The hassle of missing calls while you are surfing the Net or being disconnected by call waiting may be over.
Telstra has announced a new Internet call diversion service that diverts incoming calls to the user's PC as they surf.
Customer receive a pop-up message on their screen telling them there is an incoming call and giving them the option of accepting it.
They can talk to the caller using the PC's microphone or a headset, while they continue to surf.
Anyone with a Pentium 133 or better with 32MB of RAM, 28.8K modem, duplex sound card and Windows 9x, NT or 2000 can use the system as long as they have EasyCall phone diversion facilities.
The system, which was developed by Telstra in conjunction with Alcatel and Cisco, will operate with Internet Explorer 4.01 or above but Telstra has warned it may not be compatible with some free Internet Service Provider Accounts.
Nor will it operate if there is a firewall in place.
The system, called iCall Waiting costs AU$5.50 and requires the user to install Telstra's software on to their system.
Telstra says the service has already been trialed by more than 12,500 users and given the thumbs up, however, the service only allows customers to receive calls, not make them.
It is being targeted at home and home office users and Telstra's general manager of enterprise solutions Anthony Goonan said it would provide most benefit to single phone-line users.
"The service is particularly useful for small businesses operating from home, families and shared households that have only one phone line."
He said the service was the first of several new products using Internet Protocol technology that Telstra expected to introduce in coming months.
"Next year we will see a number of new and exciting products emerge from this technology," he said.
