Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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Long Distance Negotiation Agent

PDA or cell phone application that determines out best rate given the time of day, phone being used and anticipated length of call.
 
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<pleasantry> Happy New Year! </ pleasantry>

1) Every night a software agent on your home computer surveys the web for posted rate tables from long distance companies. (this might require some regulation/standards or not...) some companies might consider it very cheap advertising to comply with the formatting needs of these agents, others will opt out. Anyhoooo...

2) The software on your home computer then compiles a decision tree for phone call cost optimizing and hands it off to either your terribly smart phone or your PDA.

This little agent then waits for you to make a call and it pops up a quick question or two: How long will the call be? Which phone are you using? (my cell, another's cell, payphone, office phone, etc..)

The agent SW then consults the optimized decision tree and either displays the number sequence to dial or plays the dial tones.

In effect you would participate in the spot market for Long Distance phone rates and the SW would be your buying agent.

Of course the phone companies have little interest in selling this feature in their phones but I think there would be a lovely little customer base for it.

SW Bakers to your development suites, post haste!

DadManWalking, Dec 31 2003

[link]






       //Long Distance Negotiation Agent //
<oblig> The Reverend Jesse Jackson? </oblig>
Letsbuildafort, Dec 31 2003
  

       This exists as a service for home phones. Can one really negotiate the long distance carrier for cell phone calls? I always assumed it was with whom you had your contract.
phoenix, Dec 31 2003
  

       [phoenix] do you have a link for that? Sounds interesting.
DadManWalking, Dec 31 2003
  

       I get that it is done (and thanks for the term of art,"Least Cost Routing") [humanbean] in the PBX and PC-controlled phones. i just want my PDA to know the ropes and help me save $.
DadManWalking, Jan 01 2004
  

       I think this is good especially for people like me who always make international calls +
nomadic_wonderer, Jan 05 2004
  

       hey nomad, you are the type I was thinking about. plus those of us who have a hard time remembering the codes and prefixes etc
DadManWalking, Jan 05 2004
  
      
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