Biographical Information

Articles by Mike Terry

Speech-enabling the Healthcare System

Learn how the Caritas Christi Health System in Boston is improving efficiency using speech. Through careful planning and restructuring, the hospital is saving money and doctors, patients and hospital employees are benefiting.

Speech in Consumer Products

With the introduction of speech-enabled cars, toys, cellular phones and other electronic devices, speech technologies having been gaining recognition in consumer products. There are several products on the market today that are affordable and becoming more commonly used. Whether appealing to children with toys and dolls or adults with automobiles and cell phones, the companies that use speech are beginning to see more and more usage by the average consumer.

John Ounjian, Chief Information Officer, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Minnesota

Recently, STM sat down with Ounjian who provided at look into his vision for the future of customer service in the healthcare industry and how he thinks we can "shatter the granite" that currently surrounds the customer experience.

Will Consumers Use Speech?

The automated teller machine (ATM) has become a fixture of the commercial landscape, as ubiquitous as gasoline stations on every corner. But, it was not until the late 1970’s, that banks began installing ATM’s out of fear that customers would not accept them. Today, however, few consumers would consider doing business with a bank that did not offer the speed and convenience of automated services.

Speech Solutions Awards and Top 10 Leaders in Speech

Each year Speech Technology Magazine (STM) recognizes significant contributions and achievements of individuals and companies involved in speech Technology. The Speech Solutions Awards and the Top Ten Leaders Speech are selected by the magazine’s readers in an online poll.

Automated Directory Assistance
Speech-enabling the Next Generation of Customer Service

In the recent Voice Portals and Applications Report published by Datamonitor, the company combines the Auto-attendant and Directory Assistant Applications for reporting purposes, but states that supply-side revenues in 2002 will be $145 million and will grow by 31% to $190 million in 2003. The Directory Assistance (DA) market is gaining new ground as companies in the space have begun implementing premium services to their offerings, e.g., speech recognition technology. While providing such enhanced services to their customers, companies around the world are trying to reduce operating costs and/or create new streams of revenue. Keeping increased customer satisfaction and driving-up repeat usage in mind, many service providers are finding that automating their DA service is helping them meet their goals.

Purchasing Decisions

There are many factors that influence the decision to implement a speech technology solution into a call center. Such things as ROI, ease of integration, methodology, ect., all way heavily on the ultimate decision-Do I need speech in my call center? Many vendors have established programs to make these decisions easier for the client, while outlining the major steps involved in the process. While there are many different means by which to tackle this goal, the primary focus is the same for all—keep it simple.

Microsoft Releases .NET Speech SDK

Microsoft recently released a beta version of the Microsoft .NET Speech Software Development Kit (SDK). This is a set of application development tools and speech controls based on the Speech Application Language Tags (SALT) specification. It integrates into the Visual Studio .NET development environment and is intended to make it faster and easier for developers to incorporate speech functionality into Web applications. Microsoft’s stated purpose is to create new opportunities for the speech technology community by leveraging developers’ existing Web programming knowledge and skills.

CALL CENTERS:
The Business Case for Speech in the Call Center

Speech recognition technology is "ready for prime time" and is about to move beyond the early adopter stage into many mainstream customer service organizations. Speech can be a major cost saver for inbound call centers in a variety of applications, according to several recent studies.