Comments on: Motricity Takes Most Of The Hits With The InfoSpace Merger; Shelves IPO Plans

By: Gene Allen

Gene Allen — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 23:01:07 +0000

How do i get refunded the 3.99 that was not authorized to be charged to my cell phone for the last ^ months please advise.

By: Truthshouldbeknown

Truthshouldbeknown — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 19:16:42 +0000

This is an interesting story:

http://www.wral.com/business/local_tech_wire/venture/story/2560517/

Motricity answering critics about the management there. Heh, I love how they skirted around the issues on this one. As for the first question asked, Did Ryan receive an interest free loan from Motricity for his home? Nope, but it was very low interest, and by all accounts should be considered interest free.

Did Ryan utilize Motricity Staff for running personal errands? They said only when he is working 18 hour days on "on occassion". HA!! Ryan hadn't worked an 18 hour day in his life, and on top of that, he not only used people for running errands, such as getting his clothes and other things, he also used the IT staff to take care of his personal computers, install electronics in his house and take care of his friends computers like Nathan and the like. This happened constantly and employees who didn't agree to perform such work were threatened with firing. That's the truth, period.

The person answering the question about Ryan professing his faith in meetings obviously wasn't there at the time that it DID happen. It wasn't for long, but it happened.

Ryan and Nathan would never go anywhere without a limo. They couldn't take a taxi like the rest of us and if we had spent a cent more than what policy allowed, they would have our butts for it. They came in and changed the place from a fun place to work to a hell hole and it didn't take them long.

Anyone who didn't agree with them was threatened with being fired and they completely abused their power in terms of getting personal gain from employees. It's sad, and I can't believe the answers I saw on WRAL today. WOW.

By: Carl begs to differ

Carl begs to differ — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:11:23 +0000

From today's http://www.localtechwire.com, Icahn "admits it [investing in Motricity] probably WASN'T a good decision". Let's hope all of you rabid rah-rah folks will use this as an excuse to grow up and get over Motricity. We've got a lot of engineering and management talent around here. Let's grow in our sophistication and start inventing products and services that make money.

Here’s Primack’s note from a PEHub post:

“I did ask Icahn why he did a pure venture capital deal last year for Motricity, which is now laying off 250 workers and moving its headquarters out of North Carolina. He answered that his son came to him with the deal one night, and he basically said “Why not?” He now admits it probably wasn’t a good decision, but still expressed faith in the company’s technology.”

By: JHarris

JHarris — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 22:20:07 +0000

I would bet Icahn facilitates a private sale of Motricity by the end of the year rather than try and take anything public in the current lousy market. There is much potential value in Motricity's GoldPocket division as its former competitors, M-Qube and Q-Pass were acquired in private transactions for $250 million and $275 million respectively. The latest move to cut the headcount at Motricity paves the way to growth and profitability and there's no doubt on my mind that Icahn will make a profit on his investment in this company.

By: to tech "guru"

to tech "guru" — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 03:58:51 +0000

You who call yourself a tech guru, save your hype for the troops and the investors. More and more people AREN'T using their phones as personal computers. It's not growing. And to the extent they will in the future, they'll use iPhone-type devices that link directly to the web, rather than going through some clunky Rube Goldberg phone-quirk-specific system from the 90's. No middleman. Motricity's the middleman. And NOBODY has been 3 years behind China since something like 1500 when they were the only ones with paper and gunpowder. It is THEY who are about 40 years behind US. The reason they use phones for entertainment is because that's all they've got. As they become a first-world nation with first-world tastes, they're going to start watching TVs and movies and listening to CD players. Saying the developed world is going to start downloading as many ringtones as they is like saying the developed world is start going to ride as many bikes to work as they do. Ain't gonna happen. Yes, Icahn is a great value investor. So note the irony. To date, investors in Motricity have been venture guys, the ultimate growth investors. So his involvement is a statement in itself. And he doesn't have $100 million +, more like $50 million, and it's more like debt. And he doesn't care if he's acquired or goes public, he just wants to get paid. In fact, that's cheaper and easier if he gets acquired (fewer banker fees, less money left on the table, quicker). Has Icahn EVER taken a company public? More likely, he'll instruct Motorola to buy Motricity, thereby reaching into the pockets of Motorola shareholders to pay him back his $50 million. I don't know what current investors will get out of that, but you can bet they're in line BEHIND Mr. Icahn. Regarding your statement about switching CEOs, is there any public news on that yet? To the poster who thinks that the "Enronic" statement is "stupid", its similar at least in that Enron always booked future projected earnings as current earnings, since they didn't have much, and all Motricity ever talks about is future earnings (gonna be MILLIONS) without ever showing any current earnings. And, oh yeah, they're similar in that almost nothing they ever say turns out to ever have been true. And their new stuff doesn't work as well as they say it does...

By: Terminator:Taylor Brockman Chr

Terminator:Taylor Brockman Chr — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 20:35:15 +0000

There goes Taylor's plans to use Fuel to build SkyNet. Maybe Otto never really left the company- mayb he just went back in time to stop SkyNet.

By: tech guru

tech guru — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:06:43 +0000

Look around everybody. More and more people are using their cell phones as personal computers. Downloading ringers, games, movies and so forth. The only thing Motricity is guilty of is coming to the table a little earlier. It has been proven that USA is always 3 years behind China in technology and in China mobile downloads in the on deck and off deck is huge. As for Carl Icahn, he is one of the greatest value investors and with 100+ million in this company, you can bet he will not let anything happen to this company. He does not want to be acquired he wants to go public. Laying off people, switching ceo’s and coo’s shows that his company is trimming fat, and getting ready for a public offering.

By: Everyone is interested

Everyone is interested — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 02:25:24 +0000

To 'No one is interested' – This posting started off like any other. But unlike almost all other posts, it struck a nerve that resulted in a reaction I have not seen on this site in the several years I have been reading it.

Whatever is going on there at Motricity, I find it a fascinating, insightful, Enronic, soap opera that gives a glimpse behind what I thought was a cool little company. I wonder how many other companies out there have similar cultures or if this is an extreme exception.

Funny how in one breath you say no one is interested and in another you say you come to these forums to read the comments. Guess that makes you an oxymoron.

By: If you are so smart

If you are so smart — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 02:20:18 +0000

Ok genius, then set the record straight if we are so wrong.

By: No one is interested....

No one is interested.... — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 01:39:43 +0000

in another useless article… we just come to these forums to read stupid comments from so-called experts, like the person above who has no clue to what he/she is yapping about.