Making voice calls from within the browser, and the growing links between voice applications and the web of data is a big trend online today. Last December Ribbit, a startup that calls itself “Silicon Valley’s first phone company,” launched a bid to spread Flash apps for voice.
Now another startup, is also aiming at voice and ‘messaging 2.0’ services from a different angle. Ireland-based VoiceSage, a hosted ‘software as service’ Interactive Voice Messaging (IVM) company, is seen by some telco industry analysts as part of the next wave of “Telco 2.0” and it’s just closed a €3m round from private Irish backers. The cash will be used to push further push into the UK.
The 12 person startup has already closed a deal with a leading catalogue company in Europe (Scotts of Stow & Otto), and some big banks, as yet unnamed. Its interactive messaging meshed with enterprise software means VoiceSage inhabits a space being called “Communications Enabled Business Processes” (CEBP), which is gaining traction in the voice world. VoiceSage also has a “click 2 Talk” technology which could integrate with contextual advertising.