Jangl Upgrades a Billion Phones Instantly, Adds Ability to Call Anyone Online, Worldwide, Anytime

PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Know someone online you’d like to talk to on the phone, but don’t have their phone number – or don’t want to give them yours? Chances are you know their email address.

“Social networking is inherently viral ... and now it's ready to be vocal”

Now, that’s all you need to call them, no matter where they are, for free.¹

Jangl, Inc., the company bridging the web and the phone, today announced it is unveiling an easy-to-use service that lets you call anyone with an email address, anywhere in the world.

Jangl gives everyone – from social network friends and IM buddies, to auction or classifieds buyers and sellers, to bloggers, indie media, and their audiences – a more flexible, safe, manageable, and inexpensive way to talk by phone. The new Jangl service, available today in 31 countries, is the first to connect people online to people on their phones, without the need for headsets, downloads, or installations.

“We recognize that, right now, the web and the phone are two separate silos of communication,” said Michael Cerda, CEO and co-founder, Jangl, Inc. “Today, we are introducing the kernel of a service that allows those silos to collapse. We’re virtualizing phone numbers, and making them as usable, manageable and disposable as email addresses.”

“Social networking is inherently viral ... and now it's ready to be vocal,” said Cerda. "The human voice transcends email, IM, profiles and avatars, as the most effective and universal method of communicating: from meeting or re-connecting or falling in love, to buying and selling, or creating and sharing and learning, the voice is how people connect, and ultimately how real communities are built.”

With billions of email addresses and over a billion mobile phones worldwide, the potential market impact for a range of industries – social networks, online media, and mobile communications among them – is staggering.

Jangl Service Highlights:

Call anyone: Connect via your mobile phone with anyone in the world, for free, simply by knowing someone’s email address.
Keep your real phone numbers private at all times.
Want to be called? Add a simple Jangl web address to your email signature to let people connect with you even when you’re not online, or post a customized Jangl widget to your online profile.
Control your phone access and manage Jangl voicemails, numbers and relationships online.
Use any of your personal phones to connect – mobile, landline or VOIP.

New Jangl Features Available Today:

Jangl “Call Anyone.” With “Call Anyone” simply enter someone’s email address at Jangl’s homepage to get connected. You’ll be given a phone number – local to you – to call them. During the first call, you’ll leave a voicemail, which Jangl then delivers via email. Once they receive that message, the recipient receives instructions to get a number – local to them – to call you back. This service still keeps your personal number safe, enables text messaging via SMS² and the easy exchange of voicemails, too. Plus, Jangl works on any phone – even if your phone doesn’t normally allow you to call international numbers.
Jangl “Call Me” Link. Available to anyone – Jangl member or not – Jangl’s “Call Me” link lets you place a simple URL in your email signature (or anywhere else online), giving anyone, anywhere “one-click” access to a private number at which they can reach you. Let your online friends connect with you whether you’re online or not – and, as always, keep your real number safe while enjoying total control over incoming calls. Simply append your email address to a Jangl URL – http://callme.jangl.com – and start connecting.
Jangl Widget. Colorful, cool Jangl widgets – available to Jangl members – let people simply enter their phone number and instantly get a number to connect with you. Jangl widgets are easily posted on a profile page, contact page or blog, and are already widely in use at several top social networking sites.
Jangl Voicemail. Your Jangl voicemail can now be easily accessed and organized at Jangl.com, or via your third-party email account. Additionally, you can receive email or SMS notification of incoming Jangl voicemails.
Multiple Phone Support. Now you can use any phone with Jangl. Simply register all of your phones and use any of them to connect with others – mobile, home phone, and more.
Enhanced Management of Your Jangl. The Jangl control panel is more simple and powerful than ever. Access, organize and control your voicemails, numbers and relationships online. And, as always, screen or block callers as you see fit.

Jangl has witnessed tremendous growth in the U.S. since its official launch in November 2006. Most recently, Jangl widgets have been featured extensively on social networking site Tagged.com and blogging platform TypePad, and Jangl is experiencing organic adoption on several other top social networking sites. Moreover, Jangl continues to power online personals leader Match.com’s MatchTalk service, which enables its members to talk on their phones without sharing their real numbers.

The new service is free now, during the official beta period, and is available in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Throughout this spring and summer, Jangl will announce new partner distribution and co-branded services with global leaders in consumer web services. To learn more about upcoming announcements, contact Jangl PR (tim@jangl.com) to be added to our news distribution network.

About Jangl

Jangl is the company bridging the web and billions of mobile phones. Jangl's service is distributed directly to consumers at Jangl.com and through partnerships with global leaders in social networking, digital media and communications, and dating and relationship communities. Jangl's management team hails from successful consumer and technology companies, including Skype, Redback Networks, Podshow, Microsoft, WebTV, Sprint Nextel, and Lucent Technologies. Jangl's investors include Cardinal Venture Capital, Labrador Ventures and Storm Ventures, which together have invested $9 million. Jangl is headquartered in Pleasanton, Calif., and is available on the web at http://www.jangl.com and via telephone at 1.925.271.5050.

¹ Free for a limited time. Phone carrier charges may still apply.

² Available soon.