View source for 800-The-Info

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox Brand
|logo                     =
|name                     = 800-The-Info
| image                   = 800theinfo.png
| type                    =
| currentowner           = [[Verizon]]
| origin                  = [[United States]]
| discontinued            = Yes
| markets                 = [[United States]]
| website                 = [http://www.800theinfo.com/ www.800theinfo.com]
}}

'''800-The-Info''' (or 1-800-843-4636) was a toll-free [[directory assistance]] (DA) and information service provided in the United States by [[Verizon]].<ref name="Vuong">{{cite news | last = Vuong | first = Andy| title = Free directory assistance to be tested here | newspaper = [[Denver Post]] | date = 2007-06-20}}</ref> 800-The-Info was subsidized by businesses that purchase advertising space on the service. Callers did not pay for the service, but had to listen to ads.  The service offered local business listings including numbers and addresses.<ref name="Vuong"/>

==How it worked==
Like other advertising supported services, callers use a toll-free number to reach an automated system.  They then can ask for a particular business, or ask for business recommendations by a location in a city.  This type of category search is different from typical 411 requests that focus on asking for specific listings.  At the outset, the system plays an advertisement and there can be other ads later on in the call.  The system can also provide details to the caller's wireless phone via [[text message]].<ref>{{cite news | last = Reidy | first = Chris| title = New directory assistance service from Verizon | newspaper = [[Boston Globe]] | date = 2007-06-20}}</ref>

==The free-DA market==
Verizon’s service competed with many new entrants providing similar services. [[1-800-FREE-411]] is currently the market leader with reportedly 20 million calls per month in 2007.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.free411.com/about/pressreleases/p20070910| title= Jingle Networks Appoints Brian Roberts as Chief Financial Officer| year= 2007| access-date= 2007-10-05| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071012181329/http://free411.com/about/pressreleases/p20070910| archive-date= 12 October 2007| url-status= dead}}</ref> [[AT&T]]'s yellow pages,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.1800yellowpages.com | title=1-800-Yellowpages Website | year = 2007 | access-date=2007-10-05}}</ref> and others, are also now competing for this small but growing segment.  Current growth figures suggest the segment will reach 1.5 billion calls per year in the U.S. by 2010.<ref>{{Cite journal| title =Advertiser-Paid Information Services: Understanding Free| publisher =The Pierz Group| date =2007-05-25| url =http://www.pierzgroup.com/AvailableReports/images/Advertiser%20Supported%20DA%20Services%20Summary.pdf| access-date =2007-10-05| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20061019224919/http://www.pierzgroup.com/AvailableReports/images/Advertiser%20Supported%20DA%20Services%20Summary.pdf| archive-date =19 October 2006| url-status =dead| df =dmy-all}}</ref>

Nearly all of these services targeted traditional, paid DA services, rates of which can range from $0.39 on a [[landline phone]] to $1.99 (i.e. Verizon wireless) or more on [[cell phone]]s.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.daamerica.com/rates.html| title= DA America| year= 2007| access-date= 2007-10-05| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070911184450/http://www.daamerica.com/rates.html| archive-date= 11 September 2007| url-status= dead| df= dmy-all}}</ref> This form of pure substitution may bring in new users but it also will capture volume from traditional DA services.

What was not clear for any of these providers is whether there will be enough expansion in advertisers to support the business model.

==See also==
* [[4-1-1]]
* [[Bing Mobile]]
* [[Speech recognition]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://webarchive.loc.gov/all/20090803125748/http%3A//www.800theinfo.com/ Official 800-The-Info Website]
*[https://faizaneraza.org/ Pampers Toll Free Phone Number]
*[https://www.thisisarecording.com/1-800-THE-INFO.html Recordings of 800-The-Info]

[[Category:Directory assistance services]]
[[Category:Telecommunication services]]
[[Category:Telephone numbers in the United States]]