VoIP Pay Per Call Possible Without All the Hype

Reston, VA (November 7, 2005) – As demand for pay per call services increases, many ad networks, web portals, search engines and media groups are being told that the answer lies in the use of a peer to peer application. But is it really necessary for users to download a fat client, several megs in size, and fill out information before they can contact an advertiser? And do advertisers want to sit by their computers with their headsets on waiting for leads?

Not according to Joe Siegrist, Senior Vice President of Technology at eStara (www.estara.com) — the world’s leading developer of VoIP-based click to call applications.

“With eStara’s technology, a pay per call solution is available to online advertisers without the headaches of requiring advertisers and users to install a peer to peer application,” says Siegrist. “Our technology lets the end user choose between entering their phone number for an immediate call back, or using an extremely small, fast PC VoIP client that requires no installation.”

Siegrist is the co-inventor of the first PC to Phone VoIP for eCommerce application. He is available to comment on the latest developments surrounding pay per call. Siegrist directs software development and systems operations for eStara. An innovative software architect and accomplished VoIP development leader, Siegrist holds three patents and is a named inventor on a dozen patent applications in the voice over Internet and Internet-initiated calling space.

According to Siegrist, relying on a proprietary peer to peer application for a pay per call solution is a sure fire way for advertisers to reduce their call through rate. “It means users would have to download a specific application in order to click on an ad. In contrast, with eStara’s click to call service the end user experience is seamless, thus resulting in higher call rates.”

The monetization of online lead generation has become a top priority for ad networks, web portals, search engines and media groups, with pay per call leading the charge. The Kelsey Group predicts that by 2009 pay per call advertising revenue will reach an estimated $4 billion. “In order for it to work, you have to give the consumer choices,” says Siegrist. “You can’t tie them down to proprietary software because then you’ll lose the millions of consumers out there that don’t want to download and install yet another application on their PC.”

eStara provides a full PC to PC VoIP end-to-end call experience if customers desire using Softphone on their desktop, a PC to Phone experience, a click-to-call back Phone-to-Phone experience, and a strictly Phone-based experience using VoIP-enabled local and toll-free call tracking numbers. Regardless of how companies want to implement their pay for performance ads, eStara is able to track their calls and prove ROI, and has the experience to provide effective guidance on what will and won’t work.


With more than 350 large enterprise clients across hundreds of countries in 17 languages, eStara’s technology is the most widely deployed click to call service in the world. “Companies are recognizing the promise of pay per call,” says Siegrist. “A call is worth more to most businesses than a click through to a website or a text chat request. We don’t want companies to miss out on potential revenue by buying into a trend before they consider a proven, turnkey solution suite.”



About eStara:
eStara (www.estara.com) develops business-to-consumer communications services for large enterprises, media companies, online directories and search engines that improve communication and collaboration, increase revenue, and enable clients to attract and retain more online customers.

eStara’s Push to Talk service is the most widely deployed "click to call" service in the world with over 3,000,000 users in 113 countries. The company serves more than 350 global enterprises across multiple industries including directory and on-line publishers and lead generation companies, financial services, retail, travel and hospitality, real estate and automotive. To date, companies such as Dell Financial Services, JCrew, Continental Airlines, and DaimlerChrysler –- to name a few— have used eStara’s Push to Talk.

eStara’s Track the Call (www.trackthecall.com) service provides a flexible, scalable call tracking and monitoring service that supports a variety of revenue models, including pay per call and subscription with the largest inventory of local numbers in the industry. eStara call tracking technology is used by search engine and directory publishers including ThomasNet, Amazon.com’s A9.com, Yahoo UK & Ireland and Verizon’s Superpages.com.

Media Contact:
Candace Brosowsky
RMR & Associates
301-230-0045 x 14

Dan Obregon
eStara
703-648-8281
dan@estara.com



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