SpeechWorks Announces OpenSpeech DialogModules for Building Commerce Applications, Leveraging the VoiceXML 2.0 Standard.Business/Technology Editors BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 1, 2002 Developers Can Leverage VoiceXML Building Blocks to Speed the Development of Complex Commerce Applications That Ensure a Positive Caller Experience SpeechWorks International, Inc. (Nasdaq:SPWX SPWX Speechworks (stock symbol) ), the global leader in speech recognition and text-to-speech (TTS (1) See text-to-speech. (2) (Transaction Tracking System) Software that monitors a transaction until completion. In the event of a hardware or software failure, it ensures that the database is brought back to its former state before the attempt to ) technologies and services, today announced a new suite of OpenSpeech DialogModule(TM) software for developing commerce applications that leverage the VoiceXML 2.0 standard. OpenSpeech DialogModules are the first, standards-based VoiceXML objects available on the market; OpenSpeech DialogModule software ensure quicker time-to-market and higher quality applications using a pre-packaged, tested call flow that ensures a consistent user interface for unparalleled levels of caller success in speech service transactions. "OpenSpeech DialogModule software provides us with a VoiceXML-compliant solution that help our Experience Engineers quickly create and deploy speech applications that deliver consistent caller satisfaction," said Ken Jackowitz, Chief Customer Officer, of NetByTel. "As a result, we can more quickly deliver cost-effective, standards-based, voice-enabled telephone self-service solutions that are proven and help our clients reduce transaction costs Transaction Costs Costs incurred when buying or selling securities. These include brokers' commissions and spreads (the difference between the price the dealer paid for a security and the price they can sell it). , increase average order sizes and improve caller satisfaction." NetByTel provides speech services to many retail customers such as ABN AMRO ABN AMRO Algemene Bank Nederland-Amsterdam Roterdam Bank (Dutch bank) Mortgage Group, Office Depot Office Depot (NYSE: ODP) is one of the world's leading suppliers of office products and services. The Company's selection of brand name office supplies includes business machines, computers, computer software and office furniture, while its business services encompass copying, , MicroWarehouse and others. OpenSpeech DialogModules commerce suite beta customers include Cambridge VoiceTech, iBasis, InterVoice-Brite, NetByTel and VoiceGenie, among others. Introducing the OpenSpeech DialogModules Commerce Suite SpeechWorks' latest release of OpenSpeech DialogModule software delivers significant benefits for building speech-enabled commerce applications - applications that allow callers to order a product or catalog, change account information, schedule appointments, open a new account, or provide other commerce-related information over the phone using a natural language dialog. The extensive list of commerce-related, OpenSpeech DialogModules includes the following: - Name - Address - SpeechSecure(TM) Speaker Verification - Social Security Number - Credit Card Number - Credit Card Expiration Date - Currency - Zip Code - Natural Number Using these VoiceXML-based objects, developers are freed from writing software to collect and handle a caller's name, address, social security number, credit card number and other time-intensive programming. For example, rather than writing code for a speech application to collect and handle a caller's credit card information, developers can plug in the Credit Card Number and Credit Card Expiration Date Expiration Date The day on which an options or futures contract is no longer valid and, therefore, ceases to exist. Notes: The expiration date for all listed stock options in the U.S. DialogModules, saving costly development time and ensuring a high quality user interface that efficiently guides the caller through the collection process. Industry-Leading Technology SpeechWorks' SpeechSecure DialogModule software represents the industry's first and only, speaker verification module that can be used within VoiceXML applications without proprietary extensions. In addition, the Name and Address DialogModules enable companies to capture information that previously required live agent assistance because it was not possible to capture this information using touchtone systems. As a result, companies that automate Name and Address collection can reduce their costs by up to 90% per call, based on approximately $1.00 per live agent call versus less than $0.15 for automated calls. "SpeechWorks created the commerce suite of OpenSpeech DialogModules in response to customer demand for open, VoiceXML-compliant objects that supported revenue-generating speech applications," said Steve Chambers, chief marketing officer at SpeechWorks. "All of SpeechWorks' OpenSpeech DialogModules undergo rigorous user interface and usability testing Usability testing is a means for measuring how well people can use some human-made object (such as a web page, a computer interface, a document, or a device) for its intended purpose, i.e. usability testing measures the usability of the object. and are used everyday by SpeechWorks' worldwide professional services (job) professional services - A department of a supplier providing consultancy and programming manpower for the supplier's products. group and many partners. OpenSpeech DialogModules are based on SpeechWorks' patented DialogModule technology whose quality has been proven in over 250 deployed applications around the world." About OpenSpeech DialogModule Software SpeechWorks pioneered and patented the DialogModule approach and has deployed more than 250 speech applications that use DialogModule technology. OpenSpeech DialogModules launched in July 2001 include functionality to collect Date, Time, Yes/No responses, Digits, Item Lists, AlphaNumeric alphanumeric (ăl'fən  mĕr`ĭk) or alphameric (ăl'fəmĕr`ĭk), the set of letters and numbers. strings, Custom Contexts and Phone Numbers.
