Software developers who need to integrate voice with web
applications might welcome
BT's £52.5m acquisition of
Ribbit Corporation, a Silicon
Valley developer of software tools.
BT will add Ribbit's
platform to its
21st Century Network systems development kit (SDK). Ribbit's
platform enables developers to add voice and automation features to
virtually any web-based application or community. Some 9,000
developers have registered to use the telco's current SDK.
Developers have already used Ribbit to integrate voice into
Salesforce.com and built voice applications that run directly from
Facebook or iGoogle.
Software firm
TierLinear has used the
tools to add voice and SMS capabilities to
BT BizBox. BizBox is a
web-based set of productivity and CRM tools for small to mid-sized
businesses BT launched in August 2007. More than 450 firms from
small grocers to mid-sized technology firms are using it to give
managers snapshots of their businesses.
The tools summarise customer interactions, meeting minutes,
individual and team tasks, notes, calendars, HR records and
invoices, among others. BizBox is available via any
internet-enabled device.
BT developers used the SDK to add a click-to-call feature to its
BT Tradespace social
business network. This lets customers contact local traders. Some
89,000 businesses from florists to plumbers have joined since the
launch in April 2007.
Ribbit said thousands of developers are using its products. It
has also developed products for the enterprise software market, and
has begun testing a consumer application it plans to launch later
this year.