November
6, 2000
CONTACTS:
Lou
Saviano
Maita/Saviano Public Relations
510 739-0621
Lsaviano@maita-saviano.com
InternetSpeech
Introduces netECHO, Letting Users Hear Any Web Site from Any Phone
New Service Provides Voice Access to the Entire Internet, to Search for Information,
Check e-mail, Without a Computer
San Jose, CA -- November 6, 2000 -- InternetSpeech, an audio Internet Technology
Provider, today announced that its netECHO Internet service is available
nationwide to users who want to hear any Web site, using any phone,
without out a computer.
"netECHO
lets people reach the entire Internet, not just a few categories of information
plucked from the Net," said InternetSpeech President Dr. Emdad Khan. "Audio Internet
access is significantly more comprehensive than what existing voice portals offer,
or what tiny screen-based wireless phones offer."
Voice-based information access is clearly on the rise as more consumers seek simple
ways to get the information they want, when and where they want it. Computers
are the primary way people access the Internet today, but Khan predicts that the
ubiquitous telephone will prove to be a handy and convenient Internet appliance
of the future.
"Because
Internet users will no longer be tethered to the computer, they'll be able to
get information on the fly, whether they're sitting in traffic, waiting at an
airport or watching a game," Khan said.
While voice portal companies offer access to only a subset of pre-determined information,
netECHO allows subscribers access to any Web page. "This is a much more complex
technological task, but we believe it's what customers will ultimately demand,"
said Khan.
The product uses speech recognition technology to understand a user's request,
and text-to-speech technology to read the retrieved information out loud. A proprietary
Intelligent Agent retrieves the requested Web page and extracts the text from
the page, without the photos and graphics.
"This
cutting-edge service is still evolving, and will improve over time, particularly
as speech recognition technology advances," Khan said. "We believe this version
offers users a good picture of what direct audio access to the Internet can be
like."
netECHO subscribers dial a toll-free number to go "on-line," and use voice
commands for navigation. They'll be able to hear the content of Web sites, search
for information, or check and respond to their e-mail by speaking into the telephone.
The product allows users to access any Web site, as well as directly access specific
information, such as news, sports, weather, stock quotes, directions or other
popular information.
To access a Web site, users will spell out the URL, or go to a bookmarked site
by saying the site's name. They'll also be able to surf the Net and check their
Yahoo, Hotmail or AOL e-mail. After listening to a particular e-mail message,
subscribers will be able to respond by recording a voice clip, which will be sent
to the recipient's mailbox.
The current netECHO version has also been programmed to help users navigate
by highlighting key information. This is extremely useful in portal sites, such
as MSN, Yahoo and AOL, which offer access to a plethora of information that may
be somewhat confusing in audio format.
netECHO is offered for $19.95 per month, and includes six hours of usage.
To sign up, call 408-360-7730, or send an e-mail that includes your name, address
and telephone number to corporate@internetspeech.com.
The www.InternetSpeech.com Web site
also includes an on-line sign-up form.
In addition to this consumer offering InternetSpeech is also working with ISPs,
telecommunications resellers (wireless and wireline), portal companies, and other
agents and affiliates to bundle netECHO with existing offerings.
From a business-to-business perspective, netECHO technology can be used to
voice-enable a company's Web site or applications so that its content can be heard
by phone users. Depending on the site's content, customers can then hear company
news, as well as product and pricing information, check their order or account
status, purchase products, obtain product support, etc. -- without a computer,
using simple voice commands. The process is automated, and does not require a
costly, manual translation of each page into Voice Extensible Mark-Up Language
(VXML).
InternetSpeech recently announced an agreement with Integrated Opportunities to
use netECHO technology to offer audio Internet access to Rural Electric Cooperatives
(RECs) and Municipal Power Authorities (MPAs) throughout the nation. Through Integrated
Opportunities, InternetSpeech will also voice-enable utility Web sites, so that
utility consumers will be able to review utility rates and offerings, check energy
usage, and pay their energy bills via phone.
About InternetSpeech.com:
InternetSpeech.com, a privately held company headquartered in San Jose, Calif.,
develops, markets and supports an Audio Internet Browser, netECHO, which
provides audio-based telephone access to the Internet for businesses and individuals.
The company's patent-pending technology can be bundled with other products, such
as traditional computer-based Internet access, or voice mail, and can be customized
to meet individual business needs, such as employee access to Intranet sites.
InternetSpeech also offers business software that automates the process of voice-enabling
a company's Web site/applications, furthering development of the "voice Web."
For more information about InternetSpeech.com, visit www.InternetSpeech.com,
or call 1-408-360-7730.
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