Talkster talks on ad-based telephony

I wanted to point out this insightful post by James Wanless, COO of Talkster.

It’s a follow up to my previous post where I compared some VoIP services for making long distance calls from the US to Italy by using my US mobile phone under GSM coverage (no Wifi).

In particular, in regards of FREE calls:

Someone has to pay for free calls. Talkster believes that when we balance the issues of credit control (especially outside North America) with the minimal margins that cheap calls generate, our ad-supported model is the way forward for consumers. Advertisers pay for calls on the Talkster service. Because they pay for the call, we can ensure we are delivering the quality people expect when they place calls.

In regards of ads:

If it’s targeted and relevant an ad becomes an offer. When an ad is regarded as an offer by the consumer on the receiving end, they no longer view it as obnoxious and are more likely to engage with it.

I totally agree. If i receive ads of things I like, I’m passionate to and that are on my radar, I like them. I’m happy to get a last minute offer from, let’s say, CompUSA that is shutting down and is offering great discounts on Mac-related products for instance (BTW, it’s true, check it out at any CompUSA store). It’s something that I will see as an offer for me and, as James says, I’m willing to engage with it.

Stay tuned, I strongly believe we’re going to see more pretty soon.

james wanless, luca filigheddu, talkster