Interview with iViP Mobile Founder Nathan Kolta, Part 1

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 05:12:23 -0700

Hear why Nathan Kolta believes any company serious about customer service should be reachable via text and what he built to make that possible. Join Us! And help bring text messaging to your company too :-)
Also Posted on our Youtube Channel

Interview with iViP Mobile Founder Nathan Kolta, Part 2

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 05:41:32 -0700

Interview with iViP Mobile Founder Nathan Kolta, Part 3

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 05:44:30 -0700

Interview with iViP Mobile Founder Garret Weeks, Part 1

Tue, 9 Apr 2013 05:46:56 -0700

Hear why Garret Weeks believes your customers and service reps will love Instant Messaging on your company's mobile number and what he built to make that possible. Join Us! And help bring text messaging to your company too :-)
Also Posted on our Youtube Channel

Interview with iViP Mobile Founder Garret Weeks, Part 2

Mon, 8 Apr 2013 05:49:31 -0700

Interview with iViP Mobile Founder Garret Weeks, Part 3

Sun, 7 Apr 2013 05:50:45 -0700

FOX NEWS - ‘The Hooked Up’ Generation - Jack Myers

Thu, 6 Dec 2012 12:57:37 -0800

Fascinating research on “How technology is molding the internet generation and changing views on marriage, work and equality” - Texting takes up the majority of a Millennial’s time! - authored by Jack Myers and interviewed on FOX News.
See For Yourself >> **A Must Watch Video**

CNN - We Never talk any more: The problem with text messaging

Thu, 6 Sep 2012 11:17:54 -0700

CNN and TIME’s Jeffery Kluger writes about the prolific use of text messaging in the US and its psychological effects on what might now be called: conversation.

See the article at: CNN - Tech: Our Mobile Society

The iViP Point
No matter what other communication technology is out there (phone calling, emailing, the Blackberry Messenger service, iMessages, What’s Up, etc.), text messaging continues to grow every year.

The iViP Instant Messenger is designed to harness this prolific growing power of text messaging.

iViP Texting is Perfect for these Common Business Dilemmas

Wed, 30 May 2012 00:27:45 -0700

What do the 11 Use Cases presented above have in common? There is a worker sitting at a desk all day, with a computer and a phone trying to communicate with someone or a whole group of people who are outside of the building. What do all the customers outside have in common? Most of have a mobile phone within 3 feet of their person. And what do all these mobile phones have in common, regardless of manufacture? A ubiquitous SMS application which is constantly "ON" - searching the wireless airways for a message from you! There is no additional log-in required, no special software to load, nothing blocking your message from appearing on the screen for their eyes to see instantly.

The iViP Challenge
Each of the office workers in this video face a dilemma: How to send out (or receive) an urgent message in the middle of the day no matter where their contacts are or how busy they might be. Our iViP Challenge to you is this: Can you think of any solution to the 11 problems in this video that would be better than text messaging? We couldn't think of one. How else could you get such a minimally intrusive message through to as many people as you wish with so little effort? In today's fast paced world, a customer service worker without a suitable text messenger is like a triathlete trying to win on a tricycle :-) Tell your boss that you are missing a much needed communication tool!

So Why Should My Business Text?

Mon, 28 May 2012 00:20:41 -0700

You already know how fun and convenient it is to connect with your friends via text. By signing up for iViP's Instant Messaging service, your customers will be able to text in their orders, inquires, schedule appointments, and more, through your company's text messaging number. iViP's Instant Messenger will give your service and sales team members the ability to reach their external contacts with text messages, just like good friends having a chat over their mobile phones. By converting your inbound phone calls to texts, you will save time, streamline internal workflows, eliminate phone-tag, by-pass spam clogged e-mail, and team members will be able to see the entire conversation history unfold in real time. iViP texting makes interacting with your customers fun again!

Learn more at iViP’s Overview

Why Texting Service Reps Are Better Than Talking Service Reps

Fri, 25 May 2012 19:49:11 -0700

Texting is superior to making phone calls because it permits each person to respond at their earliest convenience. In order to conduct business over the phone, one party must interrupt and demand the immediate attention of the other party. As the workforce becomes increasingly mobile, the chances that both parties are available for a phone call at the same time has become increasingly rare.

