NEWS RELEASE:
LOS ANGELES, CT EXPO SPRING '99, Booth 851 & 2238, March 3 /PRNewswire/ --
Vocalis today announced that access to the World Wide Web is about to undergo
a dramatic advance thanks to a new service developed by Vocalis, the Cambridge
(UK)-based leader in speech recognition technology. The new technology is
currently being piloted in partnership with a major Internet Service Provider
as the first step towards securing the newly identified $5bn market
opportunity. Live demonstrations which illustrate the ease with which
information can be updated, will be taking place at CT Expo '99 in both the
SCO Booth and Dialogic Pavillion.
Based on Vocalis' SpeecHTML technology, the new interactive voice service
allows users to access and obtain information from Websites using only a
telephone and with the ease of spoken commands. The result is that millions
of new users around the world who do not have a computer -- still the vast
majority -- will now be able to access the Web. This will also allow those
who do have access to remain in contact even when on the move, without the
need to use portable computers.
Companies will allow customers to access information and to interact with
the company's Website using spoken commands over the telephone (detailed
information and live demonstrations can be accessed on
speechtml.com).
Using SpeecHTML, customers need only an ordinary telephone to call these
services, and use the natural and easy interface of speech to request their
required information. Companies can update their web pages quickly and
easily, and this will automatically update the telephone service, giving a
real time service that is flexible and easy to manage.
"SpeecHTML allows companies who have previously been unable to offer IVR
services over the telephone, due to cost, to control their own IVR service
without having to purchase anything other than a SpeechHTML licence and a
website," comments Mike Williams, Business Development Director at Vocalis.
"Interacting with a website via speech creates a whole new dimension to the
Internet phenomenon."
"SCO is excited about the new release of SpeechHTML," says Tina Stewart,
Director Industry Solutions, SCO (Nasdaq: SCOC). "SpeecHTML provides ISPs
with a cost effective solution for providing IVR service to its customers.
Vocalis has chosen SCO OpenServer 5.0.4, with plans to port to UnixWare 7, to
ensure their customers will receive the high availability they've come to
expect."
"The telephone continues to be the dominant tool worldwide to obtain
business and personal information," noted Bob Hinkle, director of core product
management for Dialogic Corporation. "We applaud the convergence of Vocalis'
speech technologies with the Internet to enable any telephone to locate and
access Web-based information."
SpeecHTML will be available both for licensing by end users, and as a
system that equipment vendors and service operators can buy to incorporate as
a powerful product differentiator.
SpeecHTML is based on two core technologies: advanced speech recognition
(ASR), in which Vocalis is a world leader, and text to speech (TTS)
conversion. SpeecHTML combines these with Vocalis' expertise in the telephony
arena into a gateway package that creates an interactive wholly voice-driven
way of accessing a Website.
About Vocalis
Vocalis Group plc builds a range of voice activated telephony products for
telephone network service providers and corporate clients worldwide. Vocalis
has a proprietary speech recognition technology, SpeechWare(TM), available to
purchase under license, and user interface, SUI(TM), which helps businesses
and people stay in touch, naturally.
Products include SPEECHtel, a family of voice activated service
applications, such as voice dialling and directory assistance, for fixed and
mobile telephone operators. Vocalis' products also include ENtelAgent, which
offers solutions for corporate businesses to manage routine call handling
tasks and SpeecHTML, which allows access to websites via the telephone using
spoken commands. Vocalis was formed in 1993 and has been trading on the
London Stock Exchange since July 1996.
The Vocalis Website is at vocalis.com.
Vocalis, the Vocalis logo, ENtelAgent, SPEECHtel, SpeecHTML, SpeechWare
and SUI are trademarks of Vocalis Ltd.
For further information contact: Mike Williams/Philippa Buttle, Vocalis
Group plc, Tel: +44 1223-846177, Fax: +44 1223-846178, Email:
enquiries@vocalis.com; or Peter Hayward/Susan Aldrich, Vector Business
Communications, Tel: +44 1442-877167, Fax: +44 1442-877769, Email:
mailbox@vector.co.uk |
