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Pingo Announces New Convenience Features for Consumers and Small Businesses,
Making Low-Cost International Calling Easier Than Ever
iBasis Introduces Auto Recharge Via Phone And Enhanced Speed Dialing To its
Popular Pingo Online Calling Service
BBURLINGTON, Mass. - November 26, 2007 Pingo®, the online
calling service from iBasis (NASDAQ: IBAS), today announced it has added new convenience
features making it easier than ever for consumers and small business users to take
advantage of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) for low-cost international calling. Pingo and Pingo Business™ are powerful telephony
services that deliver the savings of VoIP, while allowing consumers to use any fixed-line
or mobile phone without additional specialized equipment purchases or software
downloads.
Pingo consumers have long been able to set up their accounts to
automatically recharge when they reach a predetermined balance. Now, with the new feature,
Pingo's interactive voice response system alerts users making Pingo calls when their
account has a low balance, and with the simple push of the * key a consumer account can be
replenished.
For both consumers and business users, Pingo has also introduced
enhanced speed-dialing capabilities. After registering mobile or fixed-line phones in
their account online, users simply call their local Pingo access number and press a
designated speed dial number to be easily and quickly connected to the desired domestic or
international calling destinations.
"Customers appreciate the low rates and voice quality of Pingo, and the
freedom from the often rigid long-term contracts that accompany traditional long distance
calling programs," said Jayesh Patel, Vice President of Business Development and Strategy
for iBasis. "With these new features, Pingo can offer a similarly high-level of
convenience and ease-of-use, all still underpinned by consistently low rates from one of
the leading international carriers in the world."
Pingo (www.pingo.com) provides
consumers high-quality low-cost
international calling and long distance service on a prepaid basis with no additional
contract requirements. Customers save on calls to both landline and mobile phones in
almost every country. Mobile phone users in particular can save as much as 90 percent on
international calls by using Pingo's toll-free access and lower rates. Pingo minutes can
be purchased with credit and debit cards, as well as PayPay.
Pingo Business (www.pingobusiness.com) provides small-to-medium size
businesses (SMBs) reliable, low cost, easy-to-manage international calling for up to 999
employees on an "on demand" basis. SMB employees can use company-owned and their own
fixed-line and mobile phones and achieve up to 90 percent savings on international calls
through Pingo Business. Administrators can set individual spending limits, easily monitor
usage and manage account balances through a single, centralized account. SMBs can also
choose the amount of funds they wish to place in their master account, with no additional
commitment required.
Pingo and Pingo Business customers can access the service in 35
countries, including the U.S., Australia, Canada, China, the U.K., France, Germany,
Israel, Japan, Russia and Thailand. Pingo leverages the substantial economies of scale of
iBasis, one of the top three carriers of international phone calls and operator of the
most extensive international VoIP network in the world, and passes the benefits along to
its customers.
About iBasis
Founded in 1996, iBasis (NASDAQ: IBAS) is a leading wholesale carrier
of international long distance telephone calls and a provider of retail prepaid calling
services and enhanced services for mobile operators. iBasis customers include KPN, KPN
Mobile, E-plus, BASE, and many other large telecommunications carriers such as AT&T,
Verizon, Vodafone, China Mobile, China Unicom, IDT, Qwest, Skype, Telecom Italia,
Telefonica, and Yahoo. In October 2007, iBasis acquired KPN Global Carrier Services to
create one of the three largest carriers of international voice traffic in the world (1),
and KPN became a majority stockholder of iBasis. On a pro forma basis, the combined
company carried more than 20 billion minutes of international voice over IP (VoIP) traffic
in 2006. The Company can be reached at its worldwide headquarters in Burlington, Mass.,
USA at +1 781-505-7500 or on the Internet at www.ibasis.com.
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