OpenSpeech DialogModules are written in Java Server Page format and,
when executed, output VoiceXML, a standard language for building voice
applications based on extensible markup language See XML. (language, text) Extensible Markup Language - (XML) An initiative from the W3C defining an "extremely simple" dialect of SGML suitable for use on the World-Wide Web. http://w3.org/XML/. (XML XML in full Extensible Markup Language. Markup language developed to be a simplified and more structural version of SGML. It incorporates features of HTML (e.g., hypertext linking), but is designed to overcome some of HTML's limitations. ). In contrast to other vendors' objects, OpenSpeech DialogModules are invoked at the (subdialog) level rather than through the (object) tag in VoiceXML, enabling them to work with any VoiceXML-compliant interpreter and making it easy to port applications to any platform. Because OpenSpeech DialogModules are invoked at the (subdialog) level, by design they could be used with other component technologies on a variety of VoiceXML platforms. All DialogModules have built-in error handling capabilities that improve accuracy in noisy environments, such as wireless communications wireless communications System using radio-frequency, infrared, microwave, or other types of electromagnetic or acoustic waves in place of wires, cables, or fibre optics to transmit signals or data. . When deployed in conjunction with other components of SpeechWorks' OpenSpeech(TM) product line such as the OpenSpeech Insight(TM) analysis and reporting tool and the OpenSpeech Recognizer(TM) engine, the combined solution takes advantage of new speech detection technologies that further improve recognition accuracy and performance for wireless users, while the reporting tool places the management and effectiveness of a speech service in the hands of the service provider. The OpenSpeech product line was developed to provide maximum investment protection and ROI (Return On Investment) The monetary benefits derived from having spent money on developing or revising a system. In the IT world, there are more ways to compute ROI than Carter has liver pills (and for those of you who never heard of that expression, it means a lot). for customers, and to provide partners with open, standards-compliant speech system components that leverage SpeechWorks' innovation to unleash developer creativity. Pricing and Availability OpenSpeech DialogModule software for Name, Address and SpeechSecure are generally available today. All other Commerce Suite OpenSpeech DialogModules will be generally available in June 2002. For per port pricing and Commerce Suite group pricing information, please contact your SpeechWorks sales representative. Don't Miss Global Speech Day - May 21-22, 2002 Join SpeechWorks for its second annual Global Speech Day, a live and free 2-day Web event May 21-22, 2002. Global Speech Day features top business and technical minds leading the way in the deployment of and vision for speech solutions and services. This year's international event includes presentations and interactive panels from leading companies and analyst firms such as ABN AMRO, America Online See AOL. , Datamonitor, Intel, InterVoice-Brite, Kelsey Group, Merlin Telecom, Microsoft, Nortel Networks (Nortel Networks Limited, Brampton, Ontario, www.nortelnetworks.com) A world leader in telecommunications products, which includes switching, wireless and broadband systems for service providers and carriers, telephones and systems for residential and business users, computer telephony , Wildfire, Yankee Group (the Yankee Group, Boston, MA, www.yankeegroup.com) A major market research, analysis and consulting firm founded in 1970 by Howard Anderson. It provides general consulting and strategic planning in the computer and communications field. and many others, along with online chat, breaking news, and live audience polls. If you are interested in the speech industry and where it is headed, you won't want to miss Global Speech Day 2002. For more information and registration, visit http://prg.globalspeechday.com. About SpeechWorks International, Inc. Through the power of SpeechWorks technologies, the human voice is all a person needs to access instant information and conduct transactions from a phone or device. Around the world, customer service innovators such as America Online, 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 , Credit Suisse First Boston Credit Suisse First Boston was originally the trading name of the Financière Crédit Suisse-First Boston, a London-based 50-50 investment banking joint venture formed in 1978 between the First Boston Corporation and Credit Suisse. , Thrifty thrifty said of livestock that put on body weight or produce in other ways with a minimum of feed. The opposite of illthrift. Car Rental and Yahoo! are realizing returns on SpeechWorks applications that consistently delight and serve customers 24 hours a day. With over 170 partners, SpeechWorks (Nasdaq: SPWX) delivers natural language speech recognition, speaker verification and text-to-speech (TTS) solutions to leading corporations, telecommunications providers, device manufacturers and government organizations worldwide. For a description of our products, services and unique customer programs such as SpeechWorks Here S.T.E.P.(TM) (Speech Technology Evaluation Process) call 617.428.4444 or visit www.speechworks.com. SpeechWorks, OpenSpeech DialogModules, SpeechSecure, OpenSpeech, OpenSpeech Insight, OpenSpeech Recognizer and SpeechWorks Here S.T.E.P. 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. |
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