IBM Reinvents ViaVoice Speech Recognition Software, Making It More Natural, More Productive and Easy to Use.

SOMERS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 8, 1998--IBM today introduced ViaVoice(A) 98, the next generation of IBM's best selling speech recognition software that includes breakthrough technologies designed to deliver simplicity and naturalness while making it easier for individuals to use their computers.

Leading the numerous innovations in ViaVoice 98 are features that provide the PC user with the ability to use Natural Language Commands to create, edit and format documents in Microsoft Word 97(B) in a more natural way. Applying thousands of variations for computer commands is a breakthrough in usability, providing users with the ability to say what they want to have happen more naturally and the computer will react. Another innovation is the hands-free editing and correction mode into popular applications, including Word 97 and Lotus Word Pro(C).

"IBM took a customer-centric approach in developing ViaVoice 98. We talked to thousands of users and leveraged the experience we gained with ourbest selling ViaVoice products," said W.S. "Ozzie" Osborne, general manager, IBM Speech Systems. "We believe we offer the most easy to use, powerful, feature-rich software in the industry, which makes it possible for people to interact with their PCs the most natural way. Attention to the user experience is what sets this product apart from all other offerings in the market place."

ViaVoice 98 Family

The IBM ViaVoice 98 Speech Family consists of three products designed to meet the needs and budget of both the consumer and business customer: IBM ViaVoice 98 Executive Edition, ViaVoice 98 Office Edition and ViaVoice 98 Home Edition.

ViaVoice 98 Executive Edition is IBM's most powerful continuous speech software and can be the finest productivity tool for writers, executives and expr and ViaVoice Business & Finance -- which supplement the base vocabulary.

ViaVoice 98 Office Edition is a continuous speech dictation and voice control software tool designed to help maximize the efficiency of a small office/home office user, faculty member and advanced student. Users can supplement their vocabulary with the included ViaVoice Business & Finance Topic.

ViaVoice 98 Home Edition is IBM's entry-level continuous speech dictation product and is ideech - What's New

IBM ViaVoice 98 includes many new features that are not found in other speech recognition software products.

--Natural Language Commands -- Users can quickly and easily edit and format text in Microsoft Word 97 by saying commands naturally. A single natural command can be said in a variety of ways. For example, a user can say, "double space this paragraph" or "change the spacing of this paragraph to double" to perform the same task.

--Hands-free Correction and Editing -- ViaVoice 98 now includes easier to use voice commands, including "select (text)" on any visible text; "correct this" to use correction pop-up and "scratch that" to delete words spoken since last pag any extra words -- just pausing slightly before and after speaking the command. Users will no longer have to recall whether they are in dictation mode or not. Commandsr example, for phone numbers, users can simply ve Accessibility(B) is supported, Executive and Office Edition users can generally speak menu commands, file names, toolbar buttons, dialogue items and even activate desktop icons -- creating a more hands-free experience.

--More U pop-up helpers and multimedia Quick Tours and users have never had so much help before.

--Topic Support -- Topics are special interest

vocabularies that add to t or more in conjunction with their base vocabulae focal area on the desktop that integrates alleeded.

--Windows 98-ready -- The first speech recognition product designed ready for the next versionwed up by a choice of user scripts for enrollmendustry's Largest Active Vocabulary -- 128,000 aical and ViaVoice Legal in U.S. English. These are specialized vocabularies with 25,000 or more words for use by medical and legal professionals. They will be available in July for $149 (US).

Also, IBM has added a comprehensive Usebe available for $149 (US), with the Office Edition priced at $89 (US). ViaVoice 98 Home Edition is priced at $49.95 (US) and will be available in July. All products come with a noise-canceling headset microphone. IBM will ship the Executive and Home Editions in French, German, Spanish, Italian and UK English, available this fall. Japanese and Chinese versions of the products will be available this summer. A customized, integrated version of IBM ViaVoice will be included with Lotus SmartSuite(C) Millennium Edition, which is expected to ship on June 17th.

IBM Speech Recognition Leadership

IBM set the industry standard for speech recognition software when it launched the VoiceType family of products and expanded this standard in 1997 with the introduction of its ViaVoice family of products. With more than 25 years of research in the field, the company has built a team of speech recognition specialists worldwide, dedicated to the development, support, marketing, and sale of IBM speech solutions in many languages. For more information about IBM Speech Systems, visit the World Wide Web at http://www.ibm.com/viavoice.

(A) IBM and ViaVoice are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation.

(B)Microsoft Word 97, Windows 95, Windows 98 and Active Accessibility are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

(C)Lotus, Word Pro and SmartSuite are registered trademarks of Lotus development Corporation.

Note: ViaVoice 98 uses Microsoft Active Accessibility as a tool in performing some of its navigation and command and control functions and only applies to ViaVoice98 Office and Executive Editions. Microsoft Active Accessibility is not supported on Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, or in the French, German, Italian and Spanish version of Windows 95, thus limiting navigation and command and control functions of ViaVoice 98.

    CONTACT: IBM
              Kristin Knudsen Wahl, 650/694-1387