PREPAID CALLING CARD QUESTIONS & ANSWERS


Q.) I have a friend in France that said Prepaid Calling Cards are being used throughout Europe. How will Prepaid Calling Cards work with my TSP™ System?

A.) Prepaid Calling Cards are long distance calling cards that are purchased from merchants such as convenience stores, vending machines, hotel card shops, cellular telephone rental companies, travel agents, taxi companies, and prisons. A Prepaid Calling Card may be issued in any amount, denomination or in units. Printed on the front of a Prepaid Calling Card is a toll free number. When the cardholder calls this Toll Free number from a touch-tone phone and enters the PIN number, the TSP™ then checks the PIN and can speak the available balance in the caller’s language of choice. The TSP™ then requests a phone number to dial for the caller. After the caller enters a phone number, the TSP™ System can be configured to speak the number of minutes the cardholder can use for that call, based on the PIN balance. A cutoff warning is issued at one minute. The caller can also link another Prepaid Calling Card at any time during a live call without disconnecting, which is a feature exclusive only to the TSP™.


Q.) What is a T1 (or E1), and what is its purpose?

A.) A T1 consists of a specially conditioned pair of phone lines for high-speed (1.54 million bits per second) data transmissions. Using the Voiceware™ Systems TSP™ a single T1 can carry as many as 12 (two-way) conversations at one time (a total of 24 lines). An E1 can carry 15 (two-way) conversations at one time (a total of 30 lines). The voices are always kept in digital format for perfect clarity. A T1 may be supplied by either the Local Exchange Carrier (LEC, for example, BellSouth, NYNEX, or GTE), Competitive Access Provider (CAP), or by an Inter-Exchange Carrier (IXC, for example, AT&T, Sprint, MCI, LDDS, or Cable & Wireless). U.S. domestic and international rates from an IXC T1 are always less than an LEC T1. LEC T1s are more expensive due to access charges and taxes that are required for local governments.


Q.) How many Prepaid Calling Cards can be supported by my two T1 or two E1 System?

A.) It is not possible to accurately predict the number of cardholders the TSP™ System may accommodate on a pair of T1s. Call habits vary from cardholder to cardholder. For a 12-hour day, 30 business days a month, a pair of T1s (24 simultaneous conversations) will generate more than 520,000 minutes per month of revenue, if the lines are busy 100% of the time. When you are distributing the cards, keep in mind how the cards will be used and that on a two T1 system, you have capacity for 24 simultaneous conversations. (24 in and 24 out for a total of 48 lines).


Q.) What is your largest installation for a Voiceware™ Systems TSP™?

A.) As of June 1998, the largest installation is 1,680 lines generating well over 10 million minutes per month.


Q.) Is a service contract available for my TSP™ System?

A.) With the purchase of any TSP™ complete system, an on-site service contract is included for the first year. The standard Voiceware™ Systems contract includes all parts and labor and loaner hardware, based on availability. After the first year, additional Service Contracts are available in any major city in the U.S. at the rate of $170 per month per 24 ports or $1895 per year per 24 ports. Regular hours are Monday through Friday 8:30am to 5:00pm ET. 24 hour service provided to customers during other than the standard service contract times is available at an hourly rate of $150.00 per hour with a two-hour minimum.


Q.) Where can I get the hard plastic Calling Cards or the disposable Prepaid Calling Cards?

A.) Voiceware™ Systems has sources for both the hard plastic and disposable Prepaid Calling Cards. Talk to your sales representative for a complete list of vendors.


Q.) “I’m Sold!” What are my payment terms for the TSP™ System?

A.) If you are purchasing by check, we require a 50% prepayment four to six weeks before your installation date. When we deliver the system, an additional 40% is due. At the end of the 2 days of installation and training, the remaining 10% is due. Installations outside the United States require 90% of the purchase price before shipping the System outside the United States.

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