icall Features and Benefits 2003 Halex Technology Consulting Inc. Last Revised: September 5, 2003 Halex Technology Consulting Inc. 9033 Leslie Street, Suite 2 Richmond Hill, ON Canada L4B 4K3 905.763.6529 Fax. 905-886.3055 www.halex.com sales@halex.com
Table of Contents 1. What is icall?... 1 2. icall Features... 2 2.1. Voicemail... 2 2.2. Faxmail... 2 2.3. Email... 2 2.4. Message Send Options... 2 2.5. Forward Fax to Any Email... 2 2.6. Forward Voice to Any Email... 2 2.7. Email to Phone... 2 2.8. Email to Fax... 2 2.9. Message Notification... 2 2.10. Callback... 3 2.11. Voice Reply to Email from Telephone... 3 2.12. Multi-Language Support... 3 2.13. Branding and Customization... 3 2.14. One Number Service... 3 2.15. Call Screening... 3 2.16. Branding and Customization... 4 Halex Technology Consulting Inc. 9033 Leslie Street, Suite 2 Richmond Hill, ON Canada L4B 4K3 905.763.6529 Fax. 905-886.3055 www.halex.com 3. Future Enhancements... 4 3.1. Email to SMS... 4 3.2. External Email Accounts... 4 3.3. Private Address Book and Mailing Lists... 4 3.4. Voice Recorder... 4 3.5. Virtual Assistant... 4 3.6. Advanced Find Me... 5 4. icall Benefits... 5 4.1. Benefits to Service Providers... 5 4.2. Benefits to Subscribers... 5 4.3. Benefits to Enterprise Customers... 5 sales@halex.com
1. What is icall? Halex icall is an open-standard based and feature-rich enhanced messaging platform designed for service providers looking to offer enhanced communications services to their subscribers. Halex offers the icall enhanced messaging communications platform as a turnkey system, including web applications, telephony applications, mail, directory, administration and provisioning servers. This solution incorporates an advanced enhanced messaging solution with inbound and outbound voice, fax and email messaging, real-time call management and notification, with a web-enabled user interface IMAP-4 mail client, as well as a telephone user interface. The user interface and provisioning can be customized to meet customers' requirements and environment. This cost-effective, one-stop solution for quality voice and high-speed data messaging services is capable of supporting millions of subscribers. Halex icall is a carrier-grade, scalable, reliable and flexible solution that suits the ever increasing needs of today's service providers. icall provides powerful branding and customization capabilities that allows service providers to build unique and individual packages and offer them to hosted service providers, enterprises (organizations) and private subscribers. icall provides services that cover all aspects of system management, including system installation and configuration, defining and managing organizations and subscriber classes of service, monitoring and controlling system components, tracing system transactions and report generation. Telecommunications Facilitation and Accounting Tool (TFAT) Module The Telecommunications Facilitation and Accounting Tool (TFAT) module has the ability to track transactions not only for billing purposes but also for marketing and operations analysis. This robust management system contains a suite of applications to assist providers in the facilitation of services and the reconciliation of accounting procedures by packaging them into one interface. The core of the TFAT suite is its multi-level, security command structure that allows it to be utilized by multiple users. The system is designed with as permission-based (class of service) interface, where tier level access is implemented through administration and customer service representative accounts. User accounts are activated or deactivated easily with a "point - select - click" interactivity. Features like voicemail, faxmail, email to phone, follow-me, etc are bundled and unbundled as per sales/marketing program requirements and are also facilitated through the web interface. The reconciliation and management of accounts such as detailed billing, call detail recording and account balances can be pulled from multiple sources and combined as one single, easy-to-read report. TFAT also assists in the preparation of collecting the data required to invoice a user and is not limited to a plan-based service. It is flexible enough to handle billing the requirements of a "pay-as-you-go" and pre-paid service models. Marketing reports are essential elements for marketing activities and decision making, such as new offerings, pricing plans, special rates, subscribers trends, service usage, and promotional packages. Operation reports are used to tune system configuration and optimize performance. 1
