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	home > customer care> company info Another firm pitches VoIP Alabama-based My People enters teeming KC market December 20th, 2005 By JASON GERTZEN The Kansas City Star Kansas City consumers have yet another new alternative for high-tech phone service. An Alabama company called my people is including Kansas City with Seattle and Raleigh, N.C., this week in its initial rollout of its Internet telephone service. The company plans an expanded launch of its service early next year. Internet phone service, also known as voice over Internet protocol, or VoIP service, has been enjoying a steady rise. Vonage has some of the greatest momentum in this segment of the telecommunications industry. The New Jersey company said earlier this year that it had signed up its 1 millionth customer. SunRocket is a similar service that appears to be gaining traction. Cable companies also have been winning new customers at a rapid pace for their type of Internet telephone service. Time Warner Cable, for example, said this month that it had signed up 1 million customers. Alan Creighton, president and chief executive officer of my people, said he did not think that his company was coming too late to the Internet telephone service party. “I think there is room for any creative player out there who can meet the price point and provide the features,” Creighton said. One of the prime pitches for the Internet phone companies has been to offer service that is cheaper than buying a phone line from a traditional carrier such as AT&T, which until recently was known as SBC Communications Inc. Vonage, for example, sells a basic package for about $15 a month and its “Premium Unlimited” package for $24.99. AT&T offers an unlimited calling package online for $40 a month, though prices vary for customers who buy standalone local service or bundles that include phone calls and Internet service. my people matches the $15 and $25 prices of Vonage. Creighton said that his company will stand out because of innovative features. my people customers can use an online calendar that will trigger reminder calls for anything from picking up dry cleaning to calling your dad on his birthday, Creighton said. The service also can provide a daily wake-up call that would include the current weather forecast. Another part of the service includes voice-recognition technology that will dial a number that a caller speaks into the phone. The service also can be programmed to dial a number linked to a spoken name. A subscriber to my people, Vonage or other similar Internet phone services must have a separate high-speed Internet connection already established. Kansas City has a strong base of these high-speed, or broadband, Internet subscribers, which made the region an attractive market for my people, Creighton said. back
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