Alltel’s new Voice2TXT service uses voice-recognition software that allows mobile phone customers to read their voicemail messages as text messages. Voice2TXT costs $4.99 a month and still has the option to listen to messages as usual.
“It’ll appeal to a broad customer base … people who are in meetings quite regularly and can’t take a phone call — it’s very useful in those settings,” said Wade McGill, Alltel’s senior vice president of product management.
The technology was developed by the British company SpinVox. It works on any Alltel cell phone that can receive text messages.
“It was one of those services that once you get it, you don’t want to give it up,” McGill said, describing the reaction of a test group.
SpinVox said its Voice Message Conversion System, which converts messages in English, French, Spanish and German, eliminates the need to search for a pen to write down the details of a message or navigate through a voicemail service.
“Voice2TXT as delivered by SpinVox eliminates the frustrations with dialing into voicemail by offering a discreet, efficient alternative,” said Christina Domecq, co-founder and chief executive of SpinVox.
I don’t think this service is for everybody but if you get a lot of voicemails with detailed information it might be worth the $4.99 fee. I find myself having to listen to messages more than once when there is a phone number or other specific information that needs to be written down.