Cincinnati Bell is the First U.S. Carrier to Offer Wireless Functionality on Landlines
CINCINNATI, Nov 24, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Continuing its tradition of launching new and innovative products and
services, Cincinnati
Bell Inc. (NYSE: CBB) today introduced the Smart Home Phone, a
cutting-edge device that allows customers to send and receive SMS text
messages, review a list of their voicemail entries, play or delete them
in any order, and even read them as text messages.
Cincinnati Bell is the first carrier in the country to make text
messaging available as a home-phone calling feature. The Smart
Home Phone also allows Cincinnati Bell landline customers to look up
information in the Yellow Pages, and read news, weather, and sports at
the push of a button.
"It's time the home phone provided the same conveniences as a wireless
phone," said Dave Heimbach, vice president of product development at
Cincinnati Bell. "The Smart Home Phone delivers cool, exciting features
for our customers by leveraging Cincinnati Bell's strengths in wireline,
wireless, and high-speed Internet services."
Using the Smart Home Phone's cordless handset, customers can send and
receive SMS text messages to and from any text-message-enabled phone
around the world.
Smart Home Phone's visual voicemail feature allows customers to view a
list of messages received and listen to them in order of importance.
Customers can also choose to receive visible voicemail by having any
voice message automatically converted and sent to them as a text using
the SpinVox
service. SpinVox, the world's most popular carrier of voice-to-text
messaging service, is offered by Cincinnati Bell to wireless, and now
wireline, customers. In 2007, Cincinnati Bell became the first U.S.
carrier to offer SpinVox.
Customers will also be able to review Yellow Pages content to search for
and connect with local businesses and gain access to real-time
Internet-based content such as local weather reports and sports scores.
The Smart
Home Phone uses a combination of Cincinnati Bell's ZoomTown
high-speed Internet and home phone services. The Smart Home Phone
handset is $29.99 for customers who have a ZoomTown and home phone
bundle. Regular retail price is $129.99. In addition, Smart Home Phone
customers receive three months of free text messaging and SpinVox
service, with the option to purchase unlimited texting for $9.99 per
month and unlimited SpinVox for $5.99 per month after the trial period.
Designing the technology platform to accommodate additional integrated
features, Cincinnati Bell plans to introduce Smart Home Phone access to
wireless address books, white pages, and e-mail in the future.
For additional information and product specifications, visit any
Cincinnati Bell retail store or www.cincinnatibell.com/smarthomephone.
About Cincinnati Bell Inc.
With headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio, Cincinnati Bell (NYSE: CBB)
provides integrated communications solutions--including local, long
distance, data, Internet, and wireless services--that help keep
residential and business customers in Greater Cincinnati and Dayton
connected with each other and with the world.
In addition, businesses ranging in size from start-up companies to large
enterprises turn to Cincinnati Bell for efficient, scalable office
communications systems as well as complex information technology
solutions including data center and managed services.
Cincinnati Bell conducts its operations through three business segments:
Wireline, Wireless, and Technology Solutions. For more information,
visit www.cincinnatibell.com.
SOURCE: Cincinnati Bell Inc.
Cincinnati Bell Inc.
Lisa McLaughlin, 513-368-1860
lmclaughlin@hsr.com