Lernout & Hauspie speech recognition technology to enhance phoneware by TEDAS Inc

Business Wire, Nov 27, 1995

WOBURN, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 27, 1995--Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products, the leader in speech technology, today announced that TEDAS Inc. will use L&H speech recognition technology in its phoneware(TM) software enabling voice commands to replace touch-tone and rotary dialing control.

The new phoneware software controls the telephone interface which connects personal computers with telephone lines. The telephone interface simplifies the physical connection between your telephone and your computer, making possible the smooth, seamless addition of PC computing power to the ordinary telephone.

Phoneware introduces a new class of functions to managing the telephone, converting the personal computer into a personal call center and voice mail system. Phoneware is able to forward urgent messages to a pre-selected list of phone numbers. It tracks outgoing and incoming calls with precise documented time, date and telephone number.

Lernout & Hauspie's speech recognition technology offers an innovative class of functions to the computer telephony business enhancing phoneware by activating all commands by voice, making it easier and more practical to use and manage.

Lernout & Hauspie's technology separates TEDAS phoneware from the rest of the computer answering machine products. In July 1995, WIN, the German computer magazine, ranked phoneware the number one in computer answering machine products based on a comparison test the magazine conducted.

"In the European markets, touch-tone phones are not prevalent. Lernout & Hauspie's speech recognition technology allows callers to access phoneware services using speech. The L&H technology enables those using rotary-dial phones to take advantage of the phoneware system for the first time, a major breakthrough for Europeans using the phoneware software," said Doug Talbot, manager of customer support at TEDAS. "The hands-free capabilities offer, for the first time, the ability to speak commands into the telephone, eliminating the hassle of manually pushing the buttons on your telephone."

Incorporating L&H technology into phoneware will make it easier and more practical to retrieve and forward messages, even using a rotary phone or driving in your car. TEDAS's shrink-wrapped product, phoneware, is a low-cost integration of the telephone and the personal computer. The computer telephony know-how utilizing L&H speech processing technology is also available as a telephone API for system integrators from the TEDAS headquarters in Marburg, Germany.

"Because our state-of-the-art technology is flexible, cost-effective and easy to use, it gives TEDAS a competitive advantage by providing its customers with an enhanced phone messaging software," said Yacov Levy, CEO of Lernout & Hauspie.

TEDAS offers computer-telephony software technology and products for the desktop PC markets, specializing in ISDN, voice mail, call management and related features for the small/home office markets. TEDAS Inc. is located in Cupertino, Calif., in the heart of California's Silicon Valley.

Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products is the international leader in the development of speech technology for commercial products in four markets: telecommunications, computers and multimedia, automotive and industrial, and business and consumer electronics. Lernout & Hauspie offers more speech processing products, for more worldwide markets, than any other company. It licenses core speech recognition, text-to-speech, and speech coding technologies. The company's worldwide headquarters are in Ieper, Belgium, and its Asian sales office is located in Taipei, Taiwan; U.S. headquarters are at 800 W. Cummings Park, Suite 3100, Woburn, MA 01801. Phone: 617/932-4118; Fax: 617/932-9209.

CONTACT: Lernout & Hauspie

Bart Verhaeghe, 617/932-4118

or

Hill & Knowlton

Jim Martinez, 312/255-1200

or

L&H Europe

Scott Garlick, 011-32-2-460-33-97