Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, October 17, 1995 TAG: 9510170022
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAVID BUTLER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A: Few would dispute the fact that the telephone has reached icon status in our society. It's the one high-tech innovation with which virtually everyone is comfortable. At least this was the case until someone decided a computer could route calls and take messages more efficiently than a live person.
A faceless voice answers: "Please press or say your selection." After enduring a long-winded list of options (The person who makes those recordings must enjoy hearing herself talk.), you realize none are appropriate. Then in desperation you press "0," only to be curtly lectured: "You have made an invalid selection." Or: "No operator is defined." Oh, really?
Welcome to voice-mail hell. In all fairness, a well-designed call management system can be efficient for both the company and callers alike. However, without a visual reference, voice menus tend to burden the caller. Most people find them time consuming, tedious to navigate and unforgiving of errors.
The same could be said about the latest phone services - especially those involving a list, such as selective call forwarding and selective call waiting. Suffice to say, text-based menus would make things a lot easier. The regional phone companies have taken note. Most are aggressively upgrading their networks to accommodate a new genre of telephone - one with an interactive display.
The financial services industry has emerged as a leader in bringing screen phones to consumers. A growing number of banks, including some of the nation's largest, are using them in home banking trials. The most popular services include bill paying, account inquiries and funds transfer. The bank may subsidize the initial cost of the special phone, selling it to customers for as little as $80.
Today's screen phones have 'low-res' liquid crystal displays. Some rely on 'soft' keys (similar to an ATM) while others have a touchscreen. Two models have a full keyboard. As the screen phone evolves, the distinction between telephones and personal computers will fade. Already, telephones are available that act like PCs as are PCs that act like telephones. You can even place voice calls over the Internet.
The biggest obstacle facing the screen phone has been a lack of standards. Trials thus far have been limited to incompatible single-vendor systems. Analog Display Services Interface, a new communications standard, promises to change all that. The latest screen phones comply with ADSI, allowing them to act as a remote terminal for any ADSI-based service.
You'll soon be able to use your telephone to send and receive e-mail, download cash to a 'smart card' or print concert tickets. The same telephone will also provide easy access to advanced telephone services, including new interactive services such as screen-based directory assistance.
In the near future, a local merchant's telephone system might present you with the following menu: Directory, Customer Service, Product Info, Voice Connection, Web Site, Message Center, Hours/Location. That's what I call an automated attendant! It's easy to imagine how this would apply to an airline reservations center, a government agency or even a local cinemaplex.
To receive a list of interactive screen phone manufacturers and service providers, please send $1.50 (please don't send cash) and a self-addressed envelope to David Butler F-534, Department TWN, 14713 Pleasant Hill Road, Charlotte, N.C. 28278-7927. The list includes telephone numbers, a description of each company's product or service and an overview of several screen phone trials
TechTip: A small but growing number of video products requires a telephone connection. When building a new home, it's a good idea to have a phone jack installed close to selected cable outlets (at least in the master bedroom and main entertainment center). You can reduce wall-outlet clutter by using a combination telephone/cable faceplate, available at most electrical supply houses.
by CNB