Free phone email service launches

Unified messaging specialist Virtualplus has launched a free telephone email collection service that lets users access, delete and reply to emails over the phone

JustPhone, which begins beta testing this week, uses a text-to-speech engine that employs a computerised voice to read out email messages. When replying, the engine records a users voice message and sends it as an audio file to the recipient's mailbox.

To join the service, users register at the company's Web site by entering their mail address and password for a POP3 email account. Virtualplus then issues the number to call and an extension that enables access to the messages. The company said that it plans to introduce multi-lingual capabilities in the near future.

A spokeswoman for Virtualplus admitted "this is not really a money spinner," but said that it was more about building market share for the company in the burgeoning unified messaging market.

Once testing is complete, JustPhone will have access points in New York, London, Tokyo, Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm.