IBM Announces ViaVoice Pro Elite and Transforms Speech Recognition On the Desktop; Headset Free Microphone Makes Voice Recognition Software Even More Natural

Business Wire, April 4, 2000

Business & Technology Editors

SOMERS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 4, 2000

IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced the availability of its ViaVoice Pro Elite voice recognition software, the first-to-market continuous speech recognition software to include a headset-free microphone.

ViaVoice Pro Elite allows computer users greater freedom to interact with their computers in quiet environments. The software lets computer users talk their way around the Web, navigate the desktop and create documents by voice -- all without having to wear a headset microphone. ViaVoice Pro Elite is available through CompUSA stores nationwide.

"IBM listened to thousands of requests from its customers and integrated a top-quality, desktop microphone to its leading ViaVoice speech recognition software to enhance overall ease-of-use," said Krishna Nathan, director of IBM Voice Systems. "Our goal is to provide computer users with a full range of speech solutions when they interact with their computers. IBM is the only company to offer a flexible, head-set free alternative to speech recognition software."

Based on IBM's leading ViaVoice speech recognition technology, and incorporating Andrea Electronics' DA-400 Desktop Array far-field microphone, ViaVoice Pro Elite was designed with flexibility in mind. The headset-free microphone preserves the audio signal while canceling background noise -- enhancing the overall user experience.

Power for ViaVoice Pro Elite

IBM's ViaVoice Pro Elite is optimized for the AMD Athlon and Intel Pentium III processors. While the most recent processor designs are optimal for speech recognition, IBM's ViaVoice Pro Elite also runs on a Pentium 166 MHZ processor with MMX and 48 MB of RAM. IBM recommends at least a Pentium II processor and 48 MB of RAM in a Windows 95/98 or Windows NT environment, with 64 MB of RAM for dictation in Microsoft Word. ViaVoice Pro Elite runs under Windows 95, 98, 2000 and Windows NT 4.0.

Availability and Pricing

ViaVoice Pro Elite is available in the United States through CompUSA. The suggested retail price of the software is $249.

About IBM Voice Systems

IBM speech recognition technology is based on 30 years of speech recognition research and development. With a portfolio of more than 100 patents, an established R&D business that includes researchers worldwide and a robust, proven speech technology available in many languages, IBM is a leader in speech recognition. For more information about IBM Voice Systems, visit the World Wide Web at http://www.software.ibm.com/speech.> EDITORS NOTE

The IBM price and promotion is subject to change without notice. Dealer prices may vary.

Information concerning the DA-400 Desktop Array far-field microphone was obtained from Andrea Electronics, their published announcements or other publicly available sources. Questions on the capabilities of the DA-400 Desktop Array far-field microphone should be addressed to Andrea Electronics.

IBM and ViaVoice are registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. Microsoft, Windows, and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries or both. Intel, MMX and Pentium are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United States, other countries or both. Desktop Array is a trademark of Andrea Electronics Corporation. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are registered to their respective owners.

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