HOW TO: Make A Phone Call By Dialing A Name

If you agree that names are easier to remember than numbers, SpellDial is for you.

Launched in January 2011, Philippines-based start-up, SpellDial, allows people to dial names instead of numbers when connecting through phones; In three simple steps:

• Step 1: Go to SpellDialer.com. Users have the option to save this as web app to your mobile homescreen
• Step 2: Spell/type the SpellDial name of the person you want to contact
• Step 3: Press dial, Press call

I tried the service and thought it really kicked ass. Registration is simple with Facebook. All you have to key in are your desired SpellDial name, password, phone number, and you’re all set. SpellDial also connects your name to your email, Skype, Twitter… anything. For folks who have multiple phone numbers, you can also linked them to your SpellDial name.

If you’re worried about privacy issues, SpellDial has a setting that allows you to set your profile to private. People would have to request permission from you first before they can access your contact number.

SpellDial makes finding and organizing your contact details much quicker and simpler. The only problem, however, is that users must have a large enough network of friends to be on SpellDial before they find the service useful. This will likely be the team’s toughest challenge:

How SpellDial Was Founded

Albert Padin, founder of SpellDial thought of this idea after he lost his mobile phone twice. When he first lost his phone, he was coordinating a concert. Unfortunately, his contact number was already printed and distributed on the concert tickets. Almost 5,000 in total!

“In the Philippines, it is virtually impossible to port or keep a number of a prepaid account. Thus, the contact number that was printed on the tickets was now gone. That experience was extremely traumatic because he was imagining how many people would have inquiries, but could no longer connect to his old number,” Nicole Faye Macarasig, spokesperson at SpellDialer, explained to Penn Olson.