New version of netECHO is aimed at the specific needs of the elderly, visually impaired and blind, helping them with easier-to-use phone access to virtually any Internet web site
San Jose – March 6, 2003 – InternetSpeech, a premier voice Internet technology provider based in San Jose, California, today announced a special version of its Voice Internet technology, netECHO suitable for the elderly, visually impaired and blind communities. netECHO is the only voice Internet solution to date that provides complete anywhere, anytime Internet access using any phone.
The special new version added special features like a voice-based user guide, voice based customization of the email address book, volume and speed controls; all critical to making the Internet easier to use for the visually impaired, blind and elderly.
Developed and deployed in the U.S. in 2000, netECHO empowers users by enabling them to navigate the Internet and listen to information from any web site, using simple voice commands and any telephone. netECHO’s patent pending technology provides content from any Web site in real-time, going beyond traditional voice portal features like news, weather, stock quotes and horoscopes. Customers can also search any word(s) using favorite search engines like Google, Altavista and MSN.
“InternetSpeech is devoted to offering true Internet access through a simple telephone interface to everyone,” said Dr. Emdad Khan, founder, president and CEO of InternetSpeech. “We realized that the need for Voice Internet access is more pronounced in the over 40 million elderly, visually impaired and blind people in the U.S. and that there are also many more outside the U.S. who could use the service. It is very important to provide the “real” Internet to these people, especially the ones who cannot easily access the Internet otherwise.”
InternetSpeech’s voice Internet service is ideal for a variety of market segments, including:
- Mobile business professionals who need access to data while out of the office;
- Senior citizens who have difficulty in using computers or viewing small screens or using a phone key pad;
- Those with disabilities, particularly the visually-impaired;
- People who don’t own a computer, or who don’t have one readily available; and
- WAP or other small screen-based phone users who want to hear real Internet content versus reading limited, pre-packaged online information on a tiny screen
InternetSpeech is committed to adding features critical to its users. Future versions will support Internet radio, on page searches, shopping and form filling among many others.
netECHO also supports business applications.The innovative technology instantly automates the voice-enabling process, making web-based content accessible in real-time in an interactive audio format for customers who call from any phone. Depending on the site’s content, customers can hear company news, as well as product and pricing information, check their order or account status, purchase products, obtain product support, and more, by using their own voice.
Unlike other methods of voice-enabling (e.g. VoiceXML) that require extensive re-writing of Web content, voice-enabling with netECHO happens on the fly, without any re-coding, significantly saving costs and development time.
For additional information on InternetSpeech and netECHO, consumers, ISPs and businesses can call 408-360-7730.
About InternetSpeech:
InternetSpeech develops and markets netECHO, the only software available that provides businesses and consumers complete anytime, anywhere voice-based telephone access to the Internet. 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 and applications in any language, furthering the development of a globally connected voice Internet. InternetSpeech, a privately held company headquartered in San Jose, Calif., launched netECHO in November 2000. For more information about InternetSpeech, visit www.internetspeech.com, or call 408-360-7730.
netECHO® is a registered trademark of InternetSpeech.
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