The iViP Instant Messenger solves this 'in real time' requirement by blurring the time over which a business transaction can take place. If you have mobile customers, texting quickly becomes the communication tool of choice by offering instant reachablility, while not requiring immediate availability.

Learn more at iViP’s Solutions

10 Ways You Will Save Time!

Sun, 20 May 2012 18:39:56 -0700

From our experience, you will be able to respond to your customer requests in 1/3 the time that a phone conversation would take.

1- Text messages get to the point in 160 characters or less
2- There is automatic Caller ID 3- See the entire conversation history 4- No after-the-call documentation necessary 5- Quickly prioritize multiple requests 6- Process requests in batches 7- Auto-complete fills in names so you'll never have to look up or dial a phone # again 8- Merge those names into an outbound text, so you write once, yet send to many 9- With Quick Texts, you write once, save it, and use it again 10- Schedule Send lets you write messages now and send them tomorrow  If you convert just 30% of your inbound Phone Calls to Text Messages, you could save 96 minutes per Account Rep per day! To learn more about this, visit our newly updated Why iViP webpage.

Why Your Company Should Be Texting

Tue, 15 May 2012 00:33:27 -0700

Your company should be texting your customers, instead of using antiquated communications tools from the last century. Trying to conduct business with out-dated phone calls and e-mails just isn't working anymore. All you reach is their voice mail and e-mails often get routed into their spam-box. Our Instant Text Messenger is the communication-tool-of-choice for reaching today's highly mobile customer. The on-the-go customer should be able to reach any company they want to do business with via text!

After viewing this video, we hope you too will become an evangelist for text messaging in the workplace. Please share this with your boss or a business you'd like to text!

Learn more at Text Your Customers

Our Value Proposition and your Return On Investment

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:37:42 -0700

iViP Instant Messaging will revolutionize your customer service. See & hear why for yourself! This brief presentation demonstrates the Value Proposition, Efficiency and Benefits text messaging will bring to your business. Call Centers can now instantly communicate via text with any mobile contact - whether that be your customers, field sales reps, repair technicians, or even with managers on the road. We know your customers will love the convenience and your service team will never want to go back to outdated phone and e-mail contact again.

Learn more at iViP’s ROI webpage

Texting Saves Lives - Nancy Lubin

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 20:23:14 -0800

“We're finding [texting] 11 times more powerful than email [for communicating with kids].”
When Nancy Lublin started texting teenagers to help with her social advocacy organization, what she found was shocking -- they started texting back about their own problems, from bullying to depression to abuse. So she's setting up a text-only crisis line, and the results might be even more important than she expected.
Nancy Lublin is CEO and Chief Old Person at DoSomething.org, where she harnesses the extraordinary energy of teens and focuses it on issues they care passionately about.
Nancy’s talk can also be viewed directly on TED.com

Steve Jobs

Wed, 5 Oct 2011 18:21:56 -0700

Dear Jobs family and Steve's fans,

My condolences go out to you who lived, loved and struggled along side of him all these years.

His and your way of living has shown me what creative perseverance and passion can do.

Whether it was through Steve's fierce authenticity or unspoken requests ... your memories are precious.

I sincerely pray that you are comforted with a Holy Peace during this time.

Shine on you crazy diamonds,

Nathan Kolta

How are Smartphones Being Used?

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 16:59:33 -0700

“Did you know that just recently smartphone penetration hit 40 percent? Have you ever wondered though how those smartphone users are using their mobile phones? To help you get a better understanding of how smartphones are being used, the team at Tatango compiled data from the Pew Research Centers Internet & American Life Project and created the infographic above.
Does the data below match up to how you use your own smartphone? Let us know in the comments section above.”

Hero of the Office - Text Message Your Customers with iViP Mobile

Sat, 28 May 2011 00:26:01 -0700

Dear Customer Service worker,

How much easier would your life be if you could chat with your customers via instant text messaging instead of being stuck on the phone with them all day? Imagine how much happier your customers will be when they can personally reach you via your company's texting service and no longer have to navigate through "1-800" menus, wait for the next available CSR, and play endless phone tag?

