Jitterbug Wireless

Jitterbug

Type	Subsidiary of Great Call
Genre	Wireless
Founded	2006
Founder(s)	Martin Cooper Arlene Harris
Headquarters	Del Mar, California,  United States
Parent	GreatCall[1]
Website	http://www.jitterbug.com/

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Jitterbug Wireless is a cell phone provided by GreatCall, Inc., a cellular telephone company founded by Arlene Harris and Martin Cooper in 2006 and based in Del Mar, California. The brand name “Jitterbug” refers to both their cellular phone handsets, as well as the personalized wireless service the company provides. Jitterbug was initially created for Baby Boomers and their parents, and now exists for those who prefer a simplified cell phone that eliminates unnecessary features, functions and icons that are standard on most other mobile phones.

History

In the early 1990’s, Martin Cooper and Arlene Harris, along with her parents and two brothers, founded SOS Wireless, a company that provided the senior citizen population with a basic, oversized, three-button mobile telephone designed for emergency use. In 2004, Cooper and Harris brought their idea for a simple, easy to use mass market cellular phone to Samsung, the world’s leading telecommunications manufacturer. The joint venture was successful and Jitterbug officially launched on April 3, 2006.

Products and services

Jitterbug currently offers three different cell phone models. “The Jitterbug” and “The Jitterbug in Graphite” feature a straightforward design with bigger, backlit buttons enabling the user to simply make and receive calls. The “Jitterbug OneTouch” model is a more simplified phone, offering the user three buttons which are pre-programmed to contact the live, 24-hour Jitterbug operator, a contact designated by the user, and a third option for 911 emergency services. All Jitterbug cell phones feature speakers with increased volume levels, hearing aid compatibility and brighter screens with larger text, for those who may have difficulty seeing the smaller numbers and letters found on most cell phones.

A key distinction separating Jitterbug from other cell phone companies is the personalized operator assistance they provide their customers. Jitterbug subscribers can reach a live operator 24 hours a day. Operators greet customers by name when they call and are trained to connect calls, provide directory assistance and make changes and updates to customer phone number contact lists. It is often not mentioned, though, that every call to such an operator deducts 5 minutes from the customers monthly allowance.

Jitterbug airtime is currently offered at a starting price of $10 per month, and they highlight the fact that there are no binding contracts - Jitterbug provides service on a month to month basis as desired.

A number of complaints have arisen recently about the poor quality of their phone customer service. Many customers have reported non-operable phones, and a general lack of knowledge on the part of the customer service representatives.

Awards

Jitterbug has received a number of industry awards, including the New York Times Top 10 Brilliant Ideas of 2006, Andrew Seybold’s 2007 Choice Wireless Technology Award for “Best New Company” in the cell phone industry, as well as a 2007 selection for the Reader’s Digest: America’s 100 Best.

References

• "Frill Free Gadgets," Washington Post, July 26, 2007.
• "Cellphones for Kids--And Seniors," Fortune, April 2006.

External links

• Jitterbug Home Page
• Jitterbug MVNO