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Verizon makes Visual Voice Mail official

updated 10:45 am EDT, Mon August 11, 2008

Verizon V Voicemail Intro

Verizon today corrected its false start and today officially launched Visual Voice Mail, its own response to a similar feature for the iPhone 3G at AT&T. The feature lets supporting phones access messages out of order but provides advantages not present with the rival system, including the ability to add an unknown caller as a contact, forward messages, or store permanent copies to the phone itself rather than rely on a remote server.

The system also improves the capacity of Verizon's normal voicemail service with as much as 40 messages stored on the server for 40 days. Users can also have upt to 10 custom greetings at the same time and create as many as 20 distribution lists for mass phone calls, with each group holding 50 members.

Verizon makes clear its intention with the launch and indicates the plan will be available first for the LG Voyager, one of its most popular and iPhone-like touchscreen devices; new models have the necessary software preloaded, while existing users can bring their phones to a retail shop for a software patch. The service costs $3 per month but also charges data fees for customers that don't have bundled data plans.

The software responds both to touch input and to directional pads, and is expected for other devices soon.

 
Previous Comments

More nickels and dimes

08/11, 11:09am reply

for Verizon. That was one of the reasons I left Verizon years ago. They have a sucky software strategy that's based primarily off software subscriptions. Even with the success of the iPhone, I doubt Verizon would ever allow anything like the App Store.

cmoney

Dedicated MacNNer

Joined: Sep 2000

+3

Ridiculous

08/11, 11:14am reply

Not only are the screenshotf of this thing ugly, but $3 / a month? You have got to be kidding me, right?

And on top of that, you have to take your phone in to get a software update? s**** that! The iPhone updates at home at my convenience.

jhawk95

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 2006

+4

I beg to differ

08/11, 11:14am reply

I add unknown callers to my address book all the time. To say that is not an offered service with AT&T is ridiculous! I can even grab screen shots of me doing it. Where do I send those?

bonaccij

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jun 2003

+4

Ah... but

08/11, 11:48am reply

Ah... but can you do this within a visual voicemail? And the ability to send a voice message without actually placing a call is pretty cool. Sometimes you just want voicemail rather than the real person.

yticolev

Forum Regular

Joined: May 2002

0

Some real competition now

08/11, 12:22pm reply

I don't like the $3 bit, but here's what I do like: Apple have raised expectations of how a phone can operate, and it is having an effect. Not just matching but improving - being able to store the voice mail message permanently is a simple but incredibly handy thing to be able to do.

Guest

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 1999

+1

As stevo would say,

08/11, 01:42pm reply

Taillights, anyone?

danviento

Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Dec 2005

+1

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