Comments on: Tellme Price - $800 Million, or More http://gigaom.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/ Tracking the Internet Evolution Sun, 20 Jul 2008 10:31:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU By: Why would Google build a mobile device?! : Green & White http://gigaom.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92371 Why would Google build a mobile device?! : Green & White Mon, 07 May 2007 20:34:07 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92371 <p>[...] a business angle, it is perhaps the only best way for Google to compete with the Microsoft + Tellme [...]</p> [...] a business angle, it is perhaps the only best way for Google to compete with the Microsoft + Tellme [...]

]]> By: jeffgreco.com » TellMe taken — terrific! http://gigaom.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92369 jeffgreco.com » TellMe taken — terrific! Sat, 17 Mar 2007 23:29:18 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92369 <p>[...] GigaOM reports that voice controlled telephone services company TellMe has been purchased, by Micros.... Good for them! I’ve been using their flagship product for years. It’s always worked extremely well, and even allowed me to set up a dial-in pirate radio station of sorts 5 or so years ago. By using VoiceXML (I believe it was called) and their developers center, I could dial 1-800-555-TELL, say “Developers”, say my unique ID (94556), and then I’d get a menu offering me any of three different, horribly compressed rap songs. Fun times! Little Jeffy using code! [...]</p> [...] GigaOM reports that voice controlled telephone services company TellMe has been purchased, by Micros…. Good for them! I’ve been using their flagship product for years. It’s always worked extremely well, and even allowed me to set up a dial-in pirate radio station of sorts 5 or so years ago. By using VoiceXML (I believe it was called) and their developers center, I could dial 1-800-555-TELL, say “Developers”, say my unique ID (94556), and then I’d get a menu offering me any of three different, horribly compressed rap songs. Fun times! Little Jeffy using code! [...]

]]> By: Tellme Offered $800 Million For Its Secrets http://gigaom.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92367 Tellme Offered $800 Million For Its Secrets Thu, 15 Mar 2007 06:07:57 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92367 <p>[...] of dollars for a company that specializes in it. Name of the company? Tellme. Ballpark figure? $800+ mil. Chump change, we [...]</p> [...] of dollars for a company that specializes in it. Name of the company? Tellme. Ballpark figure? $800+ mil. Chump change, we [...]

]]> By: All Points Blog http://gigaom.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92365 All Points Blog Wed, 14 Mar 2007 16:19:11 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92365 <p><strong>Your Voice is Worth 800 Million...</strong></p> <p>Om has an interesting take on why TellMe may be worth 800 million - voice input additions to Local Mobile Search. Surely that's not the only use for this technology as Om points out, but... The real reason will be Microsoft Mobile and non-PC devices...</p> Your Voice is Worth 800 Million…

Om has an interesting take on why TellMe may be worth 800 million - voice input additions to Local Mobile Search. Surely that’s not the only use for this technology as Om points out, but…
The real reason will be Microsoft Mobile and non-PC devices…

]]> By: Dan http://gigaom.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92363 Dan Wed, 14 Mar 2007 02:20:39 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92363 <p>Nice piece, makes sense - but to says "Windows Mobile is growing like crazy" is pretty hyperbolic. The article you cite says that mobile phone makers are consolidating operating systems - but Symbian is gaining dominance, and MS is losing market share:</p> <p>"Last year, two-thirds of smart phones sold ran on Symbian’s operating system, an increase of about four percentage points from 2005, according to Canalys, a consultant and market research firm based near London. Microsoft was second last year with a 14 percent market share, slightly less than the year before."</p> Nice piece, makes sense - but to says “Windows Mobile is growing like crazy” is pretty hyperbolic. The article you cite says that mobile phone makers are consolidating operating systems - but Symbian is gaining dominance, and MS is losing market share:

“Last year, two-thirds of smart phones sold ran on Symbian’s operating system, an increase of about four percentage points from 2005, according to Canalys, a consultant and market research firm based near London. Microsoft was second last year with a 14 percent market share, slightly less than the year before.”

