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FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE |
Contact:
Marketing Department
Media Relations
Curious Networks
312/491-7500
info@curiousnetworks |
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NUANCE CEMENTS LEADERSHIP IN VOICE PORTAL MARKET |
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Voice Portals Bring Internet-based Information and Services to Every Phone |
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MENLO PARK, Calif.- Feb. 22, 2000 - Nuance today announced its Voice Web Portal Program, a strategic
initiative designed to speed the development of the voice and mobile
portal marketplace, and the emergence of the Voice Web. The program
provides a comprehensive set of products and services for the
creation of voice-driven Internet content, commerce and services for
delivery over the telephone. Charter program members include leading
voice and mobile portal service companies such as BeVocal, Curious
Networks, General Magic, GoSolo, NetByTel, Parigon Communications
(formerly Authentix), Star*Free, U-Access, Ucallnet, VocalPoint,
Webley and Xtime. |
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"Voice portals bring
the power of the Internet to the more than 1.5 billion phones around
the world," said Ronald Croen, president and CEO of Nuance. "These
portals herald the emergence of a Voice Web that has tremendous
growth potential . Nuance is committed to supporting the efforts of
these companies and partners through the delivery of products that
embrace open standards and enable the cost-effective creation of
voice interfaces to the Internet." |
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About the Voice WebThe convergence of the
Internet and the telephone is now forming a vast new network - a
Voice Web - where Internet content and commerce can be accessed from
any phone, anywhere in the world using spoken commands. Similar to
Web portals like Excite and others, voice portals aggregate and
offer a variety of content via the telephone. Everything from
driving directions to stock quotes, commerce to personalized
information services are delivered by these portals. A number of
voice portals, content providers, network carriers and e-businesses
are helping to build the foundation for the Voice Web. |
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Vital to realizing this
vision is core technology from Nuance: including speech recognition
and voice authentication software; SpeechObjects™, reusable
components that speed development of speech applications; and the
Nuance Voyagerä voice browser. Through Voyager's standard voice
interface, users can navigate the vast resources of the
interconnected Voice Web. |
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"Since the birth of
toll-free 800 number in the '60s, Americans have adopted the phone
as the most convenient way to get information and conduct
transactions," said Mark Plakias, director, voice and wireless
commerce at The Kelsey Group. "What Nuance is doing with its Voice
Web portal strategy will drive the next revolution in voice commerce
that is every bit as fundamental, fusing the 'dot com' world with
the ubiquitous phone and wireless handset. The Bell System drove the
first revolution, but Nuance's Voice Web Portal Program recognizes
that the next one might be driven by three guys in a
garage." |
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About the Voice Web Portal
Program
The Voice Web Portal
Program is designed to assist emerging voice and mobile portal
companies throughout the process of building and deploying voice
portal applications, and to establish the standards upon which the
Voice Web will be built. Members of the program will be able to
designate their applications and services as "Voice Web Ready,"
indicating compatibility with emerging Voice Web standards such as
VoiceXML and SpeechObjects. Voice Web Portal Program highlights
include:
- Nuance speech recognition and voice authentication software licenses for
prototyping and piloting applications
- Voice interface design consulting
- Demonstration coaching
- Nuance Developer Network memberships
- Business development support linking voice portals with content providers
- Technical support
- Co-marketing support
next week, Nuance will
exhibit at the CTIA Wireless 2000 show in New Orleans, Feb. 28-Mar.
1, 2000 in the Authentix/Parigon Communications booth, #2267.
About Nuance
Nuance develops, markets and supports a voice interface software platform that makes
the information and services of enterprises, telecommunications
networks and the Internet accessible from any telephone. Every day,
millions of people interact with Nuance systems at blue chip
companies like American Airlines, Charles Schwab, The Home Shopping
Network, Lloyds TSB, Sears and United Parcel Service. Nuance is also
driving the creation of the Voice Web and delivering software for
V-Commerce™ (voice-enabled e-commerce) services and applications.
Nuance is headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif. with global sales
offices and partners supporting solutions in multiple languages
around the world. To experience Nuance's state of the art
technology, call 1-888-NUANCE-8 or visit http://www.nuance.com/.
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