When RantNetwork founder and CEO Bill Grandizio died suddenly last summer, the mobile translation technology company lost its driving force. It’s now up to Ken Volet, the new CEO, to jumpstart the company’s growth.
Fortunately for RantNetwork, Volet has a history of growing emerging companies. He had more than two decades of executive management experience in the business intelligence industry when he joined RantNetwork last October.
“Bill’s death had a huge impact on the company,” says Volet, who grew Holistic Systems from a six-employee, $400,000 company to a major business intelligence firm with 75 employees and more than $19 million in annual revenue.
“For many people it was on both a personal and business level. I believe his death has motivated people to ensure that his creation becomes as successful as he envisioned it.”
RantNetwork’s fusion of mobile, internet and machine language technology comes to life with its Communilator, which provides real-time dictionary and phrasebook capabilities to cell phones. The company is also developing Camera Image Text Translation, which would allow users to take a photo of foreign language text with their cell phone and instantly receive written and spoken translation. For bigger translation needs, such as global business documents that need specifically translating, there are other similar services that have french native translators, for example, that can help with making sure everything is exact and easy to read for important results. Translation services are now a staple in everyday life and business needs because of how we digitally connect nowadays.
“We have entered into contracts with four large telecom carriers (AT&T Mobility, Telecom Italia, Saudi Arabia Mobily, and Comcel) as well entered into non-disclosure agreements with a dozen more,” says Volet. “With the right marketing each of these accounts have the potential of delivering 100,000 or more subscribers.”
RantNetwork has received nearly $200,000 in a pair of investments from Ben Franklin Technology Partners for product development and enhancement. The company plans on hiring for development and administrative jobs at its site in the KIZ technology center in Bloomsburg, which Volet expects to supply “outstanding candidates” via Bloomsburg University.
Source: Ken Volet, RantNetwork
Writer: Joe Petrucci