Technology - February 2004

Speech-Enabled Technology

Are You Ready to Reap Its Benefits?

by Jason Cowles

Have you ever asked yourself, "How did I ever do business without cell phones or e-mail?" Well, there’s another technology that has exploded into mainstream corporate America that will make you ask a similar question very soon. This communications tool is speech-enabled technology, also known as voice recognition. This technology has experienced significant improvements during the last few years to the point where many small to medium-sized companies cannot survive without it.

Speech-enabled technology is a solution that listens to human voices. The system then recognizes the voice, translates commands from the individual into a computer system, and responds based on the information it has received. The technology also contains many valuable features. For example, users can tap into the following capabilities:

Answer, screen and transfer calls instantly with the auto-attendant

Take voice mail messages, automatically return, copy or forward calls based on name recognition

Connect to anyone when a user identifies the person

Voice activate users’ e-mail systems enabling them to:

o Listen, compose and send, and copy or forward e-mails

o Create e-mail replies to individuals or large groups

o Send voice mail messages into user’s e-mail in-box

This technology gives people the freedom to communicate and conduct business from any location – in a car, at home, across the country or around the world.

Speech-enabled technology has seen rapid growth, and it’s not expected to slow anytime soon. Allied Business Intelligence (ABI) projects the market to increase to $897 million in 2003, up from $677 million in 2002. ABI has predicted the technology will grow to $5.3 billion by 2008. This growth is being driven by a few distinct factors. One is the mobile workforce, with more and more people conducting business on the road. Another is a law banning the use of handheld cell phones, requiring drivers to communicate "hands free". This law has already passed in New York, and California is close to mandating it as well. Additionally, ABI found when comparing speech recognition versus touch-tone, respondents favored speech recognition by a factor of six-to-one. In order to adapt to these environmental changes, companies have rushed to adopt speech-enabled technology.

Organizations in every industry are implementing this technology to increase employee productivity. A perfect example, which can be applied to almost any industry, exists in real estate. Real estate agents are out of the office 50 percent to 75 percent of the day and they do not have access to e-mail, fax, or voice mail unless they call in. Their customers want to be connected to them without delay, especially in today’s hectic real estate market. Therefore, agents have tapped into speech-enabled technology to minimize phone tag, access e-mail via voice recognition from any location, connect with clients and reduce costs by not having to staff additional employees for administrative tasks. They now have the power to conduct business as usual, whether they’re in the office or on the road.

Speech-enabled technology has become a cost-effective solution to the way business professionals communicate and manage their daily activities. Economic, legal and competitive factors have strongly influenced small to medium-sized companies to utilize this technology in order to stay ahead in their marketplaces and ensure the productivity of their employees.

Jason Cowles
Jason Cowles is regional vice president of Amtec Communications, a provider of business communications systems with offices in California and Nevada.