2007 Reviews
g-Wh!z: Parliant PhoneValet & iPhone
"Phone Valet reminds me of those awesome, awesome telephony tools I remember working with on Mac OS 8 and 9. We created some pretty sophisticated voice response systems with fax back document requests. Ah… so, cool."
MacWorld: The ultimate home office
"Nothing says “professional office” like a sophisticated answering service that channels calls to mailboxes, demands that the caller navigate through a hierarchical phone tree system, and routes calls based on the identity of the caller." — Christopher Breen
MacSTAC: Mac OS X Business Tools: There Are More Than You Think
"Parliant's Phone Valet and Phone Herald are without a doubt the best telephony solutions for Mac OS X. Phone Valet enables you to easily create and manage a phone system that includes phone trees, voice mailboxes, and onscreen notifications about incoming calls. It also supports a robust set of filtering rules based on information received from caller ID. Perhaps more importantly, Phone Valet offers these features with an incredible ease of use—whether you have an installed PBX or VoIP phone network, or just one or two incoming lines. It offers all the features of much more expensive phone system solutions at a much lower cost and is perfect for small businesses that cannot afford to hire a receptionist or invest in a commercial phone system . Its companion, Phone Herald, is an equally amazing tool for creating automated outgoing calls—such as those to remind clients about appointments or mass notifications about events or cancellations." — Ryan Faas
Peachpit: Mac Business Tools: There Are More Than You Think
"Parliant’s Phone Valet and Phone Herald are without a doubt the best telephony solutions for Mac OS X. ... [PhoneValet] offers all the features of much more expensive phone system solutions at a much lower cost and is perfect for small businesses that cannot afford to hire a receptionist or invest in a commercial phone system." — Ryan Fass
ComputerWorld: Mac OS X 'an ideal platform' for SMBs
"Hands down two of the most powerful business tools for Mac OS X are Parliant's PhoneValet and PhoneHerald." — Ryan Faas
"I first looked at Parliant’s PhoneValet Message Center a little over a year ago and have been using PhoneValet on my Mac and recommending it to others every since then... PhoneValet is an excellent software that has just gotten better with each version. I appreciate the ease of installation, set up, and use. I depend on PhoneValet daily to track my phone calls, record important messages, and place phone calls. I highly recommend PhoneValet. It really works and is definitely as good as they say." — Carlene Brown
"I've been in the phone business for about 18 years, and I've spent a pretty good portion of that designing "call trees" or "interactive voice response systems"... PhoneValet's software lets you perform many of the features that you'd be paying $1000 for in traditional software and hardware... I would definitely recommend PhoneValet for anyone who has a small business or even a very large family and wants to really take a hold of their phone needs." — Victor Cajiao
Mac360: Telephone Tip: Let Your Mac Answer The Phone
"We first identified Parliant’s PhoneValet as one of those rare, excellent Mac applications a couple of years ago. Now at version 5.0, PhoneValet is mature, loaded with features, and a must have for home or small office...
PhoneValet is really what it says it is. A valet for your phone. It keeps track of voice mail, incoming messages, announces messages, manages voice mailboxes, and makes detailed records of calls so you can reference later. It’ll even record calls. Think of PhoneValet as a 24/7 answering service that uses your Mac. What else? Plenty. Relax. This may take awhile." — Alexis Kayhill
TidBITS: Macworld Expo SF 2007 Superlatives
"A good phone system can help a small company seem like a big one, and Parliant's PhoneValet lets you use standard telephones and phone lines to do the job of expensive telephone systems... What garners PhoneValet 5 this superlative is its newfound capability to identify incoming calls by caller ID and then feed them into customized voicemail systems, complete with extensive phone trees. "
"Bottom Line on PhoneValet 5.0: Flexible and full of features, PhoneValet is the ultimate personal telephone assistant. If you have a small business, it’s the perfect solution for making a professional first impression every time the phone rings." — Robert Ellis
Other 2007 Media Coverage:The Macintosh Wizard: iPhone With PhoneValet Anywhere Shows Land Line Visual Voicemail
iLounge: Parliant debuts PhoneValet Anywhere for iPhone
MacNN: PhoneValet Anywhere for iPhone
MacWorld: PhoneValet Anywhere comes to iPhone
PC World: PhoneValet Anywhere Comes to iPhone
Macworld: Analysis: Mac OS X 'an ideal platform' for SMBs
teddythebear: DIY visual voicemail using Parliant PhoneValet
2006 Reviews
Macworld Eddy Award: Premier telephony program only gets better
