AVST Launches Comprehensive Consultants Program.

Business Communications Consultants Armed with Tools to Identify and Select Unified Communications Solutions for Businesses of All Sizes

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. -- Applied Voice & Speech Technologies, Inc. (AVST) today announced it has launched a new initiative for business communications consultants. The new Consultants Program offers easy access to the tools and resources required to identify and select a unified communications platform. Business communications consultants can now quickly gain the knowledge and expertise required to provide advice and counsel on the next phase of a company's communications infrastructure.

A leading provider of unified communications solutions, AVST has already experienced a great deal of channel success due to an abundance of comprehensive, valuable and supportive marketing programs for its resellers, a robust unified communications product line, and a consultative, solutions-based approach to integrating next-generation communications infrastructures that can evolve over the lifetime of a business. Building on that success, the company now provides access to educational resources and product information, once reserved strictly for reseller partners, to consultants who are seeking unified communications solutions for their customers.

"Consultants are often the most influential voice to businesses, government entities, educational institutions and other early adopters as they help these organizations evaluate their communications choices," said AVST's Vice President of Marketing, Denny Michael. "Our Consultants Program is structured to support the need for timely, accurate and detailed information with the goal of helping participating consultants deliver the maximum value to their clients with minimal effort."

The AVST Consultants Program gives qualified consultants access to PartnerXpress, the company's reseller web portal, where they can educate themselves on the options and benefits of AVST's product offerings. Through PartnerXpress, consultants have the ability to:

* Discover the many distinct advantages of award-winning CallXpress[R] and Seneca[R] solutions

* Accurately inform clients on how AVST and CallXpress can meet their requirements

* Evaluate the proposals and implementation plans that clients receive from other qualified AVST Partners

AVST developed this Consultants Program because a significant percentage of its inquiries come from consultants who are drawn to the company's unique approach to unified messaging. Its CallXpress platform, which delivers world-class call processing, voice messaging, unified messaging and advanced speech applications, is an easy sell to businesses of all sizes because it increases employee productivity, effectiveness and collaboration at a minimal investment. CallXpress offers the most complete set of migration options from early generation products that are approaching end-of-life. This reduces the need for customers to invest in costly infrastructure replacement and user training programs.

For more information about the Consultants Program or to register as a qualified AVST consultant, please visit http://www.avst.com/consultantportal/login.asp.

About AVST

Applied Voice & Speech Technologies, Inc. (AVST) is a leading developer of communications solutions for businesses of all sizes. Through its world-class unified communications platform, CallXpress[R], and its innovative speech application module, Seneca[R], AVST offers the industry's most powerful suite of second generation communications solutions including voice messaging, unified messaging, speech-enabled applications (including automated attendant and hands-free mobile worker access), and call processing (including embedded IVR).

The CallXpress unified communications platform is designed to facilitate the enterprise migration from legacy TDM call processing and voice mail solutions to IP-enabled unified communications by delivering the interoperability, scalability, feature depth and flexibility, and administrative capabilities that enterprise IT and Telecom teams are demanding.

Headquartered in Orange County, CA, AVST maintains facilities in Seattle, WA and the United Kingdom and has remote sales offices across the United States. With over 35,000 systems installed worldwide, AVST's unified communications solutions are sold and supported internationally by an extensive network of resellers and OEM partners. Established in September 2003, AVST was formed from the combined businesses of Sound Advantage (established in 1997) and the AVT division (established in 1982) of Captaris, Inc. For more information contact Denny Michael, Vice President of Marketing, at 949-699-2300 or access the company's website at www.avst.com.