Speech-enabled technology is one of the most promising digital frontiers and will help propel a wave of innovation in areas in which we are already deeply invested such as unified communications, mobile services and search. We are pleased to announce that Microsoft is continuing to invest in the productivity promise of speech-enabled technology by entering into an agreement to acquire Tellme Networks, Inc., the leading hosted speech applications platform company. This announcement will be made public at 9AM PDT today, March 14, 2007 and we expect the deal to close in Q4 FY07.
The acquisition of Tellme advances Microsoft’s delivery of software plus services that put people at the center of technology solutions in the office, at home or on the go. For years Microsoft has enabled speech, handwriting and touch as forms of natural input to computing devices, making those products easier to use. Microsoft and Tellme share a common vision of information access, by way of spoken word, anytime, anywhere and on any computer or device. Bringing our two organizations together will help us to accelerate the delivery of great solutions to improve the way people can connect to others and find, use and share information.
By combining Internet data and a voice interface, Tellme radically simplifies how people use the phone to get the information they need every day. Founded in 1999, the company powers billions of calls to hundreds of phone services used by more than 40 million people every month. Some of the applications running on Tellme’s proven voice technologies include business search on 411, information search on 1-800-555-TELL as well as customer service and ordering for companies like Merrill Lynch, E*TRADE and American Airlines. Tellme is headquartered in Mountain View, California.
Press announcement is located here:
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2007/mar07/03-14PowerOfSpeechPR.mspx
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