"Parliant’s PhoneValet Message Center 4.0 does one simple thing—but does it so well, it’s hard to believe that no one else has done it before." — Jim Dalrymple
"Do you have a small business or a busy family? Would you benefit from a telephony solution that could manage multiple voice mailboxes, email you voice messages while away, allow you to access messages over the web, visually inform you of who is calling? How about calling directly from within the application itself? Then Phone Valet is your solution." — Jeffrey Barrett
MacWorld: PhoneValet Message Center 4.0
"Parliant’s PhoneValet has established itself as the premier telephone message recording system for the Mac, and version 4.0.3 extends the package’s leadership position. Today’s PhoneValet does a lot more than just answer calls — it can also dial, record, log, let you search through calls, and even automatically connect them to your cell phone if you’re on the road." — Ted Wallingford
MacCompanion: The "Perfect" Telco Hub and Phone Assistant
"We reviewed this product twice before over the years and now PhoneValet Message Center 4.0 is pretty much battle-hardened and bullet-proof... this is such a great product, someone actually generated a Wikipedia entry for it... Parliant has the “Cadillac” system right here, right now and it is affordable for anyone who is a small home office environment that needs an “always-on” office assistant." — Robert Pritchett
MacCentric: Review: PhoneValet Message Center 3.1.1
"Overall, we continue to be impressed with PhoneValet. It has created a feeling of freedom from phone lines that we didn't used to have. While the software and the additional PhoneValet Anywhere is not inexpensive, it offers features not available in many of the standard voicemail solutions from the phone company and with just three users, the return on investment is roughly 12 months. For us, this is a small price to pay for the flexibility, reliability and freedom it has afforded us." — gnye@amdesign.net
"After discovering the Podcast Bundle consisted of three separate applications I became a bit apprehensive. I need not have been. My experience with Parliant has proven they produce some of the most user friendly products on the market and also provide excellent user guides, tutorials and support ... If you are currently podcasting or thinking of becoming a podcaster and telephone interviews are part of your program, I highly recommend that you check out Parliant’s PhoneValet Podcast Bundle. PhoneValet. Peak Express 5 and SoundSoap 2 combine to provide an excellent tool for creating and processing broadcast-quality audio." — Carlene Brown
Mac360: Telecom Tip: Let Your Mac Answer Your Phone
"We first identified Parliant's PhoneValet as one of those rare, excellent Mac applications a couple of years ago. Now at version 4.0, and ready for Macs with Intel Inside, PhoneValet is mature, loaded with features, and a must have for home or small office." — Alexis Kayhil
MacProfit.com: Confessions of a Die-Hard Mac Entrepreneur
"If you ever have conference calls you want to record or interviews or just want to effectively keep track of ALL your calls, this piece of software makes a home business seem like it has a full-blown telephone system. The product is called PhoneValet ... This software is a wonder. It helps in the office AND helps me make money at the same time. A winner for all macintosh entrepreneurs." — Millard Grubb
Other 2006 Media Coverage:
Digg.com: Turn your Mac into a virtual call center with PhoneValet 5.0
Apple Gazette: Turn your Mac into a virtual call center with PhoneValet 5.0
TechWorld: PhoneValet 5 telephony software adds call completion
MacCentric: PhoneValet 5.0
MacMinute: Parliant announces PhoneValet 5.0
MacNN: Parliant ships PhoneValet 5.0
Macworld: PhoneValet 5 telephony software adds call completion
The Mac Observer: PhoneValet 5.0 Adds Call Trees, Address Book Support
MacMinute: PhoneValet 4.0 30/30 competitive upgrade offered
MacNN: Briefly: Parliant
Macsimum News: 'Competitive upgrade' offered for PhoneValet 4.0
Nothing Up My Sleeve: Goodbye Yo Yo, Hello PhoneValet
MacMinute: PhoneValet Message Center 4 for Intel Macs released
MacNN: Parliant ships PhoneValet 4.0
Macsimum News: PhoneValet Message Center 4.0 ready for Mactels
Macworld: PhoneValet 4 telephony software goes Universal
O'Reilly: PhoneValet 4 is ready
Random Maccess: Parliant's PhoneValet goes Universal with new, major upgrade
The Mac Observer: Parliant Announces PhoneValet Message Center 4
iBryan the Digital Guy: Review of PhoneValet Message Center (m4a format)
MacNN: MacPractice for MD, DDS, DC offices
MacMinute: PhoneValet Message Center 3.1 now shipping
MacNN: Parliant PhoneValet 3.1 adds features
Macsimum News: PhoneValet now offers unlimited voicemail boxes, more
Macworld: PhoneValet update adds unlimited voicemail boxes
The Mac Observer: PhoneValet Gets Remote Control, More
Greenwald: Interview with Kevin Ford from MacWorld EXPO San Francisco (mp3 format)
2005 Reviews
