Cincinnati Bell

Cincinnati Bell brings texting to landlines via Casabi

Doug Mohney — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 21:56:50 -0500

If you ever wanted to get text messages on a landline, Cincinnati Bell has introduced the Smart Home Phone, a device allowing customers to send and receive SMS text messages. Is it crazy, retro, or brilliant? Frankly, we don't know. But can you say "Casabi?"

Cincinnati Bell's new service and device, which launched Monday, also allows customers to review a list of voicemail entries, play or delete entries in any order and read them as text messages (via a speech-to-text process delivered by the SpinVox service). Landline customers also can look up information in the Yellow Pages, and read news, weather and sports at the push of a button.

If you're wondering, the Smart Home Phone is a hybrid of Cincinnati Bell's ZoomTown high-speed internet and home phone services. Customers buying a bundle of landline and ZoomTown services can buy a cordless Smart Home Phone handset for $29.99; regular retail price is $129.99 (Ouch!). Smart Home Phone customers get three free months of text messaging and SpinVox service with the option to purchase unlimited texting for $9.99 per month (Ouch!) and unlimited SpinVox for ($5.99 per month) after the trial.

According to Cincinnati Bell, "additional integrated features" are in the pipeline, including access to wireless address books, white pages and email in the future. At the rates CB is floating for the text services now - dudes, IM is free! -- we're afraid to ask what additional features will cost.

Before you pass this off as a passing fad, AT&T has been poking around with the enabling backend Casabi technology for a couple of years. Casabi is a client/server technology that puts a SIP "web-light" client on the phone side that talks to back end servers that can deliver everything from today's weather to horoscopes to the latest sports scores. Embarq rolled out a variant of the technology - albeit without the SMS text messaging whistles - earlier this year.

Cincinnati Bell tends to lean forward on technology, but on this one we're not prepared to bet against either AT&T and/or Verizon making similar Casabi-flavored announcements at CES 2009. We also wouldn't be surprised to see the bigger cable companies pull the pin on their own Casabi-esque announcements Real Soon Now.

For more:
- Cinc Bell announces text messaging for home phone

Cincinnati Bell

Dan O'Shea — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:12:19 -0400

Location: Cincinnati, Ohio

Why it's so cutting-edge: The company has not been afraid to make bets on new technologies or new business moves. It was among the first service providers in the U.S. to roll out a fixed-mobile converged service, and just days ago announced a unique smartphone family plan from its wireless unit. CEO Jack Cassidy was lauded as "The Most Honest Man in Telecom" by Forbes magazine, and has made several small, but strategic, acquisitions in the last year. The telco had a strong second quarter, and Cassidy is now helped by a COO and a new CFO to back him up.

But can it keep its edge? FMC is in a critical period as it moves out of its infancy stage as a commercial service. The acquisitions helped Cincinnati Bell achieve bigger numbers in Q2, but what will future financials hold? The regional play also will sometime soon face the prospect of a consolidating independent telco sector, and decide what role it wants to play.

Cinci Bell revenue, profit increase

Dan O'Shea — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:18:37 -0400

Independent telco Cincinnati Bell posted a 6 percent increase in net income in its second quarter earnings report and a 7 percent increase in revenue. The profit mark was $26 million and gave the company earnings per share of 9 cent, about 10 percent higher than the same period last year. Revenue came in at $351 million. Wireline segment revenue was down slightly, but lower voice revenue was mostly offset by improvements in wireless, DSL and other areas. The telco recently named a new chief operating officer and a new chief financial officer, and is coming off a period in which it made a handful of small acquisitions.

For more:
- see this press release

Related articles:
Cincinnati Bell named two new executives earlier this month. Cincinnati Bell report
Cincinnati Bell acquired GramTelUSA and eGix within the last year. Cincinnati Bell report

Cinci Bell names new COO, CFO

Dan O'Shea — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 19:01:10 -0400

Independent teclo Cincinnati Bell has named its current chief financial officer, Brian Ross, as its new chief operating officer. Ross, a 13-year Cincinnati Bell employee, succeeds former COO Rodney Dir, who left the company late last year. Also, Gary Wojtaszek has been named to succeed Ross as CFO. Both moves will go into effect Aug. 1.

Cincinnati Bell last year became one of the first telcos in the U.S. to launch a fixed-mobile converged service. The company also made three acquisitions within the last year, and has been viewed as thriving under the guidance of CEO Jack Cassidy. Still, the company saw its net income decline by 49% in the first quarter of this year.

For more:
- see this Associated Press story at CNN Money

Related articles:
Cincinnati Bell bought CenturyTel's Dayton unit earlier this year Cincinnati Bell report
Cincinnati Bell's revenue was up, but profit declined for Q2 Cincinnati Bell report