2. icall Features 2.1. Voicemail Voicemail service includes call answering with redirect to the enhanced messaging mailbox, personal greeting recorded by the subscriber, password security, easy IVR menu navigation, time stamp, message forwarding, and instant call back to return messages from outside callers without redialing. 2.2. Faxmail Faxmail service includes fax answering with redirect to the enhanced messaging mailbox. Enables subscribers to easily retrieve, send, forward and print of fax messages. The fax is always on, never runs out of paper, and is available from any device. 2.3. Email icall email service come with an IMAP 4 browser-based HTML client so no installation is required at all. 2.4. Message-Send Options From the icall enhanced messaging mailbox, subscribers can send and forward messages to a variety of destinations, including email accounts, landline phone (out dial) and cellular phone (out dial). 2.5. Forward Fax to Any Email Use icall to give subscribers a "virtual" personal telephone/fax number that accepts incoming faxes and forwards them to whatever email account the user prefers. The system automatically attaches the fax as a PDF file to an email message and forwards it to the appropriate account via SMTP. 2.6. Forward Voice to Any Email Use icall to give subscribers a "virtual" voice mailbox (via a personal telephone/fax number) that records voice messages and forwards them to whatever email account the user prefers. The system automatically attaches the voice recording as a sound file to an email message and forwards it to the appropriate account via SMTP. 2.7. Email to Phone Subscribers can retrieve email from any telephone destination and have it read to the called party. The icall system expertly translates the email text to speech, using advanced text-to-speech engines. The message is read smoothly and naturally. Easy reply functionality allows subscribers to return email messages with an attached voice recording from any telephone, anywhere at anytime. 2.8. Email to Fax Print emails using the nearest fax machine. icall subscribers can forward email and email attachments to any fax machine for hard-copy printout. The system converts the email header and text to fax format for delivery to any fax destination. 2.9. Message Notification Subscribers can activate notification on every first incoming voice mail message, faxmail message or email message so they will never miss an important message again. 1
2.10. Callback Subscribers who enter the system using a phone (wireless or landline) can listen to any type of message from the inbox. After listening to a voice message, the system gives the subscriber an option to immediately call the person back. If the subscriber selects this option, the system dials the Calling Line Identification (CLI) and the call is established. 2.11. Voice Reply to Email from Telephone After listening to an email over the phone, the subscriber can record a voice reply and send it to the sender of the email. 2.12. Multi-Language Support icall features multi-language support. This added benefit broadens a service provider's subscriber base by providing support for foreign language markets. 2.13. One Number Service icall's One Number Service, also known as the Personal Number Solution, is a complete call control service with real-time call connection and routing. The One Number Solution provides a single local or toll free phone number for real-time access to all calls, messages and faxes. It brings an elegant and easy solution for the 'problem' a subscriber faces through too many communication devices, such as, multiple telephone numbers and voice mailboxes. The icall One Number Service presents a truly enhanced communications solution by providing a subscriber with a single number and a single mailbox for all messages and calls. With the icall Personal Number Solution, subscribers will receive all calls, no matter where they are or what time it may be. Subscribers will not have to remember different phone numbers (such as: mobile phone, home phone and fax machine) and they will not have to spend valuable time checking different mailboxes. The One Number Solution offers two working modes: Do Not Disturb - All calls are automatically directed to the voice mailbox. - Follow Me - A search mode; a subscriber enters a list of phone numbers that he/she may be located at. When a caller rings the one number Personal Number Solution instantly sends the call to the first number that the subscriber specified. When there is no answer, Personal Number Solution sends the call to the next number specified in the list. If the subscriber was not found in any of the given numbers in the list, the caller is automatically transferred to the subscriber's mailbox. The search algorithm is sequential; meaning that only one number from the search list is called at a time. A search announcement is played to the caller while Personal Number Solution searches. 2.14. Call Screening The One Number Service provides call-screening capabilities. Call screening announces each caller, allowing a subscriber to choose which calls to take and which ones to send to voice mail. It gives subscribers full control and freedom to be mobile and at the same time, remain in touch with all callers. 2.15. Insta Connect A secondary number allows a caller to reach a subscriber immediately. The icall system will notify a subscriber's pager. The subscriber then calls into the system and is directly connected to the waiting caller, allowing urgent calls to be completed without the usual "follow me" procedures. 3
