The last thing Kym Illman expected when he answered his mobile was to be placed on hold for over six hours.
The Grand Hyatt Hotel Singapore had returned Mr Illman's call to confirm restaurant reservations and placed the Perth-based businessman on hold while investigating a query about room reservations.
"Ten minutes of classical on hold music later, I began to wonder if she'd forgotten me," Mr Illman told couriermail.com.au.
"At the 30 minute mark I figured she certainly had but since I wasn't paying for the call I decided to keep the line open and seen how long it was before they realised I was suspended in their phone system."
Placing his mobile on his charger, Mr Illman went out to the football and to dinner and when he returned was amazed to find he was still on hold.
After five hours and 30 minutes Mr Illman emailed the hotel advising them he was tiring of being on hold; a short time later the hotel tracked down the call and hung up.
''Total time on hold - six hours, eight minutes and forty-two seconds," he said.
" As owner of Perth-based on hold production company Messages On Hold, I know a thing or two about being on hold, but I challenge anyone to beat six hours plus on hold,'' Mr Illman said.
Mr Illman says he is yet to receive a response to his original enquiry about his reservations.
Grand Hyatt management said it was unaware of the incident but would look into it.
Greg Tingle comment
Now, that's what I call turning a negative into a positive. I'm ex Telstra and Optus, and former Sales and Service Award winner of the month. I've seen the best and worse of the telephony carriers. Grand Hyatt seems to have taken things to the next level. Should we rebrand the offender as The Grand Hangup? Thank goddess for folks like Kym Illman to tip us off on these things. Does Paris Hilton or her grandfather know about this yet?
Media Man Australia Profiles
Kym Illman
Messages On Hold
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Facebook takes over MySpace's world - 14th August 2008
New industry figures show Facebook has dethroned MySpace to become the world's most popular social networking website.
Slightly more than 132 million people visited Facebook in June as compared to the approximately 117.5 million that went to MySpace that month, according to industry tracker comScore.
Facebook seized the social networking crown from News Corp-owned MySpace in April, comScore reported.
Facebook's moves to tailor versions of its website to languages other than English is credited with giving it a boost in international users that pushed it to the top of the social networking heap.
"Facebook has done an exceptional job of leveraging its brand internationally during the past year," comScore vice-president Jack Flanagan said in a statement.
"By increasing the site's relevance to local markets through local language interface translation, the site is now competing strongly or even capturing the lead in several markets where it had a relatively minor presence just a year ago."
Ranks of social network users grew nine per cent in North America but leapt 25 per cent globally to 580.51 million people over the past year, according to comScore.
The number of people using social networking websites climbed 66 per cent in the Middle East-Africa region and 35 per cent in Europe.
Twice as many people visited Hi5 in June as did in the same month a year earlier, while visits to Orkut, Bebo and Friendster increased by more than 30 per cent at each of the social networking websites.
"During the past year, many of the top social networking sites have demonstrated rapid growth in their global user bases," comScore reported.
"Facebook's recent ascension to become the top global social networking site has been spurred by its substantial growth across worldwide regions."
Visits to MySpace were up three per cent in the month over month comparison.
While North America has 49 million Facebook users, Europe is "quickly catching up," according to comScore.
The number of people who visited Facebook in Europe in June was 35.2 million; more than triple what it was in the same month last year.
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Slightly more than 132 million people visited Facebook in June as compared to the approximately 117.5 million that went to MySpace that month, according to industry tracker comScore.
Facebook seized the social networking crown from News Corp-owned MySpace in April, comScore reported.
Facebook's moves to tailor versions of its website to languages other than English is credited with giving it a boost in international users that pushed it to the top of the social networking heap.
"Facebook has done an exceptional job of leveraging its brand internationally during the past year," comScore vice-president Jack Flanagan said in a statement.
"By increasing the site's relevance to local markets through local language interface translation, the site is now competing strongly or even capturing the lead in several markets where it had a relatively minor presence just a year ago."
Ranks of social network users grew nine per cent in North America but leapt 25 per cent globally to 580.51 million people over the past year, according to comScore.
The number of people using social networking websites climbed 66 per cent in the Middle East-Africa region and 35 per cent in Europe.
