AOL talks up TotalTalk

AOL is moving aggressively into VoIP for the masses, introducing its TotalTalk service Oct. 4 with the intent of taking on telephone companies and cable companies for consumer voice service.

“We are coming at this from two sides,” said Ragui Kamel, senior vice president and general manager of voice service for AOL. “On the one hand, we are launching a new business which is like Vonage but with value-added content to generate new subscribers and new revenue streams. On the other hand, we have 40 million AIM users, and we are enhancing their service with a softphone.”

TotalTalk includes a softphone client for free PC-to-PC calls and PC-to-phone calling that is higher quality than the previous AIM-based voice service, along with unfied voice, email and instant messaging using a browser-based dashboard that can be accessed from any Internet-connected PC. In addition, there is ATA-based service, similar to Vonage, that can operate in the home.

“The service is no longer restricted to AOL subscribers, as it was when we launched VoIP last spring,” said Mike Kettlewell, product manager for voice service at AOL. “The dashboard enables the customer to route calls to any phone, by responding to the call alert.”

Up to three softphone calls can be made simultaneously, in addition to an ATA-based call so that, conceivably, four calls could be made from the same phone number at one time, including calls from family members who are traveling and using remote Internet connections to view the dashboard. Similarly, a small business could use the dashboard and multiple calling opportunities to make sure the appropriate individual answers a given call.

"Each person can see, on the dashboard, who's calling," said Kettlewell. "Within a small business environment, you can determine who should answer a call, based on the number."

Calls can be answered or returned by clicking on the incoming alert or the caller's number as listed on the call log.

The service includes features such as Call Waiting, Caller ID, integration of voice mail and email, and three-way calling, all at no extra charge.

Users can download a preview of the AIM Triton client software later this week to get access to the soft phone feature and AIM Talk, the improved version of AOL's free PC-to-PC calling service.

The service costs $18.99 per money for unlimited local calling, $.039 per minute for long-distance or $29.99 for unlimited long-distance and $34.99 for unlimited long-distance and discounted international calling.

Kamel acknowledges that AOL is taking on the telcos, the cable companies and Internet giants such as Google, eBay and Yahoo, as well as Vonage. But he added that the service may be offered through partners as well, with sister company Time Warner Cable high on the potential partner list.

"My mindset is that we acquire customers based via price, which is the difference between what we charge and the $50 to $60 you pay an ILEC," he said. "Then the capabilities become the glue that keeps people from going away."