The Hindu Business Line : Airtel launches new group call facility in Karnataka

Airtel today announced the launch of a new product that allows its subscribers avail themselves of a facility offering communication with a group of nine receivers within an organisation or family or friends circles.

The new facility called Airtel Group Call (ACG) is unique from the closed user group or the conference call facility in that Airtel subscribers to ACG could have initiate calls to a chosen group of nine persons using different network subscribers. The group could also consist of a receiver of the call on the landline.

Addressing a press conference here today, Mr Deepak Mehrotra, CEO, Bharti Televentures Ltd, said that the new service would be launched initially for the customers in Karnataka Circle. ACG would be rolled out nationwide in about two months.

He said ACG application, has been developed along with Kodak Networks, a US-based telecom software company with its development centre in Bangalore. An user of ACG would have to install a 64-bit SIM card for the group communication facility.

Features similar to IM

ACG provides the user the ability to see availability status of group members akin to instant messengers by pushing a single key and establish contact with them for a group discussion. It also has the flexibility to calling only few in the group of 10 by using the `contact' menu in the phone. The facility could also be used for group messaging, Mr Mehrotra said.

He said ACG was a significant product being released by Airtel Factory, an initiative, which develops innovative applications for customers.

ACG could be subscribed under any rate plan by post-paid subscribers with an additional monthly charges of Rs 99.

More Stories on : Telecommunications | Strategy | Bharti Tele-Ventures Ltd | Karnataka

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