Speech Technology eWeekly - July 01, 2003

Features

New Report Says Manufacturers Lean Too Heavily on Individuals to Purchase Mobile Devices

As interest in mobile enterprise solutions gains momentum, the solution-sell is what is of paramount importance, according to Datamonitor.

Telematics Industry Experiencing Mixed Results According to ABI Research

Some segments of telematics industry thriving, others stalled according to suite of reports by research firm.

Q & A

Lorraine Hariton, President & CEO, Apptera

Lorraine Hariton, appointed last week as Apptera's president and CEO, is pleased with the current status of her new company, which produces VoiceXML-based, platform-independent, packaged applications. But her sights are set high. For in the future, Hariton expects Apptera to "ultimately dominate the applications market for speech across a number of verticals."

Volker Jantzen, CEO, SVOX

Volker Jantzen is Chief Executive Officer of SVOX and the visionary driving the company from academia to the commercial marketplace. Here Jantzen shares his opinions on text-to-speech technology.

Dale Hartzell, Vice President of Marketing, SandCherry

Dale Hartzell, vice president of marketing at SandCherry, will be speaking at Pervasive 03 this week in Denver, Colo. Hartzell's panel -- Voice in the Big Picture -- will focus on the value voice ads to existing applications. Here, Hartzell shares information SandCherry's latest solution and broadened product line.

Stuart Berkowitz, Founder, President, and CEO, VoiceGenie

Fresh off the completion of VoiceGenie's Series B round of venture capital funding, president and CEO Stuart Berkowitz stopped by to visit with the readers of NewsBlast. Among the topics covered with Berkowitz are the aforementioned financing, VoiceGenie's position in the marketplace and its view of the competition.

Vytas Kisielius, President, Adeptra

Vytas Kisielius is president of Adeptra with responsibilities for worldwide sales and marketing, as well as long-term strategic direction in North America. Adeptra is involved in the fight against credit card fraud. According to Kisielus, six of the top 10 credit card issuing companies are using Adeptra's 2-way interactive program as a means of getting control of fraudulent transactions. Find out what else Adeptra is doing to help both credit card companies and consumers in this battle, and how it is using speech.

Judy Levine, Telecommunications Marketing Principal, Nuance Communications

Judy Levine, Marketing Principal, Telecommunications, at Nuance, gives her thoughts on the Harris Interactive Research on Speech Satisfaction.

Barry Zipp, Director of Enhanced Voice Services, MCI

Find out what 15-year MCI veteran Barry Zipp thinks about automated speech technology, call centers, consultative sales practices and much more.

The Human Factor

What We Need Is A Killer App

Talking Tech

Speaking with One Voice

When one of the nation's leading telecommunications companies introduced an automated speech application to provide independent verification of its new customers - a practice required by the FCC - it approached the "go-live date" with some trepidation. On that day, the automated application would replace live agents as an initial point of contact for new customers - a critical point in the customer relationship. How would customers respond?

Let's Get Creative!

Speech application developers have long understood the importance of good voice user-interface design. The telephone is the most intimate form of communication most consumer product and service companies have with their customers. Unlike advertising, or even the Web, it's the contact medium where customers are the most engaged and prone to form impressions, good or bad, of a company.

Conversational Isn't What You Think It Is

The term "conversational" has been over generalized to refer to only one kind of conversation. His article explores in depth how designers can find a balance between maintaining the conversational flavor of speech while designing for more frequent use.

Speech Technology News

Stephen Weller Joins Verint as VP and GM

Responsibilities will include directing business in the Americas to include sales, marketing, customer service and operations.

Tellme Expanding its Network Via Internet Applications; Introduces New Board Member

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - Former AT&T Wireless Mobility Services CEO Mohan Gyani Added to Tellme's board of directors.

Web Pages Read Aloud Using ReadBar for Internet Explorer

ReadPlease releases text-to-speech software ReadingBar for Internet Explorer.

CallMiner added to 20/20 Speech's Aurix Stable of Products

LONDON, ENGLAND - Audio mining tool searches audio/video files on pre-recorded data.

