Sprint Offers Personalized Names as Alternatives to Phone Numbers

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. and PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting today, Sprint (NYSE:S) will be the first U.S. mobile carrier to offer an innovative new service, called StarStar Me, that lets customers use a name they choose in place of their mobile telephone number. Imagine meeting someone and instead of telling them 10 hard-to-remember digits, giving them your own memorable mobile number, like **SARAH (**72724) or **CHLOE (**24563).

StarStar Me allows consumers to choose a name, nickname or unique word in place of their mobile phone number – then people can call them on their mobile phone by simply tapping the star key twice on the phone's keypad, followed by the name, nickname, or unique word they chose, using keypad letters or characters. StarStar Me also offers users the ability to automatically respond to calls with a custom text message when they're busy, as well as a unique way to share links to their blog, website or social media accounts.

"Sprint customers will be the first people to get StarStar Me," said Kevin McGinnis, vice president-Product and Technology Development, Sprint. "We expect this service to be especially popular with professionals, students and family customers, who can tailor its use to their individual preferences, lifestyles and interests with a few simple clicks."

To sign up for StarStar Me, Sprint customers can simply call **ME (**63) on their mobile phone or visit http://sprint.starstar.me.

Sprint subscribers can have two StarStar Me numbers per mobile phone number. The service costs $2.99/month per StarStar Me number. Calls may be made to StarStar numbers within the United States from any Sprint, Verizon, T-Mobile or AT&T mobile phone.

In addition, customers can also download a free StarStar Me app, available now on Android™-powered smartphones and soon on the iPhone, which allows them to easily manage incoming calls, automatically send a text message to callers when they're busy, or send callers their contact info, which they can easily add to their address book. Users can also block specific callers, view a call log and manage multiple StarStar numbers. The app can be downloaded from Google Play (Android) and will soon be available in the Apple App Store (iPhone).  

"We are enthusiastic about this strategic collaboration with Sprint," said Joe Gillespie, CEO of Zoove. "The goal of StarStar is to enhance people's lives using simple technologies. Sprint's deep understanding of how customers experience and interact with wireless-based applications makes it the ideal carrier to introduce StarStar Me to the consumer marketplace."

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 56 million customers at the end of the second quarter of 2012 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The American Customer Satisfaction Index rated Sprint No. 1 among all national carriers and most improved in customer satisfaction across all industries during the last four years. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in its 2011 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation's greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

About StarStar Me

StarStar Me is part of the StarStar mobile platform that connects people with the things they care about most – great content, favorite brands, and one another – all through a simple mobile phone call. StarStar is the flagship product of Zoove Corp., the exclusive provider of StarStar numbers for the largest wireless operators in the United States, reaching more than 250 million people. StarStar numbers can be acquired by individuals or businesses and deliver mobile experiences, customized in real-time to location, mobile device, carrier type or other specifications. Simply calling a StarStar name enables access to promotional content, apps, mobile websites, video, music, one-click purchasing, special deals, and social networking capabilities. For more information, please visit www.getstarstar.com. 

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.starstar.me/media

SOURCE Sprint Nextel