DialPro Answers Ban on Email While Driving

With Washington State joining the ban on email and other types of text messaging while driving a vehicle, voice messaging and unified communications provider DialPro Northwest is offering businesses an innovative way to keep their workers connected while driving: use hands-free voice and speech recognition tools to access their email, rather than a keypad.

"Many businesses count on keeping their employees -- particularly their mobile workers -- connected to the office via email on PDA devices," said Dennis Tyler, president and CEO of DialPro Northwest. "While we endorse the ban on accessing email and other types of text messaging while driving, this can negatively impact business productivity. Fortunately, technology has evolved to the point now that not only is it feasible but practical for employees to access their email messages and network resources using a voice portal via a hands-free cell phone. Not only can this work for email, but for business communications of all types -- fax, voice mail and more."

With a voice portal, employees have natural language speech access to a host of corporate communications tools, including corporate email, directory, calendar, contacts, tasks, voice mail, and fax, through a voice based communications device, such as a telephone or cell phone. When used in conjunction with a hands-free cell phone, they can access these tools while on the road, while keeping their hands on the wheel. In addition, they can also make calls using natural language speech recognition by accessing the directory or contacts to connect the calls by simply speaking the number.

"We applaud Washington State for helping ensure the safety of the driving public by banning email and other text messaging while driving," said Tyler. "With the current advances in speech access technology, businesses -- especially the mobile workforce -- can continue to be productive while on the road yet eliminate the hazards created by using keypads while driving." DialPro Northwest specializes in designing and installing systems of this type for enterprises worldwide. Most recently, DialPro Northwest was awarded a contract for such a system, known as "unified communications," for Pemco Technologies.