Elix and Nu Echo Form Partnership

Contact center and speech expertise venture formed to improve speech-driven initiatives for clients and prospects.

Pronexus to Participate in the Microsoft Speech Partner Program

Creating speech-enabled business solutions while helping bring speech technology to mainstream is computer telephony companies goal.

Datria Announces Packaged Speech Application for Field Service

ENGLEWOOD, CO - Available in September, Datria Ticket Management 2.0 is designed to improve the productivity of field personnel.

Kirusa and VoiceObjects Partner to Create Complete Solution for Multimodal Applications

EDISON, NJ and KOLN, GERMANY - Partnership expected to enable end-to-end authoring and delivery of multimodal applications.

Microsoft Speech Technologies Releases Speech Server Beta, Offers New Program to Partners

Special report by Dan Miller of the Zelos Group concerning today's announcement from Microsoft.

99. Only Stores Selects VoiceLogistics Solution

Voxware, Inc. deployed its voice-directed picking solution in four weeks.

SpeechWorks Achieves Leading U.S. Market Share Position

Frost & Sullivan recognizes SpeechWorks as a leader in the North American speech market.

VoiceWise Incorporates LumenVox Speech Recognition into Clarity Complete and Clarity ASR Systems

According to VoiceWise Technologies' John Calvit, customers will get unrivaled power and flexibility with the introduction of LumenVox's SRE.

SpeechWorks Provides Support to Microsoft Speech Partner Program Participants

Microsoft Speech Partners will have access to a bevy of speech software and services made available by SpeechWorks.

IBM Releases Multimodal Toolkit for WebSphere Studio

SOMERS, NY - Toolkit is designed for creating multimodal user interfaces based on the XHTML+Voice specification.

Babel Announces Partnerships with Rehabilitation Market Companies

MONS, BELGIUM - Babel's BrightSpeech will be used as assistive tools and applications.

Harman International Acquires Wavemakers

Addition of processor and software developer of voice and speech recognition products expands Harman into the automobile environment.

CEC Systems Releases PanaVox to Broadcast Internet Text-to-Speech to Narrowband from a Web Site

Service assists those with impaired vision and reading difficulties gain access to the Web.

Loquendo's Gabriela Becomes Voice of Check Express

Loquendo multilingual text-to speech and automatic speech recognition engines will be offered within CTI Dealer's IVR Platform solutions.

Acoustic Technologies Introduces ATR2000 Hands Free Car Kit Reference Design

MESA, AZ - The complete reference design is based on Acoustic Technologies' ATH2400 Digital Voice Processing Integrated Circuit.

Enterprise Integration Group Joins Microsoft Speech Partner Program

EIG to offer Microsoft Speech Applications training services for human factors design and best practices.

Voice Architects Joins the Microsoft Speech Partner Program

PORTLAND, OR - Firm to deliver voice user interface design and optimization services to Microsoft Speech Server customers, partners and resellers.

iCommunications Program Provides Multisenrosry Communications Solution to the Hearing Impaired

New product uses Dragon NaturallySpeaking V.7.0 as the underlying speech and voice recognition engine.

Loquendo Language Guesser Presented by Loquendo

TURIN, ITALY - Loquendo Language Guesser identifies different languages within a document for accurate interpretations to automated text-to-speech systems.

CT Portal Expands Coverage

Contents include more than 1,300 links to companies and organizations in the telephony and speech industry.

Babel's BrightSpeech to be Incorporated in Voxpilot VoiceXML Gateway Products

MONS, BELGIUM - Partnership allows Babel to offer Voxpilot's VoiceXML outsourced solutions.

Expedia Selects Empirix to Test Performance of New Speech-based Customer Service Application

WALTHAM, MA - Empirix verifies functionality and scalability of Expidia's Nuance-based integrated voice response application.

Emerging Technologies Launches University Bilingual Voice Portal in Al Ain

AL AIN, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - UAE University teams with software application developer to open school.

NIST Awards Funds to Three-Year Project to Bring Speech Technology to Automotive Market

GAITHERSBURG, MD and BOULDER, CO - Project to use speech as an excellent medium for use for providing directional, telematics and communication services being installed in cars.

