Voxeo Builds Backbone
For Web Phone Firms

Apparently not all the "build it and they will come" business propositions are dead. Now that it's possible to connect to the Web from a phone, a slew of companies are competing to offer voice-activated services.

by ISP-Planet Staff [February 5, 2001]

Voxeo Corp., a Silicon Valley startup, contends that it can perform a profitable service for many of the new Web phone firms that are popping up all over the Net.

Gary Reback, Voxeo chief executive said the company is all about provide the building blocks that will enable Internet-based voice companies to concentrate on their end of the line.

Data debut of call centers
Last week Voxeo unveiled its network of 10 data centers collocated at Exodus Communications and AboveNet Communications facilities.

Reback said Voxeo stands out in the crowd of Web-enabled voice services—like Telera and Tellme Networks—because it is a pure-play infrastructure company built on an open platform. By using VoiceXML, CallXML and other languages, developers are free to play with voice applications.

When Reback wasn't busy kicking sand Bill Gate's face—allegedly blocking Microsoft's acquisition of Intuit and crusading against the software-maker during its antitrust hearings—Voxeo has been quietly developing software and assembling hardware needed to meld telephone and Internet infrastructures.

According to Reuters, more than 17 customers have signed up to use the Voxeo.Net network and more than 1,000 developers have registered on the company's community portal where developers can use free tools to create Web-based phone applications.

The value-added email company Postini partnered with Voxeo in December last year. The agreement enabled Postini to offer enterprises and email service providers—such as ISPs and e-commerce portals—to seamlessly add email-enhancing services without impact their server resources.

Basically Voxeo acts as a call center for its partners to deploy value-added services, like getting your e-mail over a cell phone. By bridging phone calls with Internet technologies, Voxeo's infrastructure makes for an interesting extension of communication services in the new millennium.

—End