Simply log into your team's on-line account and you can instantly text your customers, vendors, service technicians, sales reps and, of course, your boss - even if they are out on the road somewhere. You will be able to respond to your customer requests in 1/3 the time that a phone conversation would take. Text messaging at work solves so many practical communication problems that you will wonder how you ever lived without it.

Research into what makes a business successful in today's marketplace confirms 2 major trends: Companies that provide the best customer service experience and who can stay connected to their mobile audience will consistently move towards the top. iViP Mobile's Instant Messenger empowers your sales and service teams to accomplish both.

We believe any customer should be able to reach any business via text. Just like e-mail replaced snail mail in the 90's, the convenience of texting has now replaced phone calls as the preferred communication tool-of-choice.

If your workplace is already equipped with shared text messaging, then no need to go any further. Otherwise, feel free to contact us via text at 714-553-2539 or enter your e-mail address at ivipmobile.com to request a free trial account. We hope you will discover how valuable (and fun) texting at work can be!

iViP Mobile ~ Texting Solutions for Business

78% of Consumers Stop Buying After Poor Customer Service

Thu, 12 May 2011 21:03:17 -0700

It’s not that American consumers can’t spend their money— it’s that they hate your customer service. At least that’s what the folks at American Express have the say about it.
Results from a new survey released by American Express (NYSE: AXP) revealed that American consumers are much more willing to spend their hard- earned money on businesses that provide exceptional customer service now than they were a year ago.

To be more specific, 70% of American consumers are more willing to spend an average of 13% with companies they believe provided them with great customer service (just 58% of consumers were willing to spend 9% more for the same circumstances in 2009).

Here are some other statistics from American Express’s survey:

78% of consumers have ceased to go through with a purchase after encountering poor customer service.

59% of consumers say they would switch brands if it would provide them with better customer service

At iViP Mobile, we take pride in the fact that we are text messaged based and will never pass along loud voices or miss a call. In fact, there will never be anyone on hold and no one will complain about phone-tag.

Contact us, so we can show you our amazing iViP Instant Messenger and you can see for yourself.

Poor Customer Service Causes Angry Outbursts

Tue, 10 May 2011 00:51:51 -0700

When Tempers Flare:
Losing business is just one negative effect businesses can experience as a result of providing poor customers service.

Angry outbursts and the occasional explicative can also arise when poor customer service prevails, and those between the ages of 30 to 49 are more likely than any other age demographic tracked by American Express to lash out at representatives.

At iViP Mobile, we take pride in the fact that we are text messaged based and will never pass along loud voices. In fact, there will never be anyone on hold and no one will complain about phone-tag.

Contact us, so we can show you our amazing iViP Instant Messenger and you can see for yourself.

The Evolution of Texting - CBS News

Wed, 6 Apr 2011 19:43:36 -0700

The Power of Texting could not be better said! “Phone calls and voicemail are so passe.” Texting is here to stay!
See For Yourself >> **A Must Watch Video**

Over 7 Trillion Text Messages to Be Sent in 2011

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 23:24:54 -0800

SMS has proven an enormous success ever since it started to show its first signs of traction in the early 1990s. So much so that next year, according to ABI Research estimates, more than seven trillion SMS messages will be sent worldwide, from nearly 4.2 billion mobile subscriptions. Messaging is also more prevalent among younger subscribers, and as they replace older subscribers, messaging will get a further boost.
See the Article Here!

Hispanic Mobile Use Rises 26%

Mon, 20 Dec 2010 00:42:48 -0800

Did you know that Hispanics are one of the largest groups of texters according to Scarborough Research’s latest findings.
Hispanic adults using cellular phones rose 26% from 2006-2010, compared to 18% growth in the general population.
That puts cellular phone penetration at 82% among Hispanic adults -- almost even with 84% for the population at large.
For example, 64% of Hispanic adults who own a cell phone use it to send text messages, versus 56% of U.S. adults with cell phones overall. Twenty-two percent of Hispanic adults who own a cell phone use it to download or listen to music, versus 15% of U.S. adults with cell phones overall.
The Pew Hispanic Center's National Survey of Latinos, released earlier this year, found that about 50% of young Latino adults (49% of 16- to-17-year-olds) said they send mobile text messages every day, while 45% talk on a cell phone.
Media Post - December 20, 2010
See the Article Here!

