InfoSpace Sharpens Focus On Search; Is It Gearing Up For A Run On Mobile Metasearch?
Yesterday’s announcement that Motricity is to buy Infospace’s mobile business for $135 million has generated plenty of buzz in the blogosphere, but much of it misses the point. Look beyond the impact on content and services (that’s a crowded industry sector where winners and losers change almost daily) and you’ll see InfoSpace is setting its sites – and wisely so – on search. After all, as Peggy has pointed out several times, search is the de facto interface to all things digital in the online space. Now what company wouldn’t want to be in the middle of that value web?
By selling, Infospace are now able transfer their risky content business to the experts at Motricity and in the process re-focus energies on their core competency – search. Put another way, ironically, the sell-off to Motricity will likely pay-off for Infospace as they can now channel their efforts into winning at mobile search. We were holding off last night for an exclusive interview with Brendan Benzing, InfoSpace VP of Mobile Search, but the call was put off until later tonight. Peggy will circle back with this later.
In the meantime, the official word from Brendan (via an email exchange):
“We are very excited about this transaction and believe it is a win-win for our company and all of our stakeholders, including our customers. Combined we are by far the largest mobile data services firm in North America. We now provide services to 11 of the top 13 carriers in North America including AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile, Bell Mobility, Tracfone and Alltel. We power the mobile portal or “start screen” for 5 of the top 6 carriers in North America and content storefronts for 9 of the top 13 carriers in North America. This positions us well for an expanding market and provides us an excellent foundation for expanding our services overseas as well.”
October 16th, 2007 at 11:27 pm
OK, now I’m really confused. INSP sold their Mobile Services Business, which I assumed included Mobile Search. But the Blog above states that, “[Infospace] can now channel their efforts into winning at mobile search.”
So, is INSP still in mobile search business or not?
Secondly, Brendan Benzing says, “We are very excited about this transaction…” By this “we”, I assume Brendan means Motricity, which implies he now works for them?
Clarification???
October 18th, 2007 at 12:39 am
Brendan Benzing, InfoSpace VP of Mobile Search
InfoSpace is setting its sites – and wisely so – on search.
Brendan Benzing, InfoSpace VP of Mobile Search stays put
October 18th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
Indeed – INSP is hardly done with mobile search. A grand plan is at hand – and visible to all in due course.
October 18th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Sorry, Mobile Search (including Brendan) is now Motricity . . .
October 18th, 2007 at 7:20 pm
Sorry, INSP didnt sell Motricity their mobile metasearch content which is same as their online content- if this happened Motricity would have aquired all of INSP. Motricity acquired mobile search infrastructure- not content. Carriers decide on the content – not the vendor.
October 19th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
kudos bosstl