82ASK

All you want to know about 82ASK

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Re5ult Ltd, trading as Texperts
Type Limited company
Founded August 2003
Headquarters Cambridge, United Kingdom
Area served United Kingdom
Key people Sarah McVittie - CEO
Paul Butcher - CTO
Thomas Roberts - CPO
Bridget Kerle - CFO, General counsel
Rhodri Thomas - DBS
Giles Adams - Marketing Director
Industry Search
Services SMS-based question answering
Employees 250+ in 12 countries
Website Texperts.com

Texperts is a "mobile find" SMS service that allows users to text a question to a team of research experts who provide individually tailored, relevant answers to their mobile. Any UK phone can text a question to 66000 and receive an accurate answer within minutes for £1, plus a standard network charge (about ten pence). If for any reason the correct answer cannot be found there is no charge. The company has been shown to be faster than rival services in independent tests.[1] The service is available on all UK phones, wherever they are located in the world.

Contents

History

Re5ult Ltd launched initially with a subscription-based service called 'Re5ult' on a normal mobile number (07781 484950), with the management citing that revenue shares given by network operators seemed too low to allow it to run on a premium text code. However in the face of competition from AQA, in August 2004 the service was launched on a premium text code and rebranded as 82ASK. The text code being 82275. In 2007, Re5ult switched phone numbers and brands again relaunching the service as Texperts on short code 66000.

Performance

A recent 'road test' on the question 'How many people were alive compared with all who had ever lived' resulted in the service answering the question in five minutes, with the closest rival answering it in twenty-two minutes. A similar question asked for 'a hotel in Ireland within half an hour of Rosslare en route to Westmeath', with similar results. [2] The company sees an average monthly growth of 20%[3] , and has one of the most recognisable brands in the UK market[4]

The Texperts

The 'Texperts' (a portmanteau of text and experts) are mostly graduates (87%), with 44% coming from either Oxford or Cambridge universities, and a significant group (19%) currently completing PhDs at Cambridge University[citation needed]. There are also texperts on 24-hour call to answer questions in more specialised fields such as maths and sciences.

Awards and partnerships

The company has won several national awards [5][6][7][8][9], and has business deals with several multinational companies, including Multimap, GlaxoSmithKline and The Relationship Specialists, [10]. The company also has exclusive access to the Official Guinness World Records database, and also operates several other text services, including partnerships with Thomson and BAA[11]. On November 9th 2006 82ASK published Do Sheep Shrink in the Rain?, a collection of "the 500 most outrageous questions ever asked and their answers"[12]

Awarding body Award Notes Year
Real Business/CBI Growing Business Awards Innovative Company of the Year Winner 2007
National Business Awards Best Use of Technology in Business Winner 2007
National Business Awards Business Innovation of the Year Highly Commended 2007
Startups Awards Best Use of Technology Winner 2006
British Business Angels Best Angel backed Business with Young Management Winner 2006
Global Messaging Awards Best Content or Information Service Winner 2005
Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneurs Of The Year Winner (Eastern Region) 2005

See also

References

  1. ^ "Q&A text services battle it out". Stuff.tv website. Retrieved on 2006-12-06.
  2. ^ Keegan, Victor (7 September 2006), "The answer is just a text message away", The Guardian, <http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2006/sep/07/comment.comment2> 
  3. ^ Ringshaw, Grant (19 August 2007), "Rising star to float phone research lines", The Sunday Times, <http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/telecoms/article2283038.ece> 
  4. ^ Along with Any Question Answered and ANSA.
  5. ^ Re5ult Ltd (May 26 2005). "82ASK wins Eastern Region’s Shell LiveWIRE Young Entrepreneurs Of The Year 2005". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-08-17.
  6. ^ Re5ult Ltd (June 18 2005). "SMS font-of-all-knowledge honoured with gong". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-08-17.
  7. ^ Re5ult Ltd (June 12 2006). "82ASK wins British Business Angels Association Award". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-08-17.
  8. ^ Re5ult Ltd (2006-10-20). "82ASK wins NatWest Startups Award 2006 - “Best Use of Technology”". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-08-17.
  9. ^ Re5ult Ltd (2005-07-05). "82ASK wins National Business Award". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-08-17.
  10. ^ http://about.82ask.com/partners/ 82ASK & Multimap
  11. ^ http://about.82ask.com/2006/09/26/edinburgh-airport-pilots-sms-service/ 82ASK site
  12. ^ Texperts - 66000 » Do Sheep Shrink in the Rain?

External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texperts"

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