TalkPlus Goes Mass Market

TalkPlus has unveiled its "multiple number, one device" service for Spint, Cingular, T-Mobile and Verizon mobile handsets. The company says mobile-centric professinals and "socially active" users are the early lead adopter targets. The service probably will appeal to people who really live by their mobiles and want to clearly separate their work and private lives, while gaining additional privacy by using virtual public numbers.

Some 15 to 17 percent of mobile phone users in North America usemore than one mobile phone, typically one phone for personal use and one for work. But some use a standard cell phone for most voice calls and have a second device, usually a BlackBerry, as their second phone.

A TalkPlus Number can be quickly created, used for temporary situations and then discarded. If a TalkPlus subscriber is selling a car online, they can get a disposable number just for the sales process, the company suggests. Using Mirror Numbers, mobile subscribers can instantly alter their caller ID to any approved phone number. TalkPlus can be activated on any of today's mobile phones in seconds and adding a new TalkPlus Number doesn't require any new hardware or changes to a subscriber's existing carrier plan, even for prepaid customers, the company says. TalkPlus doesn't require access to a computer to make calls, asking others to download software, or conducting complicated call set-up processes.

The TalkPlus Basic Plan includes:
* TalkPlus Number
* Call Screening
* Voicemail
* Web-based control center

Basic plans start at less than $9 per month. TalkPlus Pro adds:

* Multiple TalkPlus Numbers (up to 10) All numbers will have their own voicemail and call history.
* Mirror Numbers -Subscribers can clone a home or office number onto their mobile phone. This feature allows users to present an alternative caller ID when making calls. Up to 10 Mirror Numbers can be added to one mobile phone.
* Conference Calling - Subscribers can make up to 10-way conference calls.

Pro plans start at less than $17 per month.