Sprint is first carrier to allow customers to use their existing mobile number as their Google Voice number without porting
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), March 21, 2011 – Sprint (NYSE:S, news, filings) and Google announced today a new integrated Google Voice™ experience that will allow Sprint customers to set their existing Sprint wireless phone number as their Google Voice number. Sprint customers will be able to take advantage of all the features and benefits of Google Voice without the hassle and fees associated with porting their number. Sprint is the first and only carrier to offer this capability, which will be available soon on all Sprint CDMA phones.
In addition, Nexus S 4G1, announced today by Sprint, Google and Samsung, will allow Sprint customers to enable the integrated Google Voice experience and will come preloaded with the Google Voice Android app.
“As part of our partnership with Google, our customers will appreciate having the easiest set-up experience of any wireless carrier for Google Voice across all of our CDMA phones, using their existing Sprint phone number,” said Kevin McGinnis, vice president-Product and Technology Development, Sprint. “It’s now easier than ever to truly live a mobile lifestyle with the ability to manage multiple devices through intelligent call routing and online controls using just one phone number – your existing Sprint number.”
“With this integration, we have made Google Voice simple to use with a Sprint phone,” said Dave Girouard, president at Google. “Sprint subscribers now have access to all the benefits of Google Voice behind their existing mobile number without the need for porting or, if they already have a Google Voice number, they can display that number from their Sprint phone without the need for a separate application.”
Manage multiple devices with Google Voice
Google Voice makes it easy for people to manage and access most of their voice-based communication. It lets users manage up to six different devices through one phone number with intelligent call routing and advanced features like call screening, blocking and recording using the phone’s dial pad. Sprint subscribers will be able to use their Sprint number across their office, home and wireless phones, and personalize settings so calls from friends ring their wireless device and home phone, while calls from the boss only ring at the office. Google Voice users can receive transcribed voicemails and read or listen to them online. They can also read, send and search text messages and call logs online at www.google.com/voice.
Sprint is the only carrier that allows the user to assign their existing mobile phone number as their Google Voice number without having to port their number, avoiding porting charges, potential service disruptions and the hassle of calling their carrier to terminate and port their number to Google Voice and then re-subscribe with another number. Sprint’s integration with Google simplifies and shortens the process of moving a phone number to Google Voice to mere minutes.
Integrated Google Voice Experience from Sprint
| One number for all your devices | Work, home, mobile; no need to change numbers after a move or new job | ||
| Route phone calls and text messages | Send work calls to the office, personal to home or mobile | ||
| Conditional call presentation | Hear caller info before answering or send straight to voicemail | ||
| In-call options | Record calls, switch phones during a call, conference calling | ||
| Manage it all online | Manage call history, texts and voicemail; listen to voicemail and read transcribed messages; view threaded text messaging history and continue the conversation online | ||
| Keep your existing wireless phone number without porting | Only with Sprint | ||
Customers can sign up to be notified when the integrated Google Voice experience for Sprint phones is available at www.google.com/voice/sprint.
With a few simple steps, any Sprint CDMA phone will be able to use Google Voice to simplify the customer’s wireless experience:
| 1. | Customers can simply go to www.google.com/voice/sprint and sign-up for the integrated service from Sprint. | |||
| 2. | Google will then confirm the customer would like to use their existing Sprint number as their Google Voice number. | |||
| 3. | Customers do not need to notify Sprint that they plan to use Google Voice. A notification is automatically sent to Sprint to provision the necessary services on the network required for the Google Voice integrated experience. | |||
| 4. | Within minutes, all of the customer’s phone calls, text messages and voicemail run through Google Voice, and all inbound and outbound calls show up with the customer’s existing Sprint number with all of the benefits of Google Voice. | |||
For more information on Sprint’s Google Voice integration, watch the video and visit www.sprint.com/googlevoice.2
Use of Google Voice is available at no additional charge with Sprint plans including Sprint’s Everything Data plans. Sprint’s Everything Data plans with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM include unlimited Web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint network, starting at just $69.99 per month plus required $10 Premium Data add-on charge for smartphones – a savings of $39.99 per month versus Verizon’s comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and Web (excluding Verizon’s Southern California plan; pricing excludes surcharges and taxes).
Sprint Everything Data plans qualify customers for automatic enrollment in the Sprint PremierSM loyalty program.3 Existing Sprint customers can switch to an Everything Data plan without extending their service agreement. New lines of service require a two-year service agreement.
Editor’s Note:
Visit Sprint’s Innovation Station Lounge at CTIA on March 23 at 1 p.m. Eastern time for a live demonstration of the Google Voice integration available on all Sprint CDMA voice-enabled device hosted by Sprint and Google executives. For more information, please contact Sprint@Stantoncomm.com.
Visit www.sprint.com/newswroom or www.sprint.com/presskits for more information and images.
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 49.9 million customers at the end of 2010 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 6 in its 2010 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.
1 4G used in connection with the Samsung Nexus S product name refers to the fact that the Nexus S is capable of operating on the Sprint 4G (WiMAX) Network.
2 Standard Anytime Minutes, data, and text messaging rates apply to Google Voice services. Requires Google account and acceptance of Google terms of service. Google Voice mobile application not avail. on all phones—see www.google.com/voice for details.
3 To qualify for Sprint Premier Silver, customers must have a three-month average monthly recurring charge (MRC) of individual plans of $69.99 – $89.98.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6653332&lang=en
Contact(s):
Google
Lily Lin, 650-260-5459
lilylin@google.com
or
Sprint
Emmy Anderson, 913-707-0618
emmy.anderson@gmail.com
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