“Mobile mail technology is nothing new,” says Denis Kotlar, Renzoo CEO. “But we’ve gone beyond what’s typically available in the marketplace by making it easier for consumers to set up and use. Renzoo works with any ordinary WAP-enabled mobile phone, without the need to download and configure software. The set up process is so easy that the user can start receiving emails in a matter of minutes, while designating which messages to receive.”
Renzoo does not require users to upgrade to a more capable phone or to change any of their mobile communication habits. At the same time they can use their ordinary mobile phone as a full functional email terminal with message viewing, including attachments (such as .doc, .xls, .pdf), replying and forwarding. The service is free, with optional pay-as-you-go message alerts that cost as little as 6p per alert. Users are given 200 free credits on sign up, which is the equivalent to 20 alerts.
In addition, Renzoo mobile email can leverage use of free Email to SMS alert services by extending them to access emails in full instead of just first 160 characters of a message. These Email to SMS services are provided by many network operators very often free of charge to their subscribers.
“Renzoo is for consumers on the go who need to stay in touch with their email correspondence but want to receive only selected messages” says Kotlar.
Unlike complex products such as the Blackberry, Renzoo is designed for average consumers who only need remote access to their email accounts on a limited basis. It doesn’t require full-time synchronization to the user’s main email account, but can be activated at will when the user is away from the computer and expecting an important message. Users can receive emails from up to 5 of their existing email accounts, such as Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo mail or any POP3 account.
Kotlar points out that while approximately 70-80% mobile subscribers have email clients on their phones and 47% of those are interested in mobile email, only 1% actively use the service. The primary challenge seems to be setup and configuration, which is a more complicated process than most people can comfortably manage. Email clients require the consumer to enter personal data, service provider information and additional parameters such as port numbers. Most consumers don't have this information and don't know where to find it. By the time they look at all the steps required to set up the email client, they've decided that it's too difficult. According to WDS Global, a tech support service for many carriers in Europe and US, the rate of abandonment for mobile email is very high; data settings represent 46% of all calls they take, and email is becoming one of the most frequent caller issues.
By contrast, Renzoo allows consumers to configure via a web interface, which is something that most carriers don't offer. A single click enables or disables the email service, and users have control over a wide range of options, including:
- Control of which emails are received on the phone
- Automatic detection that activates mobile email when the user is away from his/her computer
- Specification of day and time to receive emails
- Specification of maximum number of email alerts per day to be received
- Choices as to how messages are accessed and whether to receive new message alerts
“Renzoo has simplified and enhanced the mobile email experience,”
Consumers can try a beta version of Renzoo at www.renzoo.co.uk