]]> By: William http://gigaom.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92359 William Tue, 13 Mar 2007 23:55:40 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92359 <p>Bob says: ...The call center apps are way beyond hosted IVR.</p> <p>Not sure where you get your data. Newer technologies companies (such as mentioned above) have built fully blended IVR, Predictive Dialing & ACD onto a multi tenant platform. Just take a look at Angel.com and tell me how they are different from TellMe. Angel.com is all about "Call Center". The deal with Domino's allows for data dips into a database similar to ANI caller ID and screen pop. I would argue that Angel.com has more to offer than TellMe to 80% of businesses that require IVR and call handling. What I don't know is if Angel.com is also using Nuance technology as well. If so, they are screwed and limited! Somebody had posted that TellMe had/was developing a "newer" platform based on using NO Nuance technology.</p> <p>I give a huge amount of credit to TellMe for taking a quarter of BILLION dollars and surviving through the Telecom meltdown of 2001-2003 and looking to soon realize what looks to be a 8x multiple acquisition on revenue. IMPRESSIVE!</p> Bob says:
…The call center apps are way beyond hosted IVR.

Not sure where you get your data. Newer technologies companies (such as mentioned above) have built fully blended IVR, Predictive Dialing & ACD onto a multi tenant platform.
Just take a look at Angel.com and tell me how they are different from TellMe. Angel.com is all about “Call Center”. The deal with Domino’s allows for data dips into a database similar to ANI caller ID and screen pop. I would argue that Angel.com has more to offer than TellMe to 80% of businesses that require IVR and call handling. What I don’t know is if Angel.com is also using Nuance technology as well. If so, they are screwed and limited! Somebody had posted that TellMe had/was developing a “newer” platform based on using NO Nuance technology.

I give a huge amount of credit to TellMe for taking a quarter of BILLION dollars and surviving through the Telecom meltdown of 2001-2003 and looking to soon realize what looks to be a 8x multiple acquisition on revenue. IMPRESSIVE!

]]> By: Bob http://gigaom.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92361 Bob Tue, 13 Mar 2007 23:24:28 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92361 <p>William says "TellMe [sic] has a great hosted IVR platform. Next voice acquisition will be in the hosted call center space." Tellme does directory assistance (local search) for carriers, and call center automation for enterprises like Dominos. The call center apps are way beyond hosted IVR.</p> <p>The buyer wouldn't be getting just warmed-over Nuance tech. Tellme has tuned their utterance dictionary to vastly improve on Nuance's recognition rate, which is key to successful user adoption.</p> William says “TellMe [sic] has a great hosted IVR platform. Next voice acquisition will be in the hosted call center space.” Tellme does directory assistance (local search) for carriers, and call center automation for enterprises like Dominos. The call center apps are way beyond hosted IVR.

The buyer wouldn’t be getting just warmed-over Nuance tech. Tellme has tuned their utterance dictionary to vastly improve on Nuance’s recognition rate, which is key to successful user adoption.

]]> By: Is an $800 Million Acquisition the Ticket to Microsoft Mobile Search Success? http://gigaom.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92351 Is an $800 Million Acquisition the Ticket to Microsoft Mobile Search Success? Tue, 13 Mar 2007 19:33:38 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92351 <p>[...] the Ticket to Microsoft Mobile Search Success? Posted by Derick on March 13th, 2007 With more fuel being thrown on the Microsoft-acquisition-of-TellMe fire, it looks like Microsoft is stepping up [...]</p> [...] the Ticket to Microsoft Mobile Search Success? Posted by Derick on March 13th, 2007 With more fuel being thrown on the Microsoft-acquisition-of-TellMe fire, it looks like Microsoft is stepping up [...]

