Texperts was a
UK-based
SMS
Short Message Service, commonly abbreviated as SMS, is a text messaging service component of most telephone, Internet and mobile device systems. It uses standardized communication protocols that let mobile phones exchange short text messages, t ...
question-and-answer service. In December 2008, Texperts was bought by the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
–based
Knowledge Generation Bureau, operator of the
118 118 services, a directory services company which had also entered the SMS question-and-answer market. The service was later renamed Kgb Answers and is now defunct.
History
Re5ult Ltd was launched initially with a subscription-based service called 'Re5ult' on a normal mobile number. However, in August 2004 the service was launched on a premium text code and rebranded as 82ASK. In 2007, Re5ult switched phone numbers and brands again, relaunching the service as Texperts on short code 66000.
Performance
Posing the question "How many people
realive compared with all who had ever lived?", a ''
Guardian
Guardian usually refers to:
* Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another
* ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper
(The) Guardian(s) may also refer to:
Places
* Guardian, West Virginia, Unit ...
'' journalist testing the service received an answer within five minutes, with the closest rival answering it in 22 minutes. A similar question asked for "a hotel in
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
within half an hour of
Rosslare en route to
Westmeath
County Westmeath (; or simply ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and is part of the Eastern and Midland Region. It formed part of the historic Kingdom of ...
" which received an answer within 15 minutes; a rival service answered a few minutes sooner and also provided prices which Texperts's response lacked.
[
]
Publications
In 2006, Texperts released the book ''Do Sheep Shrink in the Rain?'', subtitled ''"Over 500 of the most outrageous questions ever asked"'', published by
Virgin Books
Virgin Books is a British book publisher 90% owned by the publishing group Random House, and 10% owned by Virgin Group, the company originally set up by Richard Branson as a record company.
History
Virgin established its book publishing ...
. The 256-page paperback is a compilation of questions received and answered by the service.
See also
*
AskMeNow
References
{{Reflist, 2
Companies based in Cambridge
Technology companies established in 2003
SMS-based question answering services
2008 mergers and acquisitions
2003 establishments in England
Technology companies disestablished in 2009
2009 disestablishments in England
British companies established in 2003
British companies disestablished in 2009