T-Metrics Incorporates LumenVox's Speech Recognition

CHARLOTTE, NC and SAN DIEGO, CA - Operator console producer T-Metrics will use LumenVox's Speech Recognition technology in its TM-2000 ACD speech-enabled auto attendant.

Richard Cialabrini Appointed as Voxware's Vice President of Worldwide Sales

Cialabrini brings wealth of experience as sales leader for technology companies to the voice-based solutions company.

Lucent Technologies Surpasses 8 Million Subscribers on AnyPath Messaging Systems in Networks

MURRAY HILL, NJ - Significant enhancements made to can enable service providers to deliver new IP-based applications as well as voice-portal service.

Enterprise Integration Group Launches Voice User Interface Quality Monitoring Service

SAN RAMON, CA - Subscription service is designed to provide timely data with the quality and efficiency of automate customer service systems.

Accelent Welcomes ART Advanced Recognition Technologies as Accelent Alliance Member

ART Advance Recognition Technologies brings embedded speech and handwriting recognition solutions to the Accelent Alliance.

TuVox Customer Support Application for TiVo Completed

CVR-driven system will provide voice access to the TiVo voice knowledge base, enhancing its call center services.

Rite Aid Agrees to Three-Year Deal with Convergys

Convergys to provide drugstore chain with automated, speech-enabled store locator service.

Ai-Logix Set To Release SmartTAP LD

Scheduled for release in late August, the SmartTAP LD can be used for building small-scale voice logging systems with remote dial-in to larger systems.

Lorraine Hariton Appointed President, CEO of Apptera; Ross Roesner Named Vice President of Engineering

Hariton to be responsible for companies daily operations, long term business strategy.

Technical Support Systems (TSS) to Deploy LumenVox's Speech Recognition Technology

TTS reinforces commitment to latest technologies with LumenVox partnership.

Larry Miller Appointed as President, CEO of TuVox

LOS ALTOS, CA - Customer service and enterprise software veteran returns to contact center software marketplace.

TuVox Completes Implementation of Customer Service Application for TiVo

LOS ALTOS, CA - Customer Service Application to provide access to voice knowledge base in an effort to provide prompt response to TiVo customers.

Loquendo Presents New Male Voice

TURIN, ITALY - Luca joins Loquendo's Italian family of voices.

LumenVox Adds Support of North American Spanish to Suite of Speech Recognition Software

SAN DIEGO, CA -Companies that use both English and Spanish speakers will gain support when calling within the same application.

Genesys Introduces Enterprise IP Contact Center, Network IP Contact Center

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - Support for multiple IP PBXs also added by producer of software for the call center.

Nuance Call Steering 1.0 Now Available

MENLO PARK, CA - Packaged speech application reduces deployment time.

Jackie Jordan Appointed New Vice President of Voxware Inc.

PRINCETON, NJ - Experienced sales executive will manage alliances and strategic accounts.

Convergys Signs its First Contract in China

CINCINNATI, OHIO and BEIJING, CHINA - Convergys to license Activation Manager to wireless carrier China Unicom Guangdong.

Vail Systems Joins Microsoft's Speech Partner Program

Partnership clears way for company to offer applications and voice hosting solutions based on Microsoft's Speech Server.

Positioning Solutions Introduces Navigation System for Handhelds Featuring Mapopolis Navigator

CLEVELAND, OH - Systems will be available for purchase beginning on August 30, 2003 available in Palm, Sony and Handspring handhelds.

NetByTel Joins Genesys Interacts Partner Program As Strategic Member

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, and BOCA RATON, FL - Genesys will now deliver NetByTel's voice recognition and service solutions.

VoiceObjects AG Launches VoiceObjects Factory 2.0

New features focus on quality and utility of voice applications for enterprise, telco and government deployments.

Bob Morgen Appointed Regional Manager Europe and Managing Director UK of VoiceObjects

COLOGNE, GERMANY - Move made by VoiceObjects with hopes of exploring business opportunies in Europe.

BeVocal Releases Voice-enabled Applications Solution VoCare Suites

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - Targeted toward automating customer lifecycle interactions, VoCare are comprised of more than 25 individual applications.