Non-iPhone visual voicemail

Looks like the iPhone's "Visual Voicemail" killer app might not be an iPhone exclusive anymore, as SimulSays hit beta today for BlackBerry. The press release is scant on specific details, but it sounds like users can download an app for their BlackBerry and then are able to see who left a voicemail through caller ID, then be able to return the call or send back an email using the BlackBerry. Right now the app is only specified to work with the BlackBerry Pearl, 8800, and Curve, but the company says a Windows Mobile version is coming sometime later today.  We're interested in how the product works, and are going to give it a shot on one of our Pearls lying around the office.

Update: Just gave the service a run-through, and it would be a welcome addition to the BlackBerry, except your voicemail callers have to listen to an ad that says, "this call will be transcribed through simulscribe.com," every time they leave a voicemail.  It'd be fine, except it feels like a disclaimer, which scared one of our voicemailers.

Also, cellphone users might feel weird about having to set up conditional call forwarding and using a third-party voicemail system.  It's pretty simple to activate -- users of SimulSays need simply to enter in *004*4435520548*11# to activate the service -- but the idea of someone other than a mobile provider having voicemail might be touchy for some.

However, those two caveats aside, we kind of dig the service.  It's simple to use and acts as a secondary call log when your phone isn't on, plus you won't use up talk-time minutes when listening to voicemail.  I just installed this on my personal phone, and I think despite the annoying ad, I'll leave it on for the convenience factor.