots; a piece of technological trickery that's smarter than a red convertible with cream leather upholstery.
Subscribers are given a single number to which they direct all communications. When someone phones, they are greeted by a voice that informs them whose service they have reached and asks them to hold while the system routes the call to the last number it reached you on. If that is not answered, the voice offers callers the option to hold while a second number is checked or leave a message.
The service can be configured to transfer communicants to particular numbers at specific times, ring at several locations simultaneously or take the caller's name before forwarding their call, allowing the subscriber to either accept contact or banish them to voicemail. A blacklist can be set up to vet regular irritations and calls may be forwarded to more than 120 countries at no extra cost to the end-user.
The number will also receive faxes, which can be routed to a stand-alone fax machine, forwarded as an email attachment or read online. The system, which is configured via a secure online interface or a touchtone phone, notifies the user by email or SMS when messages arrive. Multiple faxes may be received concurrently; even while a voice call is underway.
No handy internet connection? Users can have emails and faxes read to them over the phone. Courtesy of the system's voice recognition technology, they can reply to, delete or forward these messages.
An upgraded package costing £5.99 a month offers optional services such as a free 0800 number through which to configure their system and listen to messages. Other extras include personal speed dial codes, audio conferencing facilities and distribution lists for voice and fax message distribution.
Amongst a selection of improvements to be revealed will be the ability to synchronise the personal assistant's online address book and diary with personal information managers such as Outlook and configure the service to contact you with appointment reminders.
IDC predicts that the revenues of UM companies such as Call Sciences are set to grow by an average of 60% annually over the next four years.
Royal London Insurance last week decided to equip 1,200 customer service representatives with the service. But while the big contracts are welcome, it is among small businesses and busy, tech-savvy individuals that the company hopes to find its natural market.
UM alternatives
Digital Mail (www.digitalmail.com): Free call forwarding and fax package. Dull but functional.
JFax (www.jfax.co.uk): Free service offering fax to email. Can send voice messages as attachments but does not offer call forwarding.
Messagepoint (www.messagepoint.com): Fax and voice forwarding services for £10 set-up and £10 a month.
Vivao (www.vivao.com): Another freebie offering fax and voice message box plus email to voice. Monthly £4.99 upgrade buys the ability to send SMS messages and faxes online.
Yac (www.yac.com): Excellent free service that forwards calls to a pre-defined number and accepts faxes. Allows users to set up blacklists of unwanted callers.
