Shaquille O’Neal has teamed up as a shareholder and global brand ambassador with Chicago-based TIP Solutions, a start-up software company building a patented set of software and firmware technologies around incoming call management. In his role as a global brand ambassador, O’Neal will initially promote and educate consumers about TIP’s downloadable app, CallSnap. CallSnap is a newly upgraded Android app to version 2.0 which enables call recipients to “Show or TellSM” what they are doing by instantly responding to an incoming call by taking a photo or, thanks to the app’s new upgrade, an instant voice message that gets sent back to the caller. Launched as a photosharing-only app to visually explain busy situations to callers, CallSnap’s newly added audio message upgrade provides personal and interactive “sound bite” responses for callers—simply slide it, snap it or record it and share it!
Along with the newly added instant voice message response, CallSnap’s upgrade allows users who cannot answer the call or take a photo to choose an image from the provided gallery to represent what they are doing such as working, eating, studying, etc. O’Neal has joined the TIP team because he wants to create a movement to change mobile voice behavior.
“The mobile experience has not changed very much over the last ten years, and TIP Solutions will impact how the world will answer a phone call,” said O’Neal.
“As both an iPhone and Android phone user, Shaquille understands the impact TIP’s technology can have with all mobile users,” said TIP Solutions CEO John Braun. “TIP Solutions has downloadable and embedded patented phone applications that will change mobile call management.”
How the Upgraded CallSnap Works
By responding to a phone call with a personalized audio message or “instant voicemail”, CallSnap’s new audio feature provides a new way to communicate. Here’s how it works:
1. In response to an incoming call, the call recipient has the option to slide the icon left to respond with a CallSnap photo or slide right to respond with an instant audio message.
2. After sliding the icon right, CallSnap declines the incoming call and the call recipient is given the opportunity to record an audio message.
3. After recording the voice message, it will then send as an audio text message back to the caller, so anyone with a text message plan can receive the recording.
In addition to promoting the newly upgraded CallSnap, O’Neal will focus on marketing TIP Solutions’ Smart CallsTM embedded call management technology, including the following: HOLD-ONTM, a button on the incoming call screen that allows callers to put an incoming call on hold, and GOT-CALLTM, a button that plays a pre-recorded voice response to the caller so they know you saw the call and will be reminded to return it later. Shaq recently had a sales trip visit with the TIP team in China, where Smart Calls is being custom built into phones that are currently on sale in the Indian market. The features will be rolling out in the U.S. market in 2014.
Lastly, the TIP team is working on an Android and iOS app that provides users a “missed call log” when their phone has been off the network. This feature is particularly attractive to O’Neal. “When I’m on planes, I currently miss all my calls unless they leave a voicemail,” said O’Neal. “I’m looking forward to having TIP’s suite of apps so I can better manage my calls both on and off the network.”
The Android CallSnap app is available to download for free in the Google Play store. Please visit www.callsnapapp.com for more information. Visit www.tipsolutions.com to see O’Neal using TIP’s mobile applications.
About TIP Solutions
Founded in 2009, TIP Solutions is a Chicago-based technology company that creates innovative voice-centric applications for mobile phones geared at making call management more efficient. TIP stands for “Technology in Progress” and TIP Solutions’ patented applications for Smartphones are truly pioneering, identifying and solving common communication problems that people face every day with their mobile communication. TIP Solutions was a winner in the International CTIA Wireless 2012 BIG Idea Contest and the CTIA 2013 Start-Up Mic Throwdown Contest for their HOLD-ON! and GOT-CALL Smart Calls tools. For more information, visit www.tipsolutions.com.
About CallSnap
Founded by TIP Solutions, a Chicago-based technology company whose mission is to make mobile call management more efficient, CallSnap is an Android application that provides call recipients the chance to prove that “a picture’s worth a thousand words” by responding instantly to an incoming call either with an image or by responding with a new instant voice message feature. The Android app is available to download for free in the Google Play store. Visit www.callsnapapp.com for more information.