Centigram to Use Voice Control Systems' Speech Recognition Technology; Centigram to Deliver Spoken User Interface to Customers Worldwide.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 28, 1997--Centigram Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:CGRM), a leading global provider of wireless and wireline messaging and communications solutions, today announced that it will use speech recognition technology from Voice Control Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:VCSI), a leading global supplier of speech recognition and related technologies.

Centigram will provide a spoken user interface (SUI) based on VCS' speech recognition technology on the next generation of its Series 6 communications server.

By choosing Voice Control Systems, Centigram has access to advanced speech recognition for all current and future communication products beginning with the Series 6. Centigram will provide VCS' technology to service provider and business-to-business customers for speech activated voice mail commands such as play, send, delete and forward.

"Providing a spoken user interface is an important and progressive step for Centigram and our customers," said Kevin Gralen, Centigram's vice president of marketing. "We view the combination of messaging and speech recognition as a natural advancement in hands-free communications."

Speech recognition makes it easier for users to navigate through menus by simply speaking intuitive commands. Additionally, it is a safer alternative for the millions of cellular users who drive and listen to voice mail simultaneously. Finally, it makes voice mail navigation possible from all phones, including rotary dial. VCS' technology, when coupled with Centigram's advanced voice processing platform, will give users a simple, hands free environment that is critical in today's multitasking and mobile environment.

"Speech recognition is indeed among the next generation of features for voice mail applications," said Desmond Pieri, vice president of marketing for Voice Control Systems. "Speech recognition, particularly in cellular environments, and more specifically in the automobile, makes access to voice mail faster, more convenient, and in the case of the driver, safer."

Voice Control Systems is a leading global supplier of speech recognition and speaker verification technology. Speech-driven applications using VCS products are used today in telecommunications, personal computing, and consumer electronics markets. With more than 2.5 million recognizers installed in 50 languages, the company provides much of the speech input technologies in telephony use worldwide.

VCS is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with regional offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Portsmouth, England. The company's stock is traded on the NASDAQ National Market System under the symbol VCSI. For more information, visit the company's website at http://www.voicecontrol.com .

Centigram Communications Corporation (NASDAQ:CGRM) is a leading global provider of wireless and wireline messaging and communications solutions. Centigram delivers communications solutions by integrating voice, data and facsimile on its Series 6 communications server, and by providing access to this multimedia information through a telephone or PC. The Series 6 platform is based on industry-standard hardware and software.

Centigram is headquartered at 91 East Tasman Drive, San Jose, Calif., 95134. Phone [phone], fax [phone], World Wide Web http://www.centigram.com . Centigram has sales and support offices in North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Australia. -0-

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CONTACT: Centigram Communications Corp.

Beverly Rindfleisch, 408/428-3559

[e-mail]

or

Miller/Shandwick Tech.

Robin Foster, 415/962-9550

[e-mail]

or

Voice Control Systems

Daniele Dietlin, 617/494-0100

[e-mail]