In addition to the freedom of keeping your cell-phone number when switching between carriers, local number portability has also brought frustration for some porting customers who-after finally freeing themselves from one carrier with their number-have been faced with the unenviable task of porting contact and address information from their old handset to their new carrier’s phone.
For customers with only a few numbers to move, the task would appear to be a mere inconvenience. But for those customers who store hundreds of contacts on their wireless handsets, the process could be a deal breaker.
A number of carriers offer some form of information transfer for customers looking either to port their number from another operator or for current subscribers simply switching handsets. These services are often offered free or for a small fee depending on the situation.
Cingular Wireless L.L.C. noted prior to LNP implementation on Nov. 24, it had rolled out its Universal Memory Exchange machine to a number of retail locations that allowed customers to transfer information between select handsets. Most other operators offer a similar option.
In addition to carrier efforts, a number of third-party providers said they have seen an increase in the need for their services following LNP implementation even though many have been offering the service since well before the mandate.
“LNP was definitely a catalyst for the increased interest in what we provide,” said Christopher Waldo, vice president of sales and marketing for Futuredial Inc. “Porting contact information between handsets has been a problem for years now, but LNP definitely brought the issue more attention.”
Waldo noted Futuredial provides both its consumer-oriented SnapSynch cable and software package, which it has offered since late 2002 and its retail-focused Cellphone Service Station solution, which the company said it launched nationwide with Sprint PCS and its affiliates as well as with Canadian operator Telus Mobility.
The SnapSynch package is offered through a number of retail outlets. In addition to providing information porting between handsets, it also allows customers to manage their contact information from a personal computer instead of trying to input information from the handset’s keypad.
With a recent change to the licensing structure of its CSS service, Waldo noted Futuredial also has seen increased interest in the retail product from independent dealer agents.
“Independent dealers are definitely seeing the positive customer service they can generate by offering to transfer numbers for customers,” Waldo explained. “It’s also a good way for those dealers to generate additional revenue if they decide to charge a small fee for the service or as a way to up-sell handsets.”
Waldo added that since the CSS service uses stores’ existing computer systems, customers could be provided with a back-up copy of their handset information.
BVRP Software has taken a similar tethered approach to information porting by allowing wireless customers to manage, edit and move information between handsets as part of its Mobile Phone Tools product offering. While the number porting aspect of the product is just a small portion of what the service provides, BVRP noted the vast handset database embedded in the software platform is ideal for porting information between different handset operating systems.
“The profiles simplify working across different phone platforms and ensures that information is not lost between devices,” said David Wright, vice president of original equipment manufacturer sales for BVRP.
Xpherix Corp. offers a wireless approach to the process with its BREW-based iPhonebook solution that allows customers to keep their contact information in the company’s servers, which can be accessed over the wireless carrier’s network. Xpherix’s service is available to wireless customers of carriers using the BREW platform including Verizon Wireless, Alltel Corp., U.S. Cellular Corp. and MidWest Wireless for a monthly fee.
Xpherix President and Chief Executive Officer Nick Walker said the company is looking at expanding the service to Java and WAP users in the future.
While consumers are provided with a number of options in porting contact information between handsets, consumer-rights organizations pointed out last week that the LNP process would be a lot easier for consumers if carriers using the same technology would allow customers to take their handsets when they switched operators.
Consumer Union, which publishes Consumer Reports magazine, said it delivered nearly 8,000 letters from consumers to wireless companies last week with a number of complaints including the practice of “locking down” cell phones with software preventing the phone from being used on otherwise compatible carriers’ networks.
Carriers have previously noted that such locks help mitigate fraud issues and that customers are often provided with a new subsidized handset when they join a new carrier.
