Three Decades of "Sure, We Can Do That"

Three Decades of “Sure, We Can Do That”

Stephen Tallent, Founder & CEO

January 28, 2026

The First “Sure”

Back in 1995, I was working in our family-owned print shop by day while chasing my rock band dream by night. That summer, a customer asked a simple question: could we build one of these new “world wide websites” he’d been hearing about? I’d been dabbling in programming and digital technology all my life, so I said, “Sure, we can do that.”

The band never made it big. But that first website launched something I never imagined: Tallent Communications, which officially opened its doors in January 1996.

My first two hires were a designer and a programmer—a reflection of my own dual passions. I’d always loved how technology enabled creativity, from designing band posters with early digital tools to recording music with software-enhanced hardware. This fusion became our founding principle: “Technology by Design.” That ethos has guided us for three decades.

Building Before the Buzzwords

In our early web years, we didn’t just follow trends—we created them. We built content management systems for clients like the Catholic publishing ministry The Word Among Us before everyone knew what “CMS” meant. We were building re-useable, themed web engines for record labels and magazine publishers before the phrase “white label” was adopted into the web world.

We even launched what we believe was Nashville’s first e-commerce site for a local publisher—a fact we only discovered eight months later when another firm announced they were launching Nashville’s first e-commerce site. (Marketing has never been our strength.)

Thinking Beyond the Browser

In the early 2000s, while others focused on hits and unique visitors, we were thinking about engagement. We asked: how do we connect with people when they’re at their computer but not in their browser?

Our answer was a series of desktop applications, screensavers, widgets, and tickers that lived on users’ computers all day. Naturally, I tried to pitch this to rock bands first. But our breakthrough came while working on the Nashville Predators’ website. After sharing the concept with our contact at the Preds, he asked if we could build a desktop application for them, and again I said “sure, we can do that.”

That product—featuring dynamic screensavers with full-screen game photos, real-time score tickers, and integrated sponsorships—transformed our business. We rebranded as Mercury Sports Network and launched desktop products for the NFL and twelve of its teams, Sports Illustrated, and Golf Magazine. Behind these products was a robust content management system built on everything we’d learned about white-labeling and efficient delivery. This was crucial at a time when bandwidth cost a fortune and every kilobyte mattered.

1996

2004

Today

1996

2004

Today

The Mobile Revolution

Just as we’d hit our stride with desktop applications, Apple was about to change everything again.

The iPhone arrived in 2007. In 2008, Apple launched the App Store, which was a transformational event as it ushered in the “app economy.” That August, while pitching our desktop applications to USA Today, our contact held up his iPhone and asked if we could make an app. “Sure, we can do that.” By December 2008, the USA Today iPhone app launched, setting a new standard for the news industry. The phone started ringing and we quickly built first-ever mobile apps for CNN, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Fox News Channel, Univision and many more.

As our work expanded beyond sports to news, entertainment, and countless other industries, we evolved from Mercury Sports Network to Mercury Intermedia—though to most people, we’re just Mercury. Since then, we’ve built apps for Comcast/Xfinity, Red Bull TV, the NBA, Urban Outfitters, TED, FanDuel Sports Network, and many others.

What was once “mobile” has expanded from pocket-sized screens to the watch on your wrist and the 70-inch screen on your wall. We’ve scaled to match, developing for Apple and Google platforms, connected TV platforms, and full-stack middleware solutions that power modern streaming experiences.

The Real Secret Sauce

So what’s kept us going for thirty years? Three things.

First, we deliver. We’ve built award-winning apps, products featured in Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store, and applications that handle massive traffic surges for live sports, election nights, and breaking news. We’ve also built apps for small magazines, local utilities, and aspiring startups. Thirty years brings experience—and yes, grey hair—but what keeps customers with us is our track record of delivering quality software on time and on budget.

Second, our people. Our clients stay with us because we’re reliable. We’ve partnered with Comcast since 2010, Red Bull since 2015, the NBA since 2020, and The Word Among Us—that Catholic publishing ministry from our early days—since 1999. Twenty-seven years and counting. We’re still designing and developing their Apple and Android applications today.

