7-Eleven, Inc. and RNK Communications Partner to Offer Low-Cost Prepaid International Calling Service

A prepaid offering from RNK Communications’s ReVoS telephone service, ReVoS PrepaidMobile, will be distributed exclusively through participating 7-Eleven convenience stores nationwide.

For $19.99 per month, ReVoS PrepaidMobile complements a customer's existing cellular service plan, with no additional equipment necessary. ReVoS PrepaidMobile offers unlimited calling to 42 international destinations, including Canada, China, Europe and Mexico. Customers can re-charge their PrepaidMobile cards at any 7-Eleven convenience stores, at the rate of $19.99 per month (plus tax).

"Over the years, RNK has provided telephony services to tens of millions of individuals worldwide, and through our partnership with 7-Eleven - the world's best known convenience retailer - we are now empowered to offer consumers the industry's most affordable mobile solution for international (and domestic) calling," said Richard N. Koch, CEO, RNK Communications. "The ReVoS line is the most cost-effective prepaid service the market has seen, with calling features that best address the increasing global demand. PrepaidMobile represents the natural progression of our business and our relentless commitment to providing consumers affordable, quality calling services."

"For our customers who have international calling needs, this may be as big as the prepaid long distance phone cards introduced more than 10 years ago," said Joe DePinto, 7-Eleven's president and CEO. "7-Eleven was the first national retailer to bring those to the market, and we're always on the lookout for the latest and greatest new products to meet the needs of those on the go. Our customers expect new products from 7-Eleven that make their lives easier and give them more value for their money, and our suppliers know to bring us innovative ideas. ReVoS fills the bill on all counts."

Source:
http://www.prepaid-press.com/news_detail.php?t=paper&id=1655

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas 2007 & Happy New Year 2008!



From Phone Card Stop crews.

Canadian Regulators Examine Ethics of Long Distance Calling Cards

Canada’s Competition Bureau scrutinizing businesses that sell prepaid long distance phone cards, saying

that it wants to ensure that customers are clearly informed what they’re getting when purchasing the

popular convenience items.

The Ottawa-based competition watchdog is asking calling card providers to plainly indicate the effective

rate per minute and number of minutes available on each card in all advertising campaigns. Regulators are

also warning card sellers to to discontinue the use of fine print with disclaimers that contradict the

primary message on the card or advertising material.

The agency claims that it gets numerous complaints every year from customers saying that their calling cards came with fewer minutes than advertised, or entailed hidden charges.

“Consumers need to be provided with accurate information so that they can make informed decisions and businesses need to be aware of the standards they need to follow in order to conform to the provisions of the Competition Act,” the Competition Bureau’s acting deputy commissioner, Andrea Rosen.

The Bureau also imparted some good old fashioned buyer-beware advice for customers, however, noting that “when deciding which type of prepaid calling card to purchase, consumers should be wary of ‘too good to be true’ claims such as ‘the lowest rates’ or ‘one cent per minute’ as there may be hidden extra charges.”

Phone Card Fundraiser for Troops

A fund raiser held in Texarkana AR Elks Lodge #399, AR to purchase phone cards for troops overseas for the holiday season. The fund raiser was highlighted by two performances by "Elvis" Butch Dicus from Jacksonville AR & a dance featuring the Classic Gold Band with Windy & Richard. The admission was $10 per person & all proceeds with be used for phone card purchases. The even was held on Saturday, Nov 17, 2007 from 7pm to 11pm @ 4701 Garland Avenue, Texarkana, AR 71854.

The Calling Card

This is a Phone Card "mini movie." Enjoy!

Coinstar Announces New Products

Coinstar E-Payment Services Inc., a Coinstar Inc. company, announced two new products for its Pay-As-You-Go program. The new products, Azteca Mobile and Ilimitado Mexico (Unlimited Mexico), are marketed towards the Mexicans living in United States.

Azteca Mobile is a prepaid wireless program that provides voice and data capabilities, which includes two-way radio services and phone numbers for both the United States and Mexico. Unlimited Mexico from TeleCents Communications is a pay-per-call card that can be used from any phone. When a specified domestic toll-free access number is dialed, international long-distance calling rates are eliminated.

Coinstar’s Pay-As-You-Go product suite includes universal and single brand gift cards, national and regional wireless programs, long distance cards, prepaid debit cards, and money transfer. This turnkey program is available to convenience stores and other retailers to drive incremental traffic and revenue. With no upfront costs, Coinstar provides retailers with a complete category management solution including point-of-sale integration, inventory set-up and management, retail merchandising, and reporting.

Source:
http://www.prepaid-press.com/news_detail.php?t=pt&id=941

New Solo Phone Disconnects Skype from Computer

Ipevo, a maker of Skype telephones, has unveiled the Solo, a phone that makes VoIP calls without having to be plugged in to a computer. The Solo jacks directly in to a broadband Internet wall jack. WiFi is not supported at this time, though Ipevo expects to release a dongle that will enable that capability by the end of the year.

Skype hardware maker Ipevo announced on Tuesday the U.S. launch of the Solo, a desktop Skype phone that makes phone calls over the Internet without being tethered to a computer.
Ipevo officials hope the stand-alone device will catch the fancy of users who shy away from computers. The always-on phone, however, requires a broadband Internet connection.

The Solo is embedded with Skype software so users can place phone calls to anywhere in the world from any available wired broadband connection. "The Solo allows users to Skype without the overhead of being tethered to a computer. Some people don't like to have their computers always on just to use the phone. Others just like have a separate phone connection," Ed Lucero, Ipevo's vice president and general manger for North America, told TechNewsWorld.

Familiarity Counts The company based its design for the Solo on usability standards that will give the Internet phone the look and feel of a traditional household phone. It comes equipped with an RJ-45 Ethernet connector and Skype software so users can make and receive Internet voice calls right out of the box.

Setup is as simple as plugging in the network cable, logging in to the user's Skype account and placing a call. Solo supports Skype-to-Skype, SkypeIn, SkypeOut and Skype Voicemail features that enable customers to take advantage of Skype's free calling to other Skype users, as well as the low-cost rates to call mobile phones and landlines anywhere in the world.

"Technology is not meant to be complex. In fact, the most innovative products fit in perfectly with our everyday lives and become second nature," said Lucero. "We've made placing a Skype call as easy and familiar as placing a regular phone call."

WiFi Soon The Solo also has a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port on the rear panel next to the Ethernet connector. Although that port is not functional now, it will accommodate a wireless expansion very soon, according to Lucero.

The Solo cannot be powered with a cable between the USB port on the Solo and a computer. The Solo needs to be plugged into an AC power supply, Lucero said. Neither will the Solo work with a user's wireless router connected to a computer system . Users will have to connect the phone device by cable to an available RJ-45 connector on the router. "We will release by the end of this year a WiFi dongle that will allow users to make a wireless connection to the Internet," Lucero said.

Key Features The Solo has a one-click speakerphone function for hands-free talking. LED indicators show the power on/off status, missed call, message waiting, mute and speakerphone modes.

The Skype phone also has memory keys for speed dialing and a 2.4-inch TFT color LCD display with adjustable viewing angle. Cost and Availability The Solo go on sale Oct. 9 for US$169.99.

Source:
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/59721.html