I mentioned yesterday than I was invited to participate in the TalkPlus Blogger Relatinps program. This is also a good time to give a hat tip to my friend Andy Abramson at Comunicano. Andy does a fabulous job coordinating blogger relations and supporting his client company's. His clients include the very best and brightest in the unified communications space.

I met tih Jeff Black from TalkPlus last year at the ITExpo. Frankly TalkPlus was the hottest thing I'd seen and I've been waiting ever since for a chance to test and play. Now I got my chance. For the most extensive write-up I've done on what TalkPlus is and why it's important, read here.

Today I'm just beginning to play, but I thought I'd start by sharing some screenshots. I'm testing out TalkPlus on the Nokia N95 at the moment. When I get some time, I'll also check it out on the N73, N80i and N93.

Like every full blown application, TalkPlus adds a new application icon. Settings are easy and straighforward. Like most applications, you sign up, get a link via an SMS message and click the link. Installation is over the air.

Setting it up, you can choose whether you want the appt o auto-start, which access point you want to use, and whether you want to be prompted every time TalkPlus might incur additional charges because it's using a data link.


Profile settings are simple, and you can decide for yourself what you want to name things.


Once you're all installed and set up, the only screen you ever really need to interact with is the dashboard. It's the screen that will normally come up when you start the application.

Here are two views of the dashboard. In the first view, I've selected my cellphone number as assigned by my carrier as the default.


In this second view, I've selected my TalkPlus virtual phone number. Scrolling between these is simply and up or down movement on the scroll pad.



I only have two numbers configured at the moment, so my cell phone can appear to be either or both of these devices. What I like about TalkPlus is the ability to add other virtual numbers that exist.

That means that, for example, not only might I add my home telephone number or my office number, and have it ring through on my cell phone. More importantly when we think of privacy concerns, that's the number that will show up on CallerID if I call you. So you'll think I'm at home or my office and calling from there. I don't ever need to expose my cell phone number in any way.

That also means I can set up my GrandCentral number tied to TalkPlus so you'd get my GrandCentral number on CallerID. For me that's important for consistency more than privacy. It also means if I change cell phones, even change carriers, the people I talk to on the phone won't ever have to know.

I'll be using TalkPlus and exploring more about the cilent and what you can really do with it in the real world. And I'll certainly be writing about it. I'm also coordinating a podcast chat with Jeff Black in the next week or so to hear what he's got to say too. But I wanted to share a peek at another exciting unified communications solution that's on the cusp of widespread rollout.


Technorati Tags: TalkPlus, Nokia N95, unified communications