And just as our customers stay with us, so do our employees. Our entire executive management team has been here over fifteen years. Our Creative Director designed those NFL desktop applications in the mid-2000s. Our COO started as a summer intern in 2006, hand-coding HTML. Several employees have done multiple stints with us—one has returned three times, spanning our web, desktop, and mobile eras. Behind every app is a team of talented, dedicated people who greet you with a smile and then put their heads down and get to work.

Third, we evolve. From websites to desktop applications to mobile apps to streaming platforms, we’ve never been afraid to say “sure, we can do that” even when it means learning something entirely new. That willingness to adapt—to meet people wherever they are—has been the constant thread through three decades of technological change.

2026 and Beyond

I may not have become a rock star, but I’m proud to say we’ve built something special at Mercury. I’m grateful I said “sure, we can do that” thirty years ago, and I’m always looking for the next opportunity to say it again.

Whether it’s spatial computing, AI-powered applications, or next-generation streaming solutions for an evolving media landscape, we’re pushing forward. We’re evolving while remaining true to our roots—enterprising, trustworthy, conscientious…and we know how to ship.

As we enter 2026, we’re excited about the next thirty years. We hope you’ll join us for the ride.

Stephen Tallent
Founder & CEO

Three Decades of
“Sure, We Can Do That”

Stephen Tallent
Founder & CEO/CTO

January 28, 2026

The First “Sure”

Back in 1995, I was working in our family-owned print shop by day while chasing my rock band dream by night. That summer, a customer asked a simple question: could we build one of these new “world wide websites” he’d been hearing about? I’d been dabbling in programming and digital technology all my life, so I said, “Sure, we can do that.”

The band never made it big. But that first website launched something I never imagined: Tallent Communications, which officially opened its doors in January 1996.

My first two hires were a designer and a programmer—a reflection of my own dual passions. I’d always loved how technology enabled creativity, from designing band posters with early digital tools to recording music with software-enhanced hardware. This fusion became our founding principle: “Technology by Design.” That ethos has guided us for three decades.

Building Before the Buzzwords

In our early web years, we didn’t just follow trends—we created them. We built content management systems for clients like the Catholic publishing ministry The Word Among Us before everyone knew what “CMS” meant. We were building re-useable, themed web engines for record labels and magazine publishers before the phrase “white label” was adopted into the web world.

We even launched what we believe was Nashville’s first e-commerce site for a local publisher—a fact we only discovered eight months later when another firm announced they were launching Nashville’s first e-commerce site. (Marketing has never been our strength.)

Thinking Beyond the Browser

In the early 2000s, while others focused on hits and unique visitors, we were thinking about engagement. We asked: how do we connect with people when they’re at their computer but not in their browser?

Our answer was a series of desktop applications, screensavers, widgets, and tickers that lived on users’ computers all day. Naturally, I tried to pitch this to rock bands first. But our breakthrough came while working on the Nashville Predators’ website. After sharing the concept with our contact at the Preds, he asked if we could build a desktop application for them, and again I said “sure, we can do that.”

That product—featuring dynamic screensavers with full-screen game photos, real-time score tickers, and integrated sponsorships—transformed our business. We rebranded as Mercury Sports Network and launched desktop products for the NFL and twelve of its teams, Sports Illustrated, and Golf Magazine. Behind these products was a robust content management system built on everything we’d learned about white-labeling and efficient delivery. This was crucial at a time when bandwidth cost a fortune and every kilobyte mattered.

1996

2004

Today

1996

2004

Today

The Mobile Revolution

Just as we’d hit our stride with desktop applications, Apple was about to change everything again.

The iPhone arrived in 2007. In 2008, Apple launched the App Store, which was a transformational event as it ushered in the “app economy.” That August, while pitching our desktop applications to USA Today, our contact held up his iPhone and asked if we could make an app. “Sure, we can do that.” By December 2008, the USA Today iPhone app launched, setting a new standard for the news industry. The phone started ringing and we quickly built first-ever mobile apps for CNN, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Fox News Channel, Univision and many more.

As our work expanded beyond sports to news, entertainment, and countless other industries, we evolved from Mercury Sports Network to Mercury Intermedia—though to most people, we’re just Mercury. Since then, we’ve built apps for Comcast/Xfinity, Red Bull TV, the NBA, Urban Outfitters, TED, FanDuel Sports Network, and many others.

