Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, August 29, 1995 TAG: 9508290008
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAVID BUTLER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A: Cellular pundits who predicted the demise of paging must feel a bit silly these days. Since cellular's introduction, the number of pagers in use has soared from about 1 million (1981) to nearly 30 million! Ironically, cellular call screening is one of the hottest uses for pagers. A pager allows you to keep your cellular number private and leave the phone off until YOU decide to make a call!
One reason for this phenomenal growth (38 percent in 1994) has been a remarkable shift in demographics. Teens, families and other non-business users now account for more than half of all new pager users! Parents give their pager number to the baby-sitter and day care center; kids stay in touch with close friends without having to stay close to the phone; parents remind kids when it's time to come home.
Text paging, already the fastest growing segment within the paging industry, will get a major boost this year as new FCC-authorized channels come on line and a new high-tech transmission system is deployed. Together, these factors will break the capacity bottleneck that has held prices high.
Of course, the primary benefit of text paging (or "alpha" paging, as it's known in the industry) is being able to receive a complete message instead of an unidentified phone number. The recipient can then decide whether a return call is warranted and, if so, what the level of urgency is. Otherwise, a pager can seem more like a short leash than a convenience.
To answer your first question, there are several ways to send messages to an alpha pager. Begin by asking the recipient which method he or she recommends. Be sure to find out the maximum message length the pager can accommodate (typically 240 to 500 characters).
If you have access to a personal computer with a modem, the recipient may be able to provide you with software that lets you create and send text messages from your PC. Most paging companies include such software with alpha pagers. Additional copies are usually available to subscribers at a nominal charge.
Companies with an in-house computer network can install special software that allows messages to be dispatched from any computer on the net. If you have access to an on-line computer network or the Internet, you can e-mail text messages to a pager.
For example, America Online subscribers can now dispatch messages through two of the largest paging networks. Paging customers can create a personalized information retrieval agent within AOL that automatically transmits selected news, financial data, sports scores or weather forecasts to their text pager several times a day.
Occasional users can simply give their message orally to a special relay operator. If the recipient subscribes to this extra-fee service, you'll hear instructions when you dial the pager number. Of course, you can always punch in your phone number the old-fashioned way.
Anyone without a computer who needs to send text messages on a regular basis should consider a desktop paging terminal. One model has 52 full-size keys and features a built-in telephone. A paging terminal is a great way for a busy family to connect.
Looking Ahead: Now that we have text pagers, pager wristwatches and ink-pen pagers, what innovations could possibly lie ahead? You'll be able to answer text pages with a "canned" or custom response as two-way paging debuts early next year. Several months later you'll be able to wear a wireless all-digital answering machine on your belt - complete with fast forward, rewind and pause!
To receive a copy of my Paging Products and Services Resource List, please send $1.50 (please don't send cash) and a self-addressed envelope to David Butler F-527, Department TWN, 14713 Pleasant Hill Road, Charlotte, N.C. 28278-7927. The list includes toll-free phone numbers for the major pager manufacturers and service providers as well as information about the latest paging innovations.
by CNB