Twice as many people visited Hi5 in June as did in the same month a year earlier, while visits to Orkut, Bebo and Friendster increased by more than 30 per cent at each of the social networking websites.
"During the past year, many of the top social networking sites have demonstrated rapid growth in their global user bases," comScore reported.
"Facebook's recent ascension to become the top global social networking site has been spurred by its substantial growth across worldwide regions."
Visits to MySpace were up three per cent in the month over month comparison.
While North America has 49 million Facebook users, Europe is "quickly catching up," according to comScore.
The number of people who visited Facebook in Europe in June was 35.2 million; more than triple what it was in the same month last year.
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iCoins launches Facebook app CoinJars, pledges to be very viable choice for electronic cash - Press Release
Now lending cash, paying, giving to charity and shopping via the social networking website Facebook has been made easier as iCoins Limited recently launched its Facebook application CoinJars, a place where digital cash can be stored and moved safely.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRLog (Press Release) – Feb 20, 2008 – The application, which can be accessed at http://apps.facebook.com/coinjars and at its Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=6489937223&ref=s is a wallet application built on the iCoins platform, which includes a fully secured and licensed eMoney issuer.
Transferring of funds from one party to another on the Internet has to date required both parties to have wallets within the same system (such as Paypal). In the traditional banking world solutions such as IBAN – an international banking account number standard – provides a solution but is limited in that it only works between bank accounts. Moreover, transfers using IBAN (or SWIFT) are only credited once the actual funds are received by the receiving bank. This delay is inappropriate in today’s connected world. Other money transfer services such as Western Union and Moneygram provide international non-banking transfers. While these systems have proven to be useful in the offline world, these have not proven to be as useful in the ever growing online world.
Gibraltar-based iCoins aims to change all this with its system that provides the transfer mechanisms of SWIFT and IBAN, with real time execution, integrated within existing players in the online eWallet space. Facebook users can now enjoy the same security and freedom of cash movement through the CoinJars application.
Extending Coinars to provide a simple cash collection mechanism for small merchants on Facebook is a logical extension and is already in the works, according to iCoins CEO Adriaan Brink.
“We are extremely proud of CoinJars. It provides a showcase for our core iCoins secure digital cash technology. By providing the ability, through the CoinJars application,to transfer iCoins quickly, safely and easily between Facebook users and also to and from any places outside the Facebook system that support iCoins, the exciting potential of iCoins becomes apparent. These external places include merchants and also Payment Providers which facilitate the purchase and redemption of iCoins. We’re very optimistic that iCoins, through integrated eWallets such as CoinJars, will revolutionize the way we pay online.” Brink emphasized.
The CEO also underscored the fact that the user’s money (while in iCoin format) is all underwritten by a licensed eMoney operation (a “Treasury” in iCoins-speak). The Treasury for CoinJars is Mintflow Limited in the Isle of Man.
“The purpose of this mechanism is not to replace the credit card and other payment methods such as Paypal in normal merchant payments, but to facilitate payments that would normally be too expensive (small payments or between distant places) and to facilitate payments between disparate systems,” Brink said.
With the presence of iCoins and integrated eWallets such as CoinJars, people all over the world are given more viable, cost-efficient choices in dealing with online payments and money transfers.
Developers wishing to integrate with the iCoins digital money platform are advised to visit www.icoins.com for more information. iCoins is actively pursuing integrations with as wide a variety of payment platforms as possible.
More information at www.icoins.com & Facebook http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=21145115323
About CoinJars
CoinJars is iCoins’ application at social networking website Facebook. It is a wallet application built on the iCoins platform, which includes a fully secured and licensed eMoney issuer. The application can be accessed at http://apps.facebook.com/coinjars and at its Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=64899372 ...
About iCoins
iCoins, based in Gibraltar, are developers and operators of an electronic cash system that can be integrated with existing 3rd party wallet servers. iCoins is a digital cash mechanism designed to allow cash transactions between disparate and unrelated Wallet systems in the digital era. iCoins are similar to bank notes. They can be acquired by a consumer on application to a suitable issuer (similar to a bank in the real world).
iCoins Limited
www.icoins.com
3 Garrison House
Library Ramp
Gibraltar
Tel. +350 48595
Fax No. +350 52911
FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT:
Sara Waller- Marketing Manager, iCoins Ltd
E: sara@icoins.com
Tel+ 350 48595
# # #
iCoins, based in Gibraltar, are developers and operators of an electronic cash system that can be integrated with existing 3rd party wallet servers. iCoins is a digital cash mechanism designed to allow cash transactions between disparate and unrelated Wallet systems in the digital era. iCoins are similar to bank notes. They can be acquired by a consumer on application to a suitable issuer (similar to a bank in the real world).