]]> By: Ty Graham http://gigaom.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92341 Ty Graham Tue, 13 Mar 2007 17:30:26 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92341 <p>There was also Voice Web Solutions who has the only Grammar WYSIWYG Builder (VoiceWebSoultions.net)</p> There was also Voice Web Solutions who has the only Grammar WYSIWYG Builder (VoiceWebSoultions.net)

]]> By: Microsoft buying Tellme? (redux) -- Microsoft News Tracker http://gigaom.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92355 Microsoft buying Tellme? (redux) -- Microsoft News Tracker Tue, 13 Mar 2007 14:51:20 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92355 <p>[...] Microsoft was acquiring mobile phone applications vendor Tellme, but it was promptly denied. Now the rumor is back and the purported price tag is a whopper according to Om Malik: Microsoft Corp. is said to be talks to acquire Tellme Networks, a voice applications company, [...]</p> [...] Microsoft was acquiring mobile phone applications vendor Tellme, but it was promptly denied. Now the rumor is back and the purported price tag is a whopper according to Om Malik: Microsoft Corp. is said to be talks to acquire Tellme Networks, a voice applications company, [...]

]]> By: Microsoft To Acquire Tellme » SELaplana http://gigaom.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92337 Microsoft To Acquire Tellme » SELaplana Tue, 13 Mar 2007 12:27:47 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92337 <p>[...] said that Microsoft is about to acquire Tellme (the company that offers web info-search through the [...]</p> [...] said that Microsoft is about to acquire Tellme (the company that offers web info-search through the [...]

]]> By: Junto Boyz http://gigaom.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92345 Junto Boyz Tue, 13 Mar 2007 09:35:48 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92345 <p><strong>TELLME BEING ACQUIRED BY MICROSOFT... FORMER COMPETITOR, OLD MEMORIES...</strong></p> <p>GigaOM is reporting that Tellme will be bought for $800 million or more. Congratulations to their founders and team! Brings back old memories when we competed against Tellme. Tellme raised an incredible $239 million in 2000. Then there was BeVocal and ...</p> TELLME BEING ACQUIRED BY MICROSOFT… FORMER COMPETITOR, OLD MEMORIES…

GigaOM is reporting that Tellme will be bought for $800 million or more. Congratulations to their founders and team! Brings back old memories when we competed against Tellme. Tellme raised an incredible $239 million in 2000. Then there was BeVocal and …

]]> By: Microsoft Goes Shopping « Gokul Blog — A conversation on VoIP, IMS, Cisco and Just about Anything http://gigaom.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92347 Microsoft Goes Shopping « Gokul Blog — A conversation on VoIP, IMS, Cisco and Just about Anything Tue, 13 Mar 2007 09:12:38 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92347 <p>[...] networks is one of the major players in the web based voice technology domain and Om believes that this acquisition is to bolster Microsoft’s Window’s mobile phone solution and is [...]</p> [...] networks is one of the major players in the web based voice technology domain and Om believes that this acquisition is to bolster Microsoft’s Window’s mobile phone solution and is [...]

]]> By: Microsoft To Acquire TellMe, Part II http://gigaom.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92339 Microsoft To Acquire TellMe, Part II Tue, 13 Mar 2007 08:46:12 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92339 <p>[...] rounds. We gave a glowing review to a recently released TellMe mobile phone application. Update: Om Malik has sources saying the deal may be north of $800 m. Sphere [...]</p> [...] rounds. We gave a glowing review to a recently released TellMe mobile phone application. Update: Om Malik has sources saying the deal may be north of $800 m. Sphere [...]

]]> By: Reports: TellMe to be bought by Microsoft at Vinod Live! http://gigaom.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92343 Reports: TellMe to be bought by Microsoft at Vinod Live! Tue, 13 Mar 2007 08:37:03 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92343 <p>[...] Michael Arrington and Om Malik reported the TellMe sales talks with Microsoft for a whopping $800 [...]</p> [...] Michael Arrington and Om Malik reported the TellMe sales talks with Microsoft for a whopping $800 [...]

]]> By: Vinod Ponmanadiyil http://gigaom.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92357 Vinod Ponmanadiyil Tue, 13 Mar 2007 07:52:45 +0000 http://gigaom.wordpress.com/2007/03/12/tellme-price-800-million-or-more/#comment-92357 <p>I guess its a best bet for Microsoft because Google has already patented the "Voice Search".</p> I guess its a best bet for Microsoft because Google has already patented the “Voice Search”.

]]>