Phonetic Systems and Lucent Technologies Join Forces to Develop Speech-Enabled Directory Services for Definity Switches - Company Business and Marketing

Cambridge Telcom Report, Sept 27, 1999

Lucent Technologies and Phonetic Systems, has announced an agreement to deliver innovative, speech-enabled directory search solutions to Lucent customers in North America. This agreement supports Lucent's commitment to delivering outstanding technology and their uncompromising focus on customer satisfaction by integrating Phonetic Systems' voice-driven auto attendant and directory services products into Lucent's Definity PC Console, PhoneLine and Master Directory Data Manager.

The inclusion of Phonetic Systems' technology within Lucent's Enterprise Directory Solutions product family enables companies to speech-enable their enterprise directories, auto attendant and call routing functions adding powerful new features to Lucent's directory-based products and Definity switches. Inbound calls can be directed to an agent or forwarded to Phonetic Systems' PhoneticOperator for automated speech-based processing during business hours. Calls can also be handled without any human intervention after hours or when the agent is too busy with other calls.

"By partnering with Phonetic Systems and speech-enabling Lucent's Definity PC Console, PhoneLine and Master Directory Data Manager, we offer our customers leading edge voice-enabled call handling technology. Customers have demanded these solutions to help augment, support, and increase the efficiency of their operators and agents," said Bob Kaufman, Manager of Innovative Desktop Solutions in the Business Communications Systems Division at Lucent Technologies. "Phonetic Systems is the best company we found to provide the scalability required for speech-enabling the directory needs for the full spectrum of Lucent's customer base. Phonetic System's unprecedented accuracy and speed in handling directories in excess of 1,000,000 records will greatly enhance the features of PC Console, PhoneLine and Master Directory Data Manager. Our collaboration will significantly help our customers achieve higher personal productivity, reduce their administrative overhead, and provide better customer service."

"Lucent brings state of the art technology and impressive branding power to the exploding market for speech-enabled directory, auto attendant and call routing solutions. We are excited that they have confirmed the value of our voice-driven enterprise directory search technology by deploying it within their Definity switches and directory management products," said Mark L. Bannon, VP of Marketing and Sales, Phonetic Systems. "Our work together will provide customers with important technological and business advantages from products that have been specifically engineered to help reduce operational costs and increase customer service levels while leveraging their original investment in Lucent solutions."

Founded in 1994, Phonetic Systems is the world leader in the innovation, development, and deployment of state-of-the-art speech-enabled, telephony-based directory search solutions designed for large-scale directory access and automated attendant applications, serving corporations, telcos, and call centers. More information about Phonetic Systems is available at http://www.PhoneticSystems.com.

Lucent Technologies, headquartered at Murray Hill, New Jersey, designs, builds, and delivers a wide range of public and private networks, communications systems and software, data networking systems, business telephone systems and microelectronic components. Bell Laboratories is the research and development arm of the company. For further information on Lucent Technologies, visit the web site at http://www.lucent.com.