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Facebook
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRLog (Press Release) – Feb 20, 2008 – The application, which can be accessed at http://apps.facebook.com/coinjars and at its Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=6489937223&ref=s is a wallet application built on the iCoins platform, which includes a fully secured and licensed eMoney issuer.
Transferring of funds from one party to another on the Internet has to date required both parties to have wallets within the same system (such as Paypal). In the traditional banking world solutions such as IBAN – an international banking account number standard – provides a solution but is limited in that it only works between bank accounts. Moreover, transfers using IBAN (or SWIFT) are only credited once the actual funds are received by the receiving bank. This delay is inappropriate in today’s connected world. Other money transfer services such as Western Union and Moneygram provide international non-banking transfers. While these systems have proven to be useful in the offline world, these have not proven to be as useful in the ever growing online world.
Gibraltar-based iCoins aims to change all this with its system that provides the transfer mechanisms of SWIFT and IBAN, with real time execution, integrated within existing players in the online eWallet space. Facebook users can now enjoy the same security and freedom of cash movement through the CoinJars application.
Extending Coinars to provide a simple cash collection mechanism for small merchants on Facebook is a logical extension and is already in the works, according to iCoins CEO Adriaan Brink.
“We are extremely proud of CoinJars. It provides a showcase for our core iCoins secure digital cash technology. By providing the ability, through the CoinJars application,to transfer iCoins quickly, safely and easily between Facebook users and also to and from any places outside the Facebook system that support iCoins, the exciting potential of iCoins becomes apparent. These external places include merchants and also Payment Providers which facilitate the purchase and redemption of iCoins. We’re very optimistic that iCoins, through integrated eWallets such as CoinJars, will revolutionize the way we pay online.” Brink emphasized.
The CEO also underscored the fact that the user’s money (while in iCoin format) is all underwritten by a licensed eMoney operation (a “Treasury” in iCoins-speak). The Treasury for CoinJars is Mintflow Limited in the Isle of Man.
“The purpose of this mechanism is not to replace the credit card and other payment methods such as Paypal in normal merchant payments, but to facilitate payments that would normally be too expensive (small payments or between distant places) and to facilitate payments between disparate systems,” Brink said.
With the presence of iCoins and integrated eWallets such as CoinJars, people all over the world are given more viable, cost-efficient choices in dealing with online payments and money transfers.
Developers wishing to integrate with the iCoins digital money platform are advised to visit www.icoins.com for more information. iCoins is actively pursuing integrations with as wide a variety of payment platforms as possible.
More information at www.icoins.com & Facebook http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=21145115323
About CoinJars
CoinJars is iCoins’ application at social networking website Facebook. It is a wallet application built on the iCoins platform, which includes a fully secured and licensed eMoney issuer. The application can be accessed at http://apps.facebook.com/coinjars and at its Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=64899372 ...
About iCoins
iCoins, based in Gibraltar, are developers and operators of an electronic cash system that can be integrated with existing 3rd party wallet servers. iCoins is a digital cash mechanism designed to allow cash transactions between disparate and unrelated Wallet systems in the digital era. iCoins are similar to bank notes. They can be acquired by a consumer on application to a suitable issuer (similar to a bank in the real world).
iCoins Limited
www.icoins.com
3 Garrison House
Library Ramp
Gibraltar
Tel. +350 48595
Fax No. +350 52911
FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES PLEASE CONTACT:
Sara Waller- Marketing Manager, iCoins Ltd
E: sara@icoins.com
Tel+ 350 48595
# # #
iCoins, based in Gibraltar, are developers and operators of an electronic cash system that can be integrated with existing 3rd party wallet servers. iCoins is a digital cash mechanism designed to allow cash transactions between disparate and unrelated Wallet systems in the digital era. iCoins are similar to bank notes. They can be acquired by a consumer on application to a suitable issuer (similar to a bank in the real world).
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