Updated: The ink on the Microsoft-TellMe Networks deal isn’t even dry, and we are already seeing some key executives leaving the company. Gary Clayton, the chief creative officer of TellMe and the man who was at TellMe’s helped develop the critically acclaimed mobile search application is joining Yahoo as a vice president in the research & development division. Victor Chen, another key TellMe executive (he was lead product manager) is joining Yahoo as well.
Jeff Bonforte, Vice President of Yahoo’s Real Time Communications business confirmed their move, and said he was stoked to get two guys who know a lot about VoiceXML applications. What these hires likely mean - Bonforte won’t give us details - is that Yahoo is going to be looking to add voice to its web services mix pretty soon.
Who knows, a voice-based mobile search application? And it won’t even cost $800 million-plus!
3 comments so far
2:22 PM PT
Google has ‘Voice interface for a search engine’ patent, I am not sure how all these voice-based search finally get into clear form.
Kind rgrds
saran
6:40 PM PT
how did bonforte score this guy after msft paid so much? talk about a kick in the *** to microsoft.
11:19 PM PT
There are two reasons to go to Yahoo:
1) coast (do nothing)
2) get marquee internet brand for future CEO slot
You don’t go there to ‘turn things around’ or ‘be a part of the comeback’ or anything like that. That place is a goner.
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