From Issue #5 , Page #21

Trying to avoid those calls from Grandma? Now you can be very selective. Verizon has introduced its iobi service, which allows you to manage calls in real-time instead of stockpiling them for when you get home.

"iobi Home will be a life-saver for working parents, who can monitor and manage the home line throughout the day, and for home office workers who can use iobi Home to be in two places at once, virtually," says Toby S. Frank, product manager for Verizon. Users can program calls to follow you to a variety of Web-enabled devices, where you will get notified of incoming calls or messages via email and/or desktop notification.

The iobi service first launched last fall in various U.S. markets, but will be going national by spring 2005. "We expect iobi Home will really catch on," says Frank. "It offers real-time awareness and control of calls and information, regardless of where you are."

For $7.95 per month, iobi allows Verizon landline users to forward calls to a variety of numbers. You can also track and receive voice messages through email. A business version and one for enterprise applications are also rolling out as part of the launch.