Mobile Callback Feature Request

[patos]

Hi!

I was asking myself why it is not possible to add ANY number to the mobile callback webpage. Why do I have to go online first and save the callback destinations? Just 2 empty entry fields would do the trick.

Especially abroad, one could just go to a telephone booth or grab a local cellphone for placing the call and save roaming costs.

It would also be very nice if one could trigger a call over SMS. Costs for sending an SMS are, specially abroad, much lower than the ones for data services.

[martin]

Feature request has now been noted. Thanks.

[andy]

Originally Posted by patos

Hi!

I was asking myself why it is not possible to add ANY number to the mobile callback webpage. Why do I have to go online first and save the callback destinations? Just 2 empty entry fields would do the trick.

Especially abroad, one could just go to a telephone booth or grab a local cellphone for placing the call and save roaming costs.

It would also be very nice if one could trigger a call over SMS. Costs for sending an SMS are, specially abroad, much lower than the ones for data services.

I vote for that, though I do have an option of pre-forwarding another number than setting up a call to it.

Not only a local cellphone - there are some SIM cards with free incoming calls in many countries

But I disagree a bit about relative costs of sms and data; the latter costs only a couple of cents for a call trigger on Voxalot and a couple of others.

[patos]

But I disagree a bit about relative costs of sms and data; the latter costs only a couple of cents for a call trigger on Voxalot and a couple of others.

Well, UMTS/GPRS Roaming costs in Europe between 10-20 EUR/MB. The biggest problem is actually the fact that most service providers charge only blocks of 50-100 kb as a minimum per connection. SMS on the other hand, almost never costs more than 30 cent, most of the times 15-20 cent.

[andy]

Maybe you should look up some rates and find another SIM card.

[Tranworld]

Cost aside, sending an SMS is way way faster then using GPRS to login and initiate a call back, then logout etc. quite onerous, and beside using SMS can reach a much wider user base, those who has simple GSM phone.

I would have thought something line sending a string with your account number and the serial number of the call back set up, overall just about 8 digits, what could possibly be faster?

[shezad]

Originally Posted by Tranworld

Cost aside, sending an SMS is way way faster then using GPRS to login and initiate a call back, then logout etc. quite onerous, and beside using SMS can reach a much wider user base, those who has simple GSM phone.

I would have thought something line sending a string with your account number and the serial number of the call back set up, overall just about 8 digits, what could possibly be faster?

SMS function would be nice for a callback system, sometimes when you are out and see a phone for example if i am in UK and want to call someone in Norway a sms function could be like this :

voxalot 334455 pin 6543 callback 0044xxxxxxxx. dial 0047xxxxxxxx

Text message sends to a voxalot database that makes a webcall

This way would be great because sometimes you want to call back home and by dialing the number from UK to Norway would cost a lot but is cheaper to call when you have a Betamax product registered with a voxalot account

[andy]

this is faster - Go to, 8, wait a few seconds, scroll down, Send

and the only way to get sms that cheap, unless they are included in the contract even when roaming (like O2 UK), is to send those over wap/gprs as well

[patos]

Andy,

We are not requesting an SMS service in depreciation of the Mobile Callback. Both have their advantages. Nice for you that your operator offers accessible roaming costs, that is not the case with the majority of contracts. Getting another SIM just for using GPRS abroad is not really an option for most people.

Mobile Callback alone would not help you much if your are for instance roaming in a country without GRPS coverage or roaming agreements for data transfer. On the other hand, every network will accept SMS.

[andy]

I'm not against it; only pointing out that some of the things said for it are not so accurate, cheaper or faster. For many people, a roaming sms will cost about 50c, for which it's possible to be talking for quite a while