Intertainment Media spikes on Telus deal for Ortsbo

Shares of former high-flier Intertainment Media (Intertainment Media Stock Quote, Chart, News: TSXV:INT) are racing today after the company announced that its Ortsbo translation software will be used by Telus International to help its sixteen thousand customer service reps offer web-based real time customer care in more than 65 languages.

Ortsbo, which the company claims now has more than 212 million unique users in over 170 countries, will help Telus offer better-rounded customer service without dramatically increasing costs. Multi-lingual agents are typically paid a premium over those who can only speak a single language.

Telus International CIO Michael Ringman says the deal puts the company out in front in customer service.

“Telus International is proud to enable customer experience innovation through spirited teamwork, agile thinking and a caring culture that puts customers first. We are pleased to partner with Ortsbo to expand our service offering to customers around the world,” he said. “The ability to support multilanguage client needs from locations that could traditionally only support one or two languages is a game changer for us and our clients and we are pleased to be moving forward with our first live client program using the Ortsbo technology platform.”

The deal brings Intertainment Media back into the spotlight it once owned on Toronto’s Venture Exchange. Shares of the company soared to $1.50 two years ago, but have since retreated to pennies, despite signing deals for Ortsbo with brands such as IndyCar and Variety, and lining up celebrity spokesmen like Gene Simmons and Steve Nash.

CEO David Lucatch says the deal is about an established company solving a problem with innovation.

“It’s not just about the technology; it’s about enabling people — both agents and customers — with an innovative way to remove the language barrier,” he said. “That’s why we value our strategic partnership with Telus International. They understand the value of customer experience and the deeper, cost-effective capabilities this will deliver to their global contact centre clients.”

At press time, shares of Intertainment Media were up 81.8% to $.10 as more than ten-million shares traded hands.

About The Author / Nick Waddell

Cantech Letter founder and editor Nick Waddell has lived in five Canadian provinces and is proud of his country's often overlooked contributions to the world of science and technology. Waddell takes a regular shift on the Canadian media circuit, making appearances on CTV, CBC and BNN, and contributing to publications such as Canadian Business and Business Insider.

Comment

One thought on “Intertainment Media spikes on Telus deal for Ortsbo”

Poor Track Record says:

August 19, 2013 at 8:39 am

The company still claims to have over 212 million users? All the user analytics sites I have seen show Ortsbo’s user numbers fell off a cliff. This article needs to fact check more carefully.