Back to press releasesWhat happens when one of the leading calling card companies in the nation goes interactive, incorporating the most sophisticated and current technology? It revitalizes a formerly mature industry and brings innovative benefits to customers formerly unavailable through the pre-paid calling card platform.
IDT Corporation – together with its distribution partner, Union Telecard Alliance (UTA) – is one of the country‘s largest providers of those valued minutes with traditionally over 17.5 million prepaid cards sold each month alone.
IDT Corporation‘s La Leyenda and Boss branded cards, available in several hundred thousand points of sale nationwide, are taking the calling card industry to the game‘s next level. And with a striking 50% of the American public using calling cards, it‘s a game of high stakes: Consumers of these and other IDT brands tally a call volume of more than five billion minutes spoken annually.
This is where IDT Corporation‘s collaboration with In-Call Media market leader VoodooVox comes into play, whose novel technology is changing the landscape in the calling card industry. Personalized services now enable callers to access lifestyle information and cost-savings opportunities that are specific to their demographic profile and consumer interests.
“It‘s about enriching the experience of our calling card customer, creating savings for our consumers, and ensuring that they receive more than they expect,“ stated Carlos Gomez, founder of UTA. “Today we offer our customers interactivity, integrity, and very low rates. Soon we will bring further incentives to our customers, including free calling minutes with no hidden charges or costs,“ he commented.
The majority of IDT‘s callers fall into the 18-34 age bracket and over 70% reach out to destinations en route to Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Peru, and the Dominican Republic; the opt-in content primarily caters to this demographic.
Al Dia II, VoodooVox‘s next generation wholly-owned Spanish news center, includes 60-90 seconds of a respective country‘s news, sports, weather, and infotainment including the day‘s horoscope and health tips – all specific to the customer‘s calling destination. “Our cards deliver ad-supported content when customers use their phone cards. For example an ad for airline travel to the Dominican Republic can be served when our calling platform sees that the caller is dialing a number there,“ said David Gewirtz, IDT Telecom‘s Vice President of Business Development and Promotions, in a recent Wall Street Journal interview (June 11, 2008). “The caller can then press a button to hear more information while waiting for the call to connect,“ he added.
Consumers can also obtain special discounts at international hotels or find out about a major promotion or sale taking place in their local neighborhood supermarket. What‘s additionally appealing is that access to all content is available to consumers at no-charge.
“When you use the Boss or La Leyenda cards it‘s almost like being online at the same time. The up-to-date information is simply unprecedented,“ noted J. Scott Hamilton, President and CEO of VoodooVox. “The international prepaid calling market is a perfect venue for In-Call Media, and we look forward to continually evolving its application on behalf of IDT and our other flagship clients,“ he added.
About IDT Corporation
IDT Corporation (NYSE: IDT, IDT.C) is an innovative and opportunity seeking multinational holding company with operations that span several industries. In this press release, all statements that are not purely about historical facts, including, but not limited to, those with the words “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” “target” and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All forward-looking statements and risk factors included in this document are made as of the date hereof, based on information available to IDT as of the date thereof, and IDT assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or risk factors.
About Union Telecard Alliance
UTA is one of the largest distributors of prepaid phone cards in the United States and distributes over 200 different phone cards throughout the country.
About VoodooVox
VoodooVox™ is an advertising, technology, and services firm that has created an international marketplace for In-Call Media. The company enables the creation and delivery of interactive audio media into the telephony market. VoodooVox has developed technology that combines web marketing techniques with the unique qualities of the phone network, allowing call publishers to instantly access a robust advertising market, and advertisers to enjoy simplified access to hundreds of millions of calls from diverse call networks.
VoodooVox is backed by venture capital investors such as Apax Partners, Steamboat Ventures (an affiliate of The Walt Disney Company), Softbank Capital, and Village Ventures.
IDT Corporation
Steven M. Feuerstein
Director of Corporate Communications
Direct: 973-343-4314
Cell: 646-220-2820
Steven.Feuerstein@IDT.net
