Caller ID takes to the Internet

Internet and telephone users in the greater New York area may soon become beneficiaries of two new telephony services. Bell Atlantic will offer Internet Call Manager in early February, which will allow subscribers to monitor and manage calls while their phone lines are tied up with the Internet, and a Talking Call Waiting service is slated for the spring of 2000.

With Internet Call Manager, an interactive pop-up window displaying caller ID information notifies subscribers of incoming calls. They can transfer the call to another number, play one of three pre-recorded messages or disconnect from the Internet and answer the call. The service will cost $5.95 per month. A connection charge of $16.00 will be waived if customers sign up during the first 90 days of availability.

Available in the eastern region by the end of 2000, the service will operate through any ISP, said Lorene Depasquale, product manager for Internet Call Manager. "We are not like other vendors that may force customers to buy their Internet service. This service also works independent of call waiting and caller ID."

The RBOC also will launch the Talking Call Waiting service. As with Ameritech's offering, which launched in August, Bell Atlantic's service will announce the incoming caller's name after the initial call waiting prompt. The company is testing the service in Yonkers and White Plains, N.Y. "This is a valuable enhancement for customers because everyone is crunched for time. Getting additional information can help them better manage their time," said Anne Kraus-Keenan, product manager for Talking Call Waiting. "Because call waiting is the most popular service, we are looking for a large response."