TORONTO – May 1, 2009 -- Fonolo, the company that helps consumers deal with large companies over the phone, announced today its status as a finalist of the "Red Herring 100 North America" award, a prestigious list honoring the year's most promising private technology ventures in North America.
The Red Herring editorial team selected the most innovative companies from a pool of 1,200. The nominees are evaluated on both quantitative and qualitative criteria, such as financial performance, technology innovation, quality of management, execution of strategy and integration into their respective industries.
This unique assessment of potential is complemented by a review of the actual track record and standing of a company, which allows Red Herring to see past the "buzz" and make the list an invaluable instrument for discovering and advocating the greatest business opportunities in the industry.
"This year was especially difficult," said Alex Vieux, publisher and CEO of Red Herring. There were so many great companies producing really innovative and amazing products that we had a difficult time narrowing it down to 200. Now we're faced with the arduous task of selecting the final 100. We know that this year's crop will grow into some amazing companies that are sure to go far."
For over 10 years, The Red Herring 100 North America award, open to private technology companies headquartered in North America, has been given to the top 100 tech companies based upon their technological innovation, management strength, market size, investor record, customer acquisition, and financial health. During the several months leading up to the announcement, hundreds of companies in the telecom, communications, security, Web 2.0, software, hardware, biotech, and clean tech industries sent in their submissions to qualify for the award.
The CEOs of the 200 finalists are invited to present their winning strategies at the Red Herring Conference in San Diego, where the Red Herring Top 100 will be announced.
Red Herring is a global media company uniting the world's best high technology innovators, venture investors, and business decision-makers in a variety of forums: a leading innovation magazine; an online daily technology news service; technology newsletters, and major events for technology leaders around the globe. Red Herring provides an insider's access to the global innovation ecosystem, featuring unparalleled insights on the emerging technologies driving the economy. For more information, visit www.redherring.com.
Fonolo, privately held and based in Toronto, helps consumers deal with large companies over the phone. Fonolo's Deep Dialing feature allows users to skip the dreaded phone menus (also known as "IVR systems") and get right to the point. With Fonolo's Deep Dialing, users can navigate the call path options visually, on a computer or mobile device, then click to be connected directly, rather than plodding through the menus step-by-step. Fonolo's Intelligent Call History feature tracks all the calls a user makes to a particular company, regardless of which phone is used, and automatically organizes them along with notes and recordings.
Deb Jones, for Fonolo
deb.jones@comunicano.com
+1 856-363-9001
Yvonne Caprini, for Red Herring
ycaprini@redherring.com
+1 650 428 2900 x410