What was once “mobile” has expanded from pocket-sized screens to the watch on your wrist and the 70-inch screen on your wall. We’ve scaled to match, developing for Apple and Google platforms, connected TV platforms, and full-stack middleware solutions that power modern streaming experiences.

The Real Secret Sauce

So what’s kept us going for thirty years? Three things.

First, we deliver. We’ve built award-winning apps, products featured in Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store, and applications that handle massive traffic surges for live sports, election nights, and breaking news. We’ve also built apps for small magazines, local utilities, and aspiring startups. Thirty years brings experience—and yes, grey hair—but what keeps customers with us is our track record of delivering quality software on time and on budget.

Second, our people. Our clients stay with us because we’re reliable. We’ve partnered with Comcast since 2010, Red Bull since 2015, the NBA since 2020, and The Word Among Us—that Catholic publishing ministry from our early days—since 1999. Twenty-seven years and counting. We’re still designing and developing their Apple and Android applications today.

And just as our customers stay with us, so do our employees. Our entire executive management team has been here over fifteen years. Our Creative Director designed those NFL desktop applications in the mid-2000s. Our COO started as a summer intern in 2006, hand-coding HTML. Several employees have done multiple stints with us—one has returned three times, spanning our web, desktop, and mobile eras. Behind every app is a team of talented, dedicated people who greet you with a smile and then put their heads down and get to work.

Third, we evolve. From websites to desktop applications to mobile apps to streaming platforms, we’ve never been afraid to say “sure, we can do that” even when it means learning something entirely new. That willingness to adapt—to meet people wherever they are—has been the constant thread through three decades of technological change.

2026 and Beyond

I may not have become a rock star, but I’m proud to say we’ve built something special at Mercury. I’m grateful I said “sure, we can do that” thirty years ago, and I’m always looking for the next opportunity to say it again.

Whether it’s spatial computing, AI-powered applications, or next-generation streaming solutions for an evolving media landscape, we’re pushing forward. We’re evolving while remaining true to our roots—enterprising, trustworthy, conscientious…and we know how to ship.

As we enter 2026, we’re excited about the next thirty years. We hope you’ll join us for the ride.

Stephen Tallent
Founder & CEO

Three Decades of “Sure, We Can Do That”

Stephen Tallent
Founder & CEO/CTO

January 28, 2026

The First “Sure”

Back in 1995, I was working in our family-owned print shop by day while chasing my rock band dream by night. That summer, a customer asked a simple question: could we build one of these new “world wide websites” he’d been hearing about? I’d been dabbling in programming and digital technology all my life, so I said, “Sure, we can do that.”

The band never made it big. But that first website launched something I never imagined: Tallent Communications, which officially opened its doors in January 1996.

My first two hires were a designer and a programmer—a reflection of my own dual passions. I’d always loved how technology enabled creativity, from designing band posters with early digital tools to recording music with software-enhanced hardware. This fusion became our founding principle: “Technology by Design.” That ethos has guided us for three decades.

Building Before the Buzzwords

In our early web years, we didn’t just follow trends—we created them. We built content management systems for clients like the Catholic publishing ministry The Word Among Us before everyone knew what “CMS” meant. We were building re-useable, themed web engines for record labels and magazine publishers before the phrase “white label” was adopted into the web world.

We even launched what we believe was Nashville’s first e-commerce site for a local publisher—a fact we only discovered eight months later when another firm announced they were launching Nashville’s first e-commerce site. (Marketing has never been our strength.)

Thinking Beyond the Browser

In the early 2000s, while others focused on hits and unique visitors, we were thinking about engagement. We asked: how do we connect with people when they’re at their computer but not in their browser?

Our answer was a series of desktop applications, screensavers, widgets, and tickers that lived on users’ computers all day. Naturally, I tried to pitch this to rock bands first. But our breakthrough came while working on the Nashville Predators’ website. After sharing the concept with our contact at the Preds, he asked if we could build a desktop application for them, and again I said “sure, we can do that.”

That product—featuring dynamic screensavers with full-screen game photos, real-time score tickers, and integrated sponsorships—transformed our business. We rebranded as Mercury Sports Network and launched desktop products for the NFL and twelve of its teams, Sports Illustrated, and Golf Magazine. Behind these products was a robust content management system built on everything we’d learned about white-labeling and efficient delivery. This was crucial at a time when bandwidth cost a fortune and every kilobyte mattered.

