Wizzard Software is pleased to announce that
WizzTones is now available to everyone via internet download. WizzTones is a new, easy-to-use software application that works in conjunction with
Skype, the leader in free VoIP solutions. WizzTones provides Skype users a simple and convenient way to create, manage and use multiple ring-tones for a compelling, personalized online telephone experience.
WizzTones allows Skype users to assign every individual on their Skype contacts list a distinct ring-tone, provide people with the freedom to walk away from their computers and still be able to distinguish who is calling. "We give people the ability to use more then one ring-tone, this makes ring-tones useful as well as colorful," says Andy Apter, Research Analyst for Wizzard Software. "The ring-tone market for cell phones generated $4.0 billion worldwide and it is estimated that in the U.S. alone, cell phone ring tone revenue should pass the $1.0 billion mark in 2007. Our research indicates that the VoIP market for ring-tones should grow substantially in the next several years as well."
WizzTones offers a feature that allows users to add multiple ring-tones for their many contacts offered by and purchased directly from Skype, including popular ring-tones and sound effects. Wizztones will work with any certified Skype ring-tone. "With the big announcement yesterday between Skype and Warner Music, we expect there to be a large amount of ring-tone content available in the very near future from some of the most popular artists in the world, including Madonna," says Alan Costilo, Vice President of the New Products Group for Wizzard. "Skype reports 74.7 million registered users at the end of 2005. With this new influx of content from the Skype/Warner Music deal, we believe that we can achieve a 3.5% market share, and if the adoption rate is anything close to the cell phone ring-tone adoption rate, 3.5% (rev: $26M) might be a very conservative number."
According to an article in USA Today, in 2005 music ring-tones in the U.S. pulled in $600 million, 20% ahead of estimates and more than double the 2004 take. The year's ring-tone leader, 50 Cent's Candy Shop, sold 1.9 million downloads, 700,000 more than even the top-selling digital song.
The truly one-of-a-kind aspect of WizzTones allows for the creation of customized "talking" alerts using Wizzard's unique online text-to-speech creation process. This feature provides the ability to create a personalized announcement ring-tone, spoken in a computer-generated, life-like male or female voice, in up to five different languages. For example, the user can type in and then download a ring-tone saying something as simple as "John is calling" or something fun like a movie quote, such as "Say hello to my little friend." Yet another feature allows users to create ring-tones using their own microphone. Or, they can choose from the many free ring-tones already included with the product.
For $9.95, the WizzTones product includes: 50 WizzTone credits to create customized, computer-generated TTS tones for your Skype contact list; 15 pre-recorded fun & useful ring tones; a personal ring-tone recorder to create an unlimited number of unique and personalized vocal alerts; and an assortment of talking Skype Status messages. Additional WizzTones credits can be purchased in allotments of 30 for $4.95. There is also a 15-day free trial version that includes all of the same features of the full version. For more information and to download a free trial version of WizzTones please visit
www.wizztones.com.
Downloaded more than 200 million times in 225 countries and territories, Skype reports that there are more than 4 million users online at any given time and over 175,000 new users register daily. According to ebay's 2005 Annual Report, released on January 18th of 2006, Skype's registered users totaled 74.7 million at the end of their fourth quarter. For more information on Skype, visit
www.skype.com.