July/August 2007

Magazine Features

Small: The Next Big Thing?

Small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) are growing in importance among speech industry vendors.

The Cell Phone Does More Than Just Make Calls

Speech user interfaces will expand options for cell phone users.

Deployments

Recognizing Each Student's Potential

Speech-enabled Reading Assistant helps students across the country gain reading proficiency.

Treatment's Not Lost in Translation

Audio/video conferencing technology helps a Dallas hospital deliver proper care to all patients, regardless of their preferred languages.

Editor's Letter

Succeeding with SMBs

Forward Thinking

SISR: The Standard Semantic Interpretation Language

Speech vendors should support SISR for easier porting of grammars and applications between platforms

Industry View

Speech-Enabled Mobile Search Marches On

Free services expand as technology moves out of the niche.

Q & A

Wes Hayden, CEO and President, Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories

As the speech industry continues to advance, customers are learning to accept IVR technology, Hayden says in an exclusive interview with Speech Technology magazine.

Talking Tech

A Multiple Approach Is Best

VUI testing should involve surveys, call recordings, and call logs together.

Voice Value

Social Responsibility Is More than a Good Idea

Mutual respect should govern all business relationships, even in speech technologies.

Speech Solutions

Speech Synthesis and Emotion

FYI

Avaya Is Set to Go Private

The telecom giant announced June 4 that it is getting scooped up by private equity firms Silver Lake Partners and TPG Capital for about $8.2 billion.

Ernst & Young Considers VoiceVerified Execs for Award

Company founder, CEO, and chairman Jeff Randol and president Wayne Cluff were named finalists for the 2007 Entrepreneur of the Year Award

IP Communications Are Set to Soar

With VoIP gaining traction in recent years, businesses are realizing that the benefits of IP telephony exceed mere cost reductions.

Nuance Communications Expands Its Mobile Presence

Slightly more than a month after announcing its acquisition of VoiceSignal Technologies, Nuance Communications announced June 21 that it will acquire Tegic Communications.

SAP to Acquire Wicom Communications

SAP announced plans in late May to acquire Wicom, a provider of all-IP contact center and enterprise communications software.

VoiceXML 2.1 Sets the Standard

While VoiceXML 2.1’s release created quite a buzz following the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) announcement June 19, the updated platform includes just two completely new features.