"PhoneValet and PhoneValet Anywhere are great products. If you are interested in a communications system for your home or office that gets the work done efficiently
and effortlessly take a close look at PhoneValet." — Carlene Brown
MyMac.com: PhoneValet - Review
"When I first saw the advertisements and reviews of PhoneValet, I thought it looked like a cool product, but probably not one I would have much need or desire for. Then almost a year ago, when we started the MyMac.com Podcast, suddenly the ability to record telephone conversations became something I was very much interested in. PhoneValet does much more than simple telephone recordings; in fact that is one of the lesser features of this program / hardware package." — Tim Robertson
Macworld: New features keep phone-answering system at the top of its game
"PhoneValet is great for anybody who wants to log, record, and automatically answer calls with a Mac ... with its highly configurable message recorder and user-friendly support for multiple voicemail boxes, PhoneValet remains the best choice for those who value ease of use and simplicity." — Ted Wallingford
Macsimum News: PhoneValet Phones Up Newer, Better Version
"There’s something incredibly cool about using your Mac for your telephonic needs; it just fits in so well with the whole digital hub concept. And with version 3.0 and its accompanying extensions the digital hub has several new spokes… a great tool for the Mac-using SOHO (small office/home office) and home user has gotten substantially better." — Dennis Sellers
ATPM: PhoneValet 3.0, PodCast, and Anywhere
"PhoneValet 3.0, PodCast, and Anywhere offer a significant upgrade to the previous PhoneValet products, and they offer the same ease-of-use in previous versions while greatly extending the features. The PodCast bundle is a great value, but it is Anywhere’s network call center access that makes this upgrade most remarkable. Whether for new or existing users, PhoneValet 3.0, PodCast, and Anywhere offer a robust and affordable telephony solution for home and small businesses." — Andrew Kator
Mac360: Your Mac: Operator, Answering Machine, Servant
"There are some applications that are naturals for the Mac. PhoneValet is one of the best… PhoneValet is a mature, stable application that acts like a sophisticated voice mail system. Except it's affordable and works on your Mac… If you need voice mail, an answering machine, some one to record and log your calls, spoken caller ID, and remote control, PhoneValet is one of the best." — Alexis Kayhill
Macworld: Macworld Boston: 2005 Best of Show
"The editors of IDG's Macworld magazine and Web sites on Wednesday announced their picks for Best of Show at Macworld Conference & Expo 2005 in Boston, Mass… Parliant has extended the capabilities of their PhoneValet software and hardware — which turns a Mac into a virtual call center, complete with call history tracking, custom voicemail greetings and much more… The Best of Show awards represent the most exciting hardware and software products announced at Macworld Conference & Expo in Boston." — Peter Cohen
Monitor Magazine: PhoneValet 2 - Ottawa Mac Developer Making the Right Calls
"PhoneValet is a must-have combination of hardware and software for any Mac user who wants to get more value from their existing phone service. Aimed primarily at Mac-based small and home offices, PhoneValet provides some outstanding phone capabilities of which all Mac users can take advantage." — Steve Lawrenson
Boston Herald: Macintosh Device May Be the Answer to Calling, Messaging Mess
"There are few products that are nearly perfect right out of the box. PhoneValet, by a company called Parliant, is one of them... [PhoneValet] turns a Macintosh computer into an answering machine with a ton of features that make it far more useful than a simple desktop box or the answering service offered by the phone company." — Eric Convey
Other 2005 Media Coverage:
Droxy: PhoneValet Podcast bundle updated
Globe and Mail: Parliant enhances PhoneValet Podcast bundle
iPodNN: Parliant updates PhoneValet Podcast bundle
MacNN: Parliant updates PhoneValet Podcast bundle
Podcasting News: PhoneValet Podcast Bundle Updated
iBryan The Digital Guy: Overview of PhoneValet (mp3 format)
Tod Maffin's iloveradio.org: PhoneValet: A Great Phone Tap for Mac OS X
Digital Trends: Macworld Boston Best Of Show Awards
Macsimum News: Best of Show Awards announced
The Mac Observer: Macworld Best of Show Awards Handed Out
Globe and Mail: Parliant’s PhoneValet Offers Multi-user Access to Messages
Macsimum News: Parliant releases PhoneValet extensions
Podcasting News: PhoneValet Records Phone Calls for Podcasts
MacMinute: Parliant Announces PhoneValet Anywhere
MacMinute: PhoneValet PodCast Bundle Announced
MacNN: Parliant Offers PhoneValet PodCast Bundle
MacNN: Parliant Debuts PhoneValet Anywhere
Macworld: Parliant announces PhoneValet Anywhere
The Mac Observer: Parliant Debuts PhoneValet Anywhere, PhoneValet PodCast Bundle
InternetWeek: A Tool for Podcasters
InternetWeek: Who Podcasts, and Why?
