Amtrak Enhances Telephone Reservations System With Speech-Enabled Services From SpeechWorks.Business/Technology Editors BOSTON and WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 18, 2000 Customers Will Receive Information and Book Travel Faster, More Conveniently Continuing its commitment to use cutting-edge technology to enhance customer service, Amtrak Amtrak, the National Railroad Passenger Corp., authorized to operate virtually all intercity passenger railroad routes in the United States. Amtrak was created by Congress in 1970 in response to more than two decades of continuous operating deficits by privately run has contracted with SpeechWorks International, Inc., the market leader in the telephony-based speech technology industry(1) to provide its 1-800-USA-RAIL reservations and information line with speech recognition capabilities. With over 32 million callers each year, 1-800-USA-RAIL is one of the most popular travel telephone lines in the U.S. When the new phone system goes live later this year, Amtrak anticipates that the convenience of the system will increase customer satisfaction. By simply speaking into the phone, customers will receive the information they need and will get immediate answers without having to use a touch-tone keypad A small keyboard or supplementary keyboard keys; for example, the keys on a calculator or the number/cursor cluster on a computer keyboard. See programmable keypad. or wait on hold. In addition, the system will redirect re·di·rect tr.v. re·di·rect·ed, re·di·rect·ing, re·di·rects To change the direction or course of. n. A redirect examination. re a significant number of calls, allowing reservations sales agents to focus on customers with more complex needs, such as booking multi-train reservations. Amtrak also anticipates a cost savings from increased automation and reduced hold time. "As part of our strategic business plan, Amtrak has begun implementing an initiative to deliver world-class service to our 21 million customers from their first point of contact with us to their last," said Barbara J. Richardson, Amtrak executive vice president. "The technically-sophisticated phone system from SpeechWorks will keep Amtrak at the forefront of the travel industry and is another example of how we are using cutting-edge technology to better serve our customers." For 1998, Call Center Magazine named Amtrak's telephone reservations call centers the best in the travel industry. The survey, which annually recognizes the most outstanding call centers, includes airlines, cruise lines
Name Headquarters A'rosa Europe NCL America America AIDA Cruises Europe American Cruise Lines America and rental car companies. In the past four years, Amtrak has made a significant investment in upgrading its three call centers in Philadelphia, Chicago and Riverside, Calif. The improvements have ensured that customer calls are answered more quickly and efficiently routed between the three centers. The first phase of the SpeechWorks phone service is expected to go live in the fall of 2000 and will enable callers to speak into any phone to receive automated train status information for all Amtrak trains. Subsequent phases will allow customers to receive schedule and fare information and book reservations, automatically, without pressing any buttons. The award-winning SpeechWorks(R) technology will understand callers' requests and provide immediate answers. The system will run on a platform from Intervoice-Brite (Nasdaq: INTV INTV Intelligent Television INTV Association of Independent Television Stations ). "We are delighted that Amtrak chose SpeechWorks to power its enterprise-wide, customer-facing phone system," said Stuart R. Patterson, CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of SpeechWorks. "1-800-USA-RAIL is a perfect application for speech. As any traveler knows, the ability to make reservations quickly and efficiently is paramount. With the new system, travelers will be able to make plans hassle-free, and enjoy their trips even more." About Amtrak Created in 1971 to take over the rail passenger operations of the railroads, Amtrak today serves more than 21 million customers annually on its national network of intercity in·ter·cit·y adj. Relating to, involving, or connecting two or more cities: intercity rivalry; an intercity bus. Intercity Adjective trademark trains and employs more than 24,000 people. Amtrak trains and connecting Thruway Motorcoaches Thruway Motorcoach is Amtrak's system of Amtrak-owned intercity coaches, locally contracted transit buses, through ticketed local bus routes and taxi services to connect Amtrak train stations to areas not served by its railroads. serve more than 500 communities in 45 states. An additional 54 million customers use commuter services operated by Amtrak under contract to regional transportation authorities. Under Amtrak's new leadership and strategic business plan, the corporation is turning the corner to become a successful business enterprise. Key elements of its turnaround include developing public and private business partnerships, improving and guaranteeing consistency and quality of service, introducing high-speed rail High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions include 200-320 km/h (125-200 mph) - depending on whether the track is upgraded or new - by the European Union and above 90 mph in the Northeast, and creating other high-speed rail corridors nationwide. For more information about Amtrak, including schedules, fares, and reservations, call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) or visit Amtrak's web site at www.amtrak.com. About SpeechWorks International, Inc. Organizations worldwide rely on SpeechWorks to delight their callers and provide them with a new level of service over the phone. Complementing the self-service model of e-business, SpeechWorks(R) speech recognition solutions, including the revolutionary SpeechSite(TM) solution, let consumers direct their calls, obtain information and complete transactions automatically, simply by speaking naturally over any phone, anytime. SpeechWorks customers include some of the world's most sophisticated customer service innovators such as Amtrak, Continental Airlines, E*TRADE, FedEx/Nextlink, Hewlett-Packard, MapQuest.com and United Airlines. The Company offers the SpeechWorks Here(TM) Guarantee, the industry's only program that includes a money-back guarantee. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts “Boston” redirects here. For other uses, see Boston (disambiguation). Boston is the capital and most populous city of Massachusetts.[3] The largest city in New England, Boston is considered the unofficial economic and cultural center of the entire New , with offices worldwide, SpeechWorks is a privately held corporation Noun 1. privately held corporation - a corporation owned by a few people; shares have no public market close corporation, closed corporation, private corporation with financing from Intel Corporation (company) Intel Corporation - A US microelectronics manufacturer. They produced the Intel 4004, Intel 8080, Intel 8086, Intel 80186, Intel 80286, Intel 80386, Intel 486 and Pentium microprocessor families as well as many other integrated circuits and personal computer networking , The Intel64 Fund, SAP and venture capital firms Name Location Founding date Managing Partners/Directors Specialty Capital managed 5AM Ventures Menlo Park, CA; Waltham, MA 2002 John Diekman, PhD (managing partner), Scott Rocklage, PhD (managing partner), Andrew Schwab (managing partner) life sciences $200M [1] . To experience the power of SpeechWorks, call toll-free: 1.888.SAY.DEMO. For additional information, call 617.428.4444 or visit http://www.speechworks.com. SpeechWorks, SpeechWorks Here and SpeechSite are trademarks or registered trademarks of SpeechWorks International, Inc. in the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. (1) Based on Frost and Sullivan's U.S. "Telephony-based Speech Technology Software Market 2000" report. |
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