WhitePages Links Caller ID to Social Media

When Caller ID was introduced, it gave us the opportunity to politely decline anyone without saying a word. At the time, the technology allowed for limited information regarding the caller and most people were happy with just the name and number.

Fast forward to today, the age of social media, where information overload is an expected part of any new technology.

Keeping up with the trend, WhitePages is providing more than just the name and the number of the caller. The company has created a new app that brings Caller ID into the social media arena.

The new app, Current Caller ID, brings together the ID of the incoming caller along with all of their social media tags. So now when a person calls, you’ll not only know their number and location; you’ll also have access to a deeper level of their social media network.

Facebook (News - Alert), Tweets and LinkedIn are just some of their profiles at your disposal. 

Detailed information on their call location is also available. Weather, current events and other relevant information gives you greater insight into whether or not you want to answer that call or how you should reply to that text.

One of the features recognizes known telemarketers and flashes a warning that many of us are sure to appreciate. Another game like feature displays colorful infographics showing communication patterns with all of your contacts. With features like: “My Top Three Callers and Texters,” communication types are graphed showing you exactly how many call or texts you’re sending to someone.

A phone call or a text message will connect you to real-time stats in a contact’s on and off-line life as well. 

WhitePages CEO Alex Algard describes the new app: "We want to enhance communication by providing richer context, now when you pick up the phone or get a text message; you already have the context for the person who is trying to reach you."

The App has a free seven-day trial period, after which it costs $6.99 for six months of unlimited Caller Identification. In the age of free apps, this may seem pricey even if it is a fraction of what we are use to paying for home based Caller ID services.

Commonly known as an off-line resource directory, WhitePages is trying to stay relevant in the digital age by introducing new services geared to new technologies. The first version of the application was downloaded 100,000 times and only time will tell if it will be able to compete with the thousands of application available for free.

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