1996

2004

Today

1996

2004

Today

The Mobile Revolution

Just as we’d hit our stride with desktop applications, Apple was about to change everything again.

The iPhone arrived in 2007. In 2008, Apple launched the App Store, which was a transformational event as it ushered in the “app economy.” That August, while pitching our desktop applications to USA Today, our contact held up his iPhone and asked if we could make an app. “Sure, we can do that.” By December 2008, the USA Today iPhone app launched, setting a new standard for the news industry. The phone started ringing and we quickly built first-ever mobile apps for CNN, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Fox News Channel, Univision and many more.

As our work expanded beyond sports to news, entertainment, and countless other industries, we evolved from Mercury Sports Network to Mercury Intermedia—though to most people, we’re just Mercury. Since then, we’ve built apps for Comcast/Xfinity, Red Bull TV, the NBA, Urban Outfitters, TED, FanDuel Sports Network, and many others.

What was once “mobile” has expanded from pocket-sized screens to the watch on your wrist and the 70-inch screen on your wall. We’ve scaled to match, developing for Apple and Google platforms, connected TV platforms, and full-stack middleware solutions that power modern streaming experiences.

The Real Secret Sauce

So what’s kept us going for thirty years? Three things.

First, we deliver. We’ve built award-winning apps, products featured in Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store, and applications that handle massive traffic surges for live sports, election nights, and breaking news. We’ve also built apps for small magazines, local utilities, and aspiring startups. Thirty years brings experience—and yes, grey hair—but what keeps customers with us is our track record of delivering quality software on time and on budget.

Second, our people. Our clients stay with us because we’re reliable. We’ve partnered with Comcast since 2010, Red Bull since 2015, the NBA since 2020, and The Word Among Us—that Catholic publishing ministry from our early days—since 1999. Twenty-seven years and counting. We’re still designing and developing their Apple and Android applications today.

And just as our customers stay with us, so do our employees. Our entire executive management team has been here over fifteen years. Our Creative Director designed those NFL desktop applications in the mid-2000s. Our COO started as a summer intern in 2006, hand-coding HTML. Several employees have done multiple stints with us—one has returned three times, spanning our web, desktop, and mobile eras. Behind every app is a team of talented, dedicated people who greet you with a smile and then put their heads down and get to work.

Third, we evolve. From websites to desktop applications to mobile apps to streaming platforms, we’ve never been afraid to say “sure, we can do that” even when it means learning something entirely new. That willingness to adapt—to meet people wherever they are—has been the constant thread through three decades of technological change.

2026 and Beyond

I may not have become a rock star, but I’m proud to say we’ve built something special at Mercury. I’m grateful I said “sure, we can do that” thirty years ago, and I’m always looking for the next opportunity to say it again.

Whether it’s spatial computing, AI-powered applications, or next-generation streaming solutions for an evolving media landscape, we’re pushing forward. We’re evolving while remaining true to our roots—enterprising, trustworthy, conscientious…and we know how to ship.

As we enter 2026, we’re excited about the next thirty years. We hope you’ll join us for the ride.

Stephen Tallent
Founder & CEO

Contact Us

Contact Us

Three Decades of “Sure, We Can Do That”

Three Decades of “Sure, We Can Do That”

The First “Sure”

Building Before the Buzzwords

Thinking Beyond the Browser

1996

1996

2004

2004

Today

Today

1996

2004

Today

The Mobile Revolution

The Real Secret Sauce

2026 and Beyond

Three Decades of“Sure, We Can Do That”

The First “Sure”

Building Before the Buzzwords

Thinking Beyond the Browser

1996

2004

Today

1996

2004

Today

The Mobile Revolution

The Real Secret Sauce

2026 and Beyond

Three Decades of “Sure, We Can Do That”

The First “Sure”

Building Before the Buzzwords

Thinking Beyond the Browser

1996

2004

Today

1996

2004

Today

The Mobile Revolution

The Real Secret Sauce

2026 and Beyond

Ready to turn your vision into reality?

Ready to turn your vision into reality?

Ready to turn your vision into reality?

Ready to turn your vision into reality?

Three Decades of
“Sure, We Can Do That”