Teens Text 10x Per Hour

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 23:22:34 -0800

We all know that most US teens text a great deal.
This article shows us how much!
- Text, on average, 10 times an hour
- 12 year olds average about 1,146/mo when not in school
- Send more than 3,000 texts per month
- Actually spend less money than German and European teen texters. $20 - US unlimited package vs. 25€ Euros ($34/mo) for 3,000/mo package.

Tech News Daily - Feb 10, 2010

Teens Leave E-Mail Behind

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 22:28:31 -0800

“Teenagers today consider email to be a ‘grown-up medium,’ and not ideal for day-to-day communication with their peers, according to a recent study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project and the University of Michigan.”
If you want real-time, flexible contact with others, then text is the way to go. Using email requires being online and logged in.
“Only 11% of teens use email to communicate with friends each day, according to the Pew report.”

More than half of kids are texting their friends who are sitting in the same classroom. And 66 percent of kids said they receive messages from mom and dad.”

Tech News Daily - Aug 5, 2010

Judge Rules Gov’t Failed to Save Text Messages

Fri, 5 Nov 2010 20:49:47 -0700

The Gibbons Business & Commercial Litigation Department published a fascinating blog about FBI investigators losing critical text messages in a case against Ridgefield, New Jersey city officials.
Shortly after defendants moved to compel production of the text messages, the government agreed to produce them but later advised that it could not do so. The government explained that [Solomon] Dwek used a personal cell phone to transmit text messages, which his carrier retained for only 3 to 5 days. As to the text messages originating from or received on the agents’ Blackberry® handheld devices, the government ultimately admitted that it failed to preserve many of these messages, notwithstanding its document retention policy concerning “reasonably anticipated or pending litigation.” The government did not issue a litigation hold until on or about January 11, 2010, long after the subject data would have been destroyed in the normal course of business.

With iViP, all messages going in and out are archived and available in the event of future disputes.

Court Orders Monetary Fine for Lost Texts

Fri, 5 Nov 2010 18:17:22 -0700

K&L Gates posted a blog about a dispute involving a technology company that destroyed its communications. Those communications, including text messages, were critical to the case in which text records were required by the court. Companies that can not store, retrieve, and produce records of their internal text messaging may be unable to properly defend their cases in future court proceedings.
“The Court holds that a monetary fine of $10,000 against 2FA best suits "the facts and evidentiary posture of [this] case." Reilly, 181 F.3d at 267. 2FA is a small company founded only in 2006, and Salyards and Cuttill--who the Court both finds responsible for the spoliation of evidence in this case--are 2FA's sole principals and co-founders. Here, a fine against 2FA serves the dual purposes of deterrence and punishment. See Green, 262 F.R.D. at 292. Because Salyards and Cuttill are the sole principals of 2FA, a fine directed at 2FA will affect them directly. In concluding that a fine of $10,000 is the most appropriate sanction, the Court balances 2FA's litigation conduct with its status as a small corporation.”

With iViP, all messages going in and out are archived and available in the event of future disputes.

Live Chat Increases Satisfaction and Reduces Costs

Sat, 25 Sep 2010 09:28:04 -0700

Taking Care of Business
Forrester Research Inc. projects steady growth in consumer use of live chat in customer service. In 2003, 30% of online buyers turned to live chat for customer service, up from 19% in 2001, Forrester reports. Acceptance of live chat will grow "as online chatting teens grow up," Forrester says, to 59% of online buyers in 2007.
"Live chat takes care of business," says Scott Shulman, director of e-commerce at athletic shoe retailer K-Swiss Inc.'s K-Swiss.com. Although K-Swiss also offers self-service customer service options as well as easy access to telephone customer service agents, it offers live chat as a way of filling the gap between the two. With lower operating costs compared to using telephone call center agents, live chat enables K-Swiss to provide personalized service around the clock. "It makes our site more personal because customers can have their questions answered 24 hours a day, 365 days a year," he says.
~ Provide Support LLC

Ad Marketing and the Mobile Landscape

Mon, 20 Sep 2010 18:35:14 -0700

2009 was about the Social Marketing Explosion - Let’s make 2010 the year of MOBILE!
“Its expected that by 2013, 50% of all phones will be smartphones.”
Susan Bratton, from DishyMix, who is CEO of Personal Life Media, interviews Mickey Alam Khan about the mobile landscape at Ad Tech in SF.
He speaks about Mobile and Luxury Marketing and its huge potentials with Text Messaging. Text Messaging (SMS) is the workhorse of Mobile Marketing.
More is located on the DishyMix Episode 170. and on Mickey’s sites: MobileMarketer.com and LuxuryDaily.com

How Do I Get In Touch with the Kids?