2.16. Branding and Customization Subscribers who enter the system using a phone (wireless or landline) can listen to any type of message from the inbox. After listening to a voice message, the system gives the subscriber an option to immediately call the person back. If the subscriber selects this option, the system dials the Calling Line Identification (CLI) and the call is established. 3. Future Enhancements 3.1. Email to SMS icall lets subscribers send email as a short message to a mobile phone. The service converts email headers and text for SMS delivery to any cellular handset. 3.2. External Email Accounts The Internet mail retriever service collects new messages from any of a subscriber's private email accounts and deposits them into an icall enhanced mailbox. 3.3. Private Address Book and Mailing Lists icall subscriber can use their private address book with full voice/fax/email capabilities and create mailing lists to broadcast the same message to several recipients at once. Record a voice message and send it to multiple telephones. The system dials out to each destination and plays the message to each called party. 3.4. Voice Recorder Using the Voice Recorder, subscribers can record and send voice messages when composing email and phone messages. Sound card and microphone are required for the recording process. The Voice Recorder uses a small, signed java applet that is automatically installed on the subscribers' computer. 3.5. Virtual Assistant The Virtual Assistant is a subscriber's personal assistant for managing messages in the enhanced mailbox. Subscriberdefined rules tell the assistant how to manage message retrievals and deliveries, and when and where to notify the subscriber of message arrivals, based on personal preferences and schedules. The Virtual Assistant frees subscribers from constantly checking their mailbox for new messages and enables more efficient message management. For example, the Virtual Assistant can be told, "During the next two days, if I receive email from Customer A, immediately call my cell phone, and read me the message." The Virtual Assistant expertly routes messages and notifications to any device, while the icall platform transparently handles any media conversions required. The Virtual Assistant's browser-based graphical user interface is intuitive and easy to use and is accessible via icall HTML and Java-based clients. Subscriber-Defined Filters and Routing Rules Subscribers can filter and redirect incoming messages based on the message type, time of arrival, origin, sender, subject, keyword, or a combination of these parameters. For example, instruct the Virtual Assistant to filter all email arriving over the weekend from Customer A and forward it to a fax machine at home. 4
Universal Message Notification Subscribers can also tell the Virtual Assistant when, where, and under what circumstances to send new message notifications. The Virtual Assistant graphical user interface makes it easy to set up and change these rules. icall offers a variety of notification options, including: - Outcall to telephone or cell phone - To email - To fax - To SMS - To pager - To any mix of the above destinations 3.6. Advanced Find Me Schedule mode; a subscriber may set different search lists according to a subscriber's personal schedule, working hours, non-working hours, and weekends. 4. icall Benefits 4.1. Benefits to Service Providers Adds enhanced email, voice, fax, and video messaging to service portfolio. Provides a wide selection of services and features that operators can bundle into unique service packages aimed at specific market segments (corporate, SME, SOHO, youth). Increases airtime and use of network services, and creates new types of billable transactions such as SMS notification, increased airtime, outbound calls, etc. Lets subscribers use whatever access device they want and provides a user-friendly interface for each device (phone, cellular, fax, WAP, SMS, PDA). Promotes customer loyalty. Lets users personalize services to fit lifestyles. 4.2. Benefits to Subscribers Convenient, simple personal communications Enhance productivity Allows for interaction Ubiquitous - access to all messages anywhere anytime Notification & management of important messages 4.3. Benefits to Enterprise Customers More productive communication environment Aids in collaboration Improves intra/extra company communications Lower cost of ownership Virtual fax/voice/email service for all employees ASPs provide an attractive outsourcing option 5