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Technology Stocks : LHSP: Lernout En Hauspie -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Paul K who wrote (551)	1/20/1998 3:03:00 PM
From: Paul K	Respond to of 2467

Mail Call Completes Integration Of Spanish Language Text-To-Speech, Allowing E-Mail Retrieval In Spanish PR Newswire, Tuesday, January 20, 1998 at 09:49 FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Jan. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Fort Lauderdale based Mail Call has announced its official launch as the "Quick and easy way to retrieve E-Mail by phone." With a toll-free call from any touch-tone telephone worldwide, E-Mail users can now have their E-Mail messages read to them in English or Spanish via state of the art text-to-speech technology. Mail Call eliminates the need for users to have access to a computer in order to check their E-Mail. No additional hardware or software is necessary to subscribe to this new service. And, unlike some of the "unified messaging" services, Mail Call does not require subscribers to change or forward their existing E-Mail accounts and never stores mail locally. Once registered, subscribers call Mail Call's toll free telephone number, enter their customer identification number and PIN code, and then sit back and listen to their E-Mail. After hearing the header of each message, the subscriber has the option of listening to the E-Mail in its entirety, skipping ahead or going back as necessary, having a hard copy faxed to any fax machine in the United States or Canada, and/or replying via E-Mail using one of four pre-set canned or one customized 512 character response. Preferences can be changed and updated at any time by connecting to Mail Call's web site or by calling the toll-free customer service number. Ron Schnell, VP of Engineering for Mail Call, Inc., says that subscribers can expect the highest quality from the service due to the high quality of components that Mail Call uses. "The text-to-speech software is licensed from Lernout and Hauspie (NASDAQ:LHSPF) because of their high availability on many different platforms. Additionally, the immediate availability of the Spanish language reader was important for us to roll out quickly for the large number of Spanish-speaking Internet users who often seem to be overlooked. Our T-1 phone boards are from Brooktrout Technology (NASDAQ:BRKT) because of their extreme reliability and modularity, and the seamless integration of fax and voice that exists on all of their cards." In addition to the ease and convenience of retrieval of E-Mail messages, Mail Call gives subscribers the opportunity to personalize their accounts with preferences such as a choice of several different reader voices and a list of names of individuals and companies to prioritize or ignore. For example, subscribers can list the names of their supervisors or key clients and will always receive these messages as part of their "preferred" list, which is read before the rest of their E-Mail. Similarly, the subscriber can have an "exclude list," which specifies phrases or words such as "Get Rich Quick," and Mail Call will skip over messages containing these words, so that the customer will not need to spend time listening to them. Michael Singh, Acquisitions Director for Los Angeles based Westmark Realty Advisors who has been subscribing to Mail Call for several months, views the service as a time and work saver when he gets home from a long day at the office. "After spending all day in front of a computer, one of the last things I want to do when I get home late at night is take the time to download my personal e-mails. Mail Call has solved that problem for me. Now, when I have a few minutes of free time, I just call Mail Call's toll free number and check my e-mail. It's so simple! It lets me know whether I have any e-mails which demand my immediate attention and I can then respond accordingly." Becoming a Mail Call subscriber is as simple as visiting the company's easy to use, secure web site located at mailcall.net . Customers are asked for the standard information such as name, address, telephone number, and credit card account as well as information about their Internet provider's POP3 (Post Office Protocol) server. (For users unfamiliar with POP3 servers, an extensive Customer Help window is offered.) After choosing a customer identification number and PIN code, new subscribers receive instant access to Mail Call, and can begin retrieving their E-Mail by phone. Customers may also call the toll-free support line where a Mail Call operator will register them by phone providing them with the same immediate access to their E-Mail. The cost to subscribe to Mail Call is $9.95 per month which includes the first 10 minutes of E-Mail retrieval. Additional minutes are billed at .19 per minute. Each faxed page is billed at .19 per page. Replies and message management features are included at no additional cost. For a free demonstration of Mail Call, call 888-MAIL-750 (888-624-5750). When asked for the customer I.D. number, press 1234567890#. When asked for the PIN number, press 1234#. Customers can sign up for Mail Call via the web site located at mailcall.net or by calling the customer service line at 888-MAIL-011 (888-624-5011). SOURCE Mail Call, Inc. -0- 01/20/98 /CONTACT: Sandy Sloane, Mail Call, 954-437-4199/