Consumer Adoption of Free 411 Services Driving Major Shifts in Directory Assistance Market, with 1-800-FREE411 Leading the Industry.MENLO PARK Menlo Park. 1 Residential city (1990 pop. 28,040), San Mateo co., W Calif.; inc. 1874. Electronic equipment and aerospace products are manufactured in the city. Menlo College and a Stanford Univ. research institute are there. 2 Uninc. , Calif. -- Jingle Networks Jingle Networks, Inc. is an American media network offering a free directory assistance service called 1-800-FREE411. Consumers dial 1-800-FREE411 (1-800-373-3411) from any phone in the United States to use the toll-free service, which allows callers to obtain any :
Data from comScore Networks and Jingle Networks Shows High 411 Fees as
Major Factor Driving Widespread Industry Shift;
Jingle's 1-800-FREE-411 Service Now Processing Nearly 3% of All
Directory Assistance Calls
Consumer behavior and preferences are changing rapidly in the $7.4 billion directory assistance (DA) market, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. both a recent comScore comScore is an internet marketing research company that provides marketing data and services to many of the internet's largest businesses [1]. comScore tracks all internet data on its surveyed computers in order to study online behavior. Networks study as well as internal data from Jingle Networks, Inc., operator of the 1-800-FREE411 free DA service. Jingle Networks today released figures illustrating that changing consumer preferences are driving extraordinary growth of the 1-800-FREE411 service less than one year after its debut. comScore Networks conducted an online survey in June 2006 that was commissioned by Jingle Networks. The survey of 2,500 randomly selected respondents In the context of marketing research, a representative sample drawn from a larger population of people from whom information is collected and used to develop or confirm marketing strategy. was sent via email invitation. The findings show that: --71% of consumers strongly believe that 411 services should be provided free of charge; --Only 5% are satisfied with and do not mind paying for their 411 service; --74% limit their 411 usage due to cost factors; --When asked what, if anything, they dislike about DA services, 65% selected "high cost"; --88% said they would probably or definitely use a free 411 service more frequently than a paid 411 service; and --More than 40% either do not know how much their mobile phone provider charges for DA or believe it is less than the actual fee. comScore's findings can be downloaded here: http://www.free411.com/press/Comscore.pdf In addition, the following data from Jingle Networks shows consumers are flocking flocking 1. counterpart of herding but for a flock. 2. precipitation, usually by the addition of a chemical, of protein in a solution for the purpose of clarifying it. to the first and largest ad-supported DA service. --1-800-FREE411 is now processing nearly three percent of all U.S. directory assistance calls; --In August, 1-800-FREE411 processed more than 13 million calls made by more than four million consumers; --Daily call volume has exceeded 500,000 calls; and --Jingle has processed more than 72 million calls since its introduction in September 2005. Underscoring the consumer need for a free 411 service, the average cost of a 411 call has increased from 38 cents in 1995 to $1.10 in 2005, according to industry research firm The Pierz Group. In the past month, Cingular has announced plans to increase its 411 charges by 19 percent to $1.79, and Verizon, which currently charges between $0.46 and $1.25 per call in its region, has taken steps to decrease the number of complimentary 411 calls it is required to provide customers. "It has become clear over the last several months that the directory assistance market is going through a period of swift and significant change, driven largely by the introduction of free services (O.Eng. Law) such feudal services as were not unbecoming the character of a soldier or a freemen to perform; as, to serve under his lord in war, to pay a sum of money, etc. See also: Free from companies like Jingle Networks," said Kathleen Pierz, managing partner, The Pierz Group, LLC (Logical Link Control) See "LANs" under data link protocol. LLC - Logical Link Control . "Jingle has taken a leadership position, and is expanding the total directory assistance market by increasing total call volumes and offering innovative, advertising-focused business models." "Clearly we've hit a chord chord, in geometry chord (kôrd), in geometry, straight line segment both end points of which lie on the circumference of a circle or other curve; it is a segment of a secant. A chord passing through the center of a circle is a diameter. by introducing a free-to-consumer 411 service. We've seen dramatic growth since day one and will be processing hundreds of millions of calls annually by next year," said George Garrick, president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Jingle Networks. "We've also seen strong interest and adoption from advertisers looking to reach consumers in a highly targeted way when they are in ready-to-buy mode. Directory assistance is the only major medium in which consumers must pay to be put in touch with businesses they want to buy from; Jingle is changing the industry landscape by offering a free, advertiser-supported service which enables consumers to freely access information that they believe should be free." About Jingle Networks Jingle Networks is creating an exciting new media network through 1-800-FREE411, the nation's leading advertiser-supported directory assistance service, which is revolutionizing the directory assistance industry by offering consumers a free alternative to the high cost 411 services provided by landline Land based. Refers to standard telephone and data communications systems that use in-ground and telephone pole cables in contrast to wireless cellular and satellite services. carriers and mobile phone companies. 1-800-FREE411 is supported by national and local advertisers who use 1-800-FREE411 as both a branding and direct-response media channel to target messages to callers within the context of a normal-length 411 call. In addition, FREE411.com on the Internet Internet Publicly accessible computer network connecting many smaller networks from around the world. It grew out of a U.S. Defense Department program called ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), established in 1969 with connections between computers at the provides consumers with an easy to use Web-based resource for telephone number lookups. For more information, visit: http://www.free411.com. |
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