Tuesday May 16, 9:02 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Phone.com, Inc.
Phone.com and Conversa to Deliver Device-Based Voice-Activated Microbrowser
Collaboration Will Enable Voice Navigation of UP.Browser Microbrowser on Handsets
SEATTLE, and REDWOOD CITY, Calif., May 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Conversa, the award-winning developer of speech recognition technologies, and Phone.com, Inc. (Nasdaq: PHCM - news), a leading provider of mobile Internet software, applications and services, announced today that the companies have signed an agreement that calls for the interface of Conversa's advanced speech technology with the Phone.com(TM) WAP-compatible UP.Browser(TM) microbrowser. The two technologies working side by side will enable wireless phones to launch and control Phone.com's UP.Browser with spoken commands. (Photo: newscom.com )
``We expect our agreement with Conversa and our joint development efforts to offer the first voice navigation-enabled WAP browser,'' said Jeff Damir, vice president of the device product group at Phone.com. ``Conversa's device-based embedded recognizer is going to enable hands-free control, a long awaited milestone in the evolution of the wireless Internet.''
The UP.Browser microbrowser, currently licensed to more than 30 leading wireless phone manufacturers, enables Internet access from wireless devices. Optimizing embedded speech recognition technology from Conversa for the UP.Browser is expected to result in the first device-based voice-navigation user interface for Internet-enabled mobile phones. Mobile phone users will then be able to easily and quickly access Internet-based information by spoken commands. Conversa's speech recognition technology complements existing methods of input enabled by the UP.Browser: pen and keypad input.
``This effort with Phone.com is an unparalleled opportunity to forge the next level of Internet navigation, through enhanced capabilities for cellular users,'' said Dave Anastasi, CEO of Conversa. ``This type of momentum with pioneering industry leaders demonstrates the acceptance of the rapidly growing wireless Internet device market.''
The wireless Web is growing at an exponential rate -- industry analyst firm Strategy Analytics predicts that more than half a billion Web-enabled phones will be shipped by 2003. Easier navigation through voice command also means Internet content providers could likely see increased access to their online information. Wireless carriers are expected to also benefit through increased use of their WAP services and systems.
About Conversa
Founded in 1994, Conversa (pronounced con-ver-say) develops Internet speech technology solutions that allow people to conversationally interact with computers and Internet appliances. Using natural language as the interface between people and machines, Conversa provides embedded solutions that enable voice access to online information. With the ability to create such ``digital conversations?,'' Conversa has laid the foundation for a new category of computing called conversational computing. Along with custom embedded solutions as provided to Phone.com, Conversa also develops award-winning speech products including a voice browser, desktop and Web developer tools, and a conversational server. Headquartered in Redmond, Wash., Conversa has approximately 130 employees. For more information, go to www.conversa.com, or call 888-487-4373.
About Phone.com
Phone.com, Inc. is a leading provider of software and applications that enable the delivery of Internet-based voice and information services to mass- market wireless telephones. Using its software, wireless subscribers have access to Internet and corporate intranet-based services, including email, news, stocks, weather, travel and sports. In addition, subscribers have access via their wireless telephones to network operators' intranet-based telephony services, which may include unified messaging, voice dialing, over- the-air activation, billing history information, and pricing plan subscription. Phone.com is headquartered in Silicon Valley, California and has regional offices in Belfast, London, Madrid, Paris, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Seoul. Visit phone.com for more information.
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this news release are forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, Phone.com's limited operating history, potential fluctuations in Phone.com's operating results, uncertainties related to Phone.com's long sales cycle and reliance on a small number of customers, Phone.com's dependence on the acceptance of its products by network operators and wireless subscribers, Phone.com's ability to adequately address the rapidly-evolving market for delivery of Internet-based services through wireless telephones, the need to achieve widespread integration of Phone.com's browser in wireless telephones, competition from companies with substantially greater financial, technical, marketing and distribution resources and the ability of Phone.com to manage a complex set of engineering, marketing and distribution relationships. Further information regarding these and other risks are included in Phone.com's Form 10-Q for quarters ended September 30, 1999, and December 31, 1999, in its prospectus dated November 16, 1999 and in its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
NOTE: Phone.com, the Phone.com logo and the family of terms carrying the ``UP.'' prefix are trademarks of Phone.com, Inc. Conversa Web and digital conversations are trademarks of Conversa. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
For more information please contact:
Phone.com, Inc. Phone.com (Europe) Limited
Rowan Benecke Kylie Trevitt:
PR21 Text 100 Ltd.
+1 (415) 369 8102 +44 (0) 181 242 4172
rowan_benecke@pr21.com kyliet@text100.co.uk
Phone.com Japan Conversa
K.K.Masaaki Yamamoto Steve Birge
Phone.com Japan K.K. +1 (425) 895-1800
+81 3 5325 9703 sbirge@conversa.com
masaaki@corp.phone.com
Conversa
Amy Mauldin
KNCB Dave
+1 (206) 262-0395
amym@kncb.com
SOURCE: Phone.com, Inc. |
