Kabhi Mobile:Kabhi Walkie-Talkie

Thanks to “Push-to-talk” technology, one can talk to one person or one-to-many simultaneously at the push of a button. All that is required is: Go to your buddylist. Select the person or people you would like to chat with. Push the PTT button on your cell, and talk instantly. Release the PTT button to hear the response. Based on two-way walkie-talkie technology, while one person talks, other(s) listen. Turns to speak are on a first-come-first-serve basis by pressing the push-to-talk key.

For the cell user, Push-To-talk can mean instant contact, time saving and relatively lesser charges compared to usual air time charges. The cost to arrange a quick meeting through push-to-talk is cheaper and faster than a regular cellphone call, say executives of Tata Infocomm which is planning to launch this service on its network over the next couple of months.

PTT-enabled mobile handsets from Motorola, Kyocera and Nokia are set to enter the Indian market in the coming months.

The Push-To-Talk service – introduced early last year – is already a hit in the United States market with over 13 million users. Not surprisingly, Push-To-Talk was ranked the second most desirable feature by cell users, next to embedded digital cameras, in a recent survey.

One of the appeals of Push-To-Talk over making a telephone call is being able to talk to a group instantly, without waiting for someone to answer. So, let’s check out how Push-To-Talk looks like at Nextel, the first US-based network to introduce the service.

Nextel allows one to connect up to 25 people at once with the push of a button. One can create up to 200 such groups ranging from three to 25 members each. To initiate a group talk within a talkgroup, push the PTT button and begin talking after you hear a chirping sound. While on a group call, wait for the current speaker to finish speaking. Press the PTT button and begin speaking after you hear the chirping sound.

For unlimited group call, Nextel charges a flat rate of $25 per month per phone, and $10 per month for 250 group connect minutes. To calculate how many minutes one would be billed for in a group call one initiates, multiply the number of people on the call by the length of the call. For example, if six people participate in a two-minute group call, the call initiator will be billed for 12 minutes.

So, next time you need to share with your friends how you finally stood up to your boss’s bullies, or your wife wants you to pick up a loaf of bread while you are on your way back from office, its just a matter of pushing a button on the mobile.

Just as a sales manager can keep track of his sales team, parents too would not complain as they can keep a closer tab on their kids. However, for the traffic cop eyeing errant drivers yammering on the cell phones, their job is going to get tougher.

source:Timesofindia.com