Introduction

People are nowadays are so constantly bombarded with phone calls, text messages, e-mail messages and other forms of technology-based communications, that they have very few moments to relax. All the communications from extraneous sources are making it harder for people to enjoy whatever little free time that they have.

iPriv to the Rescue

The developers of a new service labeled "iPriv" claim that they are going to give people what they deserve: free time and privacy - for a small monthly fee, of course.

This is how the iPriv service is designed to work. When a customer feels the need for privacy and some alone time, all he or she has to do is to push a button on their all-in-one communications and information device (CID). After the button is pushed, if anyone tries contact the person, iPriv will take over. All they have to do to be connected again with the world is push the same button again.

iPriv will send the person who is trying to reach its client an excuse for not responding. This excuse will be based on a list of excuses previously provided to iPriv by the client. However, what is unique about iPriv, according to its developers, is the fact that they use a state of the art artificial intelligence system to decide which excuse to use, based many factors, including the time of the call, the relationship to the client of the person who is calling, the location from where the call is coming, and a few other factors that the developers would not reveal since they do not want their trade secrets to be revealed.

Clients will get a list of people who called them, along with any messages that they may have received during their free time, as soon as they press the same button on their CID. It is as simple as that, claim the developers of iPriv.

Where the Idea Came from

One of the co-founders of iPriv said that he got the idea for such a service from his parents. On some occasions when the phone at home started ringing, either his father or mother has told him "I am not available in case the call is for me. Tell the person who is calling that I am busy or I am in the bathroom, or something." After complying with such requests from his parents for many years, the co-founder of the company realized that there may be a market for services that provide excuses on behalf of clients who do not wish to be contacted at any given point in time.

Is There a Market for Such a Service?

According to a computer analyst, there is a huge market that is waiting to be tapped. "Given an opportunity, who would not want to have some free time in this maddeningly fast-paced world?" asked the expert. She went on to explain that "Thousands of people have been waiting for such a service for at least three to five years, and I plan to be one of their numerous customers as soon as they take care of some bugs I the system." She added "I estimate that such a service will capture twenty five percent of the information and communications market by the year 2020."

Others also predict that major communications corporations will soon start marketing their own versions of the iPriv service. These variants of the iPriv service will provide additional streams of income to these corporations. But the co-founder of the iPriv service is not worried about such competition. He thinks that his company has a leg up on the competition and that the unique and continuously upgraded services that they provide will keep their happy customers coming back.

How Much Will You Pay for Such a Service?

Informal polls suggest that consumers are willing to pay about $15 to $25 a month for the iPriv service or something similar. How much would you pay for a service such as iPriv? Before you do sign up for such a service as iPriv, and I am sure that someone will start such a service if one does not already exist, here is my advice:

"Just turn your communication device off when you do not wish other people to contact you. You can always tell others that you needed some privacy or 'you time' and that is all the excuse you need for not responding to a phone call or a text message or other form of electronic communication directed at you."

If you decide to take my advice and choose not to subscribe to a service such as "iPriv," then please consider donating all or a part of the money that you save, to a charitable organization of your choice.