Thu, 9 Sep 2010 22:08:09 -0700

Today we were training and one of our students said, “I used to be able to call my son when I first gave him a cell phone. Now I have to text him, ‘pls call me... just fyi, I have your a set of your car keys.’ Then he’ll call me back. I almost have no choice but to text.”
Parents, regardless of age, are grasping the texting trend.
“Some 43 percent of kids say they text in class, and 17 percent say they do it constantly.

More than half of kids are texting their friends who are sitting in the same classroom. And 66 percent of kids said they receive messages from mom and dad.”

San Francisco Chronicle Sept 9, 2010

How Do I Get Back the Loaner Car?

Thu, 9 Sep 2010 18:50:54 -0700

“Phone calls are so antiquated.” the general manager of a prominent high-line car dealership told us. “We have over 30 cars we loan out and we can’t seem to get them to be returned on time.” The majority of the time, we end up playing phone tag and loose out on the opportunity to offer the car to the next client. We also loose out on the rentals we loan out too.
We could use text messaging to verify that we did in fact contact them to return the loaner on time, instead of being overly generous we can now ask for payment.
One week later his dealership agreed to use iViP to send texts and have been using it ever since.

How Do I Notify My Patients?

Wed, 8 Sep 2010 20:42:24 -0700

Was talking to good friend who’s a doctor the other day about how the economy is treating him.
He told me that it obviously hasn’t been as good as it was before. Aside from the medical part of the business,”No shows” are the biggest problem. “Hundreds of dollars are wasted because we waited around for a NO Show patient.” MRIs, scans and everything get delayed. I have to shuffle other patients around to make time for critical ones. Physical pain is not a big enough reminder.
Most of our emails seem to get caught up in large Inboxes. Nearly all of our phone calls go to voicemail and get returned when its already too late or a hassle to reschedule.
Do you think a text could help us make adjustments to our schedule?
... I smiled. :-)

Data Produces Twice the Telecom Traffic Voice Does

Sun, 5 Sep 2010 22:10:18 -0700

“Originally, talking was the only cellphone application,” said Dan Hesse, chief executive of Sprint Nextel. “But now it’s less than half of the traffic on mobile networks.” - New York Times May 10, 2010

Making Texting Easier

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 13:16:12 -0700

Textees™ is the smart way to make texting easier! These colorful, comfortable devices make it simple to precisely hit the tiny keys - physical or virtual - of any smart phone, including iPhones.

Adults, Cell Phones & Texting

Fri, 3 Sep 2010 13:12:08 -0700

Texting by adults has increased over the past nine months from 65% of adults sending and receiving texts in September 2009 to 72% texting in May 2010.

Adults who text typically send and receive a median of 10 texts a day; teens who text send and receive a median of 50 texts per day.
5% of all adult texters send more than 200 text messages a day or more than 6,000 texts a month. Heavy adult texters -- those who send and receive more than 50 texts a day -- also tend to be heavy users of voice calling. Provided by: PewResearchCenter

1/3 of US Households Have Cut the Landline Cord

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 19:33:52 -0700

Almost 30% of U.S. households have cut the cord, up from about 25% a year ago, according to a Citi Investment Research report by analyst Jason Bazinet

World Record For Fastest Text Message Has Been Broken

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 18:43:10 -0700

A British woman, Melissa Thompson has become the world's fastest texter, after typing a 26 word message in 25.94 seconds. The previous record holder typed the same words earlier this year in 35.54 seconds.

Kids Text Every 10 Minutes When They Are Awake

Sun, 29 Aug 2010 10:01:01 -0700

American kids under 18 send and receive roughly 2,800 texts per month, according to Nielsen, or about 93 per day. Assuming 7 hours of sleep per night, on average, that's about 5.5 per hour spent awake, or one every 10 minutes or so.