MacMinute: PhoneValet 2.2.1 adds Address Book support in Tiger
MacTech: PhoneValet Message Center for Tiger
AppleLinks: PhoneValet 2.2 Adds Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger Support
MacNN: PhoneValet 2.2 supports Tiger's Spotlight search
Macsimum News: PhoneValet Shines the Spotlight on Tiger
MacTech: PhoneValet 2.2
The Mac Observer: Parliant Adds Tiger Compatibility
MacCentral: PhoneValet enhances call screening, recording
2004 Reviews
"I really like PhoneValet, a product that truly delivers. But what I truly love in Parliant's product is the potential it shows. Not potential in 'how the product could be improved', since it's already almost as good as it can get. No, I mean the potential in uses that will arise that nobody could have predicted." — Pat St-Arnaud
RandomMaccess: PhoneValet Puts Amazing Phone Features Into Your Mac
"Let's not mince words — Parliant's PhoneValet Message Center turns your Mac and telephone into an amazingly intelligent home assistant that does just about everything but walk your dog. Think of it as the 'Popeil Vegamatic' of phone systems. It may not dice and slice, but it answers, logs, records, routes, makes and emails phone calls." — Chuck La Tournous
O'Reilly: Telephone-Computer Integration Made Easier
"The latest update adds some long wished-for capabilities, plus some surprises. The new Phone Valet hardwre lets you completely replace your voice mail or answering machine with an intelligent Mac-based solution. It’s nicely integrated too, with thoughtful touches scattered throughout. It’s clear that Parliant is taking customer feedback seriously" — Gordon Meyer
MacNN: PhoneValet 2.0 Review
"Wow. It's rare that I find business software that does what it says it'll do, and does it in such a way that I don't have to take a graduate course in something to figure out how to make it work... Bottom line: PhoneValet is an easy-to-use, timesaving device that allows me to be more productive. And it doesn't get simpler than that." — Steve Friedberg
ATPM: Parliant PhoneValet Review
"PhoneValet is an extremely reliable and easy-to-use product that works exactly as advertised. The interface makes the manual almost unnecessary, something Mac users have come to expect from the better products available." — Andrew Kator
2003 Reviews
TidBITS: PhoneValet, Can You Get That?
"I found the voice dialing feature exhilarating - finally, a situation where the Mac actually listens to me talk and does the right thing! Their commitment also comes through in their email support, which has been among the best I've seen of late." — Adam C. Engst
Mac360: Your Mac as Answering Machine Gets Personal
"PhoneValet is an answering machine on steroids for your Mac. In true Mac form, PhoneValet is just that; a valet for your phone. An application that takes care of your SOHO (Small office, Home office) telephone needs." — Tera Patricks
MacCompanion: PhoneValet
"I've waited a long time for something like PhoneValet from Parliant to come along for the Mac OS X environment. This version comes the closest, in my estimation, to what a phone interface system should do under Cocoa. It is intended, however to be the Call Management Center for a Small Office/Home Office (SOHO). And that it does remarkably well!" — Robert Pritchett
The Kleper Report: Productivity Reviews: PhoneValet
"This is the phone solution that Macintosh users have been waiting for...and it is well worth the investment." — Michael Kleper
0000 Reviews
mac360: How To Get Your Mac To Answer Your Phone.
"One of my favorite Mac utilities is PhoneValet, the most utilitarian of Mac software. ... PhoneValet is actually a sophisticated voice messaging system, made even better and more affordable with the new Home Edition for Mac users at one third the price of the original PhoneValet Message Center." — Kate MacKenzie
