Want to Have a 2nd Number on Your Line?

I recall a maybe a year or so ago that people who wanted to add a second number to their mobile phone were trying to solve the problem with dual SIM cards.  The dual-SIM idea lasted just for a flash since it had some execution problems, but the concept of having two numbers per phone continued to simmer as a desirable consumer offering.  Now comes TalkPlus, finally delivering a solid solution for the multiple numbers/single phone concept.

I recently had the privilege of chatting with TalkPlus CEO Jeff Black about how TalkPlus works.  Basically, TalkPlus offers consumers the ability to have a second, third or more lines, without the hassle of dealing with the carrier service providers and paying outrageous monthly fees.  TalkPlus has a broad range of benefits.  The basic value is the convenience of placing and receiving calls using a second number on your mobile phone.  Second, you can create a custom profile for that number, such as a business profile or what I'd like to call --since I'm no longer in the dating game-- the flirt profile.  Your number can have  unique voicemail and unique call screening rules, which give you more privacy and control over how people reach you.  We have become accustomed to giving out our one mobile number freely – perhaps too freely .  And once that number was out there, anyone can call you on it.  By having multiple numbers for your multiple roles, you get back the control that you once gave away. 

What if too many people are calling you on your flirt profile?  Or the wrong people are calling?  TalkPlus offers call screening, so that you can make sure that VIPs call right through, while unwanted callers can go straight to voicemail or a busy signal.   And to make sure that you can easily get to your most important voicemail quickly, you can listen to your voicemail in any order you like, or sort your voicemail by sender.  Don’t like to listen to voicemail on the phone?  You can set it up to have your voicemail sent to your email as a WAV file, so you can listen to it on your computer, or have it for reference on your hard drive.  In this way, TalkPlus goes beyond just offering numbers, to offering a full range of features that helps your mobile phone work harder for you.

On November 14th, TalkPlus announced a beta program allowing users (US West Coast residents) to sign up for a FREE 30 day trial, including 250 domestic minutes.  Signup takes less then 3 minutes and the service is active right away.  No long waits.  You pick your new number during the sign-up process, from anywhere in the US.  You can then log into your online Contact Center to customize your profile and fill in your phonebook.  Participants who successfully complete the beta will receive one additional month of free service (not including overage charges). Beta program participation is only available for a limited time, on a limited basis.  After the beta trial there is a monthly fee but trust me... for less than $10 a month, its worth it.

In the spring, users will also have the ability to pick an international number for their phone, which means no more worrying about high rate international charges on your phone bill.