Microsoft has acquired Tellme Networks, a provider of voice services, to focus on hosted voice enabled customer service solutions, enhancing Microsoft's existing unified communications offerings, voice user interfaces, and search services on mobile phones integrating with live search for mobile offerings.

The acquisition will enable developers and partners to build new speech based solutions on top of a scalable, standards-based voice enabled applications platform.

According to Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft, "Tellme brings to Microsoft the talent, technology and proven experience in speech, to enable us to deliver a new wave of products and revolutionize human computer interaction."

Jeff Raikes, president, Microsoft Business Division, believes, "The acquisition of Tellme will bolster Microsoft's existing speech capabilities, bringing both immediate and long term value to our customers and partners."