Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : General Magic -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: cdtejuan who wrote (6702)	7/12/1999 10:00:00 AM
From: Mark Oliver	Respond to of 10081

You'd have to dig through past press releases, but I think at some point GM paid Accuvoice in advance to use the product well into the future. That was before Accuvoice was purchased by Fonix. It may or may not have been wise. Clearly, they had felt at the time that they would have a much greater subscriber base for Portico by now and that they probably were getting a great deal based on expected numbers. Well, the numbers never arrived and 2 years have passed. I'd guess from what they've said, there is no designed in need to use Accuvoice and that they will change TTS whenever it makes technical and economic sense. They have said the same about ASR, and recent announcement that they were working with SpeechWorks made it clear that they had no reliance on Nuance. In the past, they had said their engineers had put so much energy into refining the ASR, that they could practically use their own in house product. Perhaps a brag. Anyway, certainly a higher quality TTS will make all these product much nicer to use and easier to sell. I welcome all change. Regards, Mark