This is a U.K.-only development for the time being, but if it ends up working there, we could see it in the U.S. Well, we already have seen it in the U.S., but it’s just a wee more expensive…and primitive. The service in the U.K., Spinvox, is offering a plugin for BlackBerrys that will convert voice mails into text. They’ve been honing D2, the conversion program, for years now, feeding it both natural language and slang. They’re even asking users to submit words and phrases that might not show up with D2 yet. Given the ultra-convenient nature of this service, it’s easy to see it catching on very soon.
As with Alltel, you have to select your package. You get 10 messages per month for 3 pounds ($6), 20 messages for 5 pounds, and 50 messages for 10 pounds. This can be charged to your debit or credit card, or to your mobile phone bill (except for the 50-message plan). By having a recurring billing system, you can go over your messages one month and dip into the next month’s supply, so you don’t run out.
Now, you can gander at this article if you wish. It’s how I was tipped off to this service. The claim here is that the BlackBerry plugin will be available for 5 pounds per year. I find this kind of hard to believe, considering the monthly prices just mentioned. There is a BlackBerry plugin option on their rates page, but no mention of the price.
Even at the equivalent of $20 per month, this could be an invaluable resource for people with busy business lives. If you think about it in terms of cost-per-hour, it could be a coup.
