AVST and Ziff Davis Host eSeminar on Benefits of Unified Communications; Online Seminar Offers Expert Advice for Replacing Legacy Voice Mail Systems with Leading Edge Communications Products

Business Wire, July 7, 2005

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. -- Applied Voice & Speech Technologies Inc. (AVST) and Ziff Davis Media will present a live Web-based eSeminar titled "Managing Legacy and Leading Edge Communication Products: Eliminating Dead Ends and Accessing New Benefits." The eSeminar is scheduled for Thursday, July 14, 2005, at 12:30 p.m. Eastern/9:30 a.m. Pacific.

Continuing the effort to educate enterprise executives on the benefits of evolving from legacy voice mail systems to robust next-generation solutions, the 30-minute eSeminar is targeted to enterprise-level CTOs, CIOs and IT managers. Its goal is to provide an open forum for dialogue that enables industry leaders to gain a deeper understanding of the need to replace outdated voice mail systems and the options available to them as they explore next-generation communications strategies.

"The communications network is the backbone of nearly every organization," said Denny Michael, AVST's vice president of marketing. "This eSeminar provides a venue for business leaders to learn how to build a communications infrastructure and road map that meets the demands of today's competitive and cost-conscious environment as well as take advantage of converged solutions that positively impact the bottom line."

The eSeminar begins with a 20-minute presentation followed by a 10-minute Q&A session. The presentation includes a real-life case study describing how AVST's communications solutions positively impacted the operations of Seattle Pacific University. The case study will highlight how a leading higher education institution successfully migrated from a legacy Octel(R) messaging system to a second-generation messaging solution and the positive impacts it had within their organization. Speakers include:

--Aaron Goldberg, VP, Market Experts Group - Ziff Davis Media

--Hardy Myers, president and CEO of AVST

--Dave Tindall, assistant VP technology services - Seattle Pacific University

Those who attend this eSeminar will learn:

--How a unified communications solution can improve productivity and extend your competitive advantage

--How companies and institutions save on costs by aligning their roadmap to newer, more robust communications solutions

--Seven steps you should take to develop an enterprise communications strategy

--How to migrate to IP telephony with virtually no disruption to employees and the organization, and no need for employee retraining

Attendees will also receive a Ziff Davis-produced white paper titled "Building an Enterprise Communications Strategy Beyond Voice Mail." To register for this free, online seminar, please visit: www.eSeminarslive.com.

About AVST

Applied Voice & Speech Technologies Inc. (AVST) is a leading developer of enterprise communications solutions for businesses of all sizes. Through its world-class unified communications solution platform, CallXpress(R), and its innovative speech applications module, Seneca(R), AVST offers the industry's most powerful suite of enterprise communications solutions. AVST's solutions enable direct access to an enterprise's communications infrastructure including voice mail, e-mail and fax messaging from any voice or data device via a touch-tone, GUI or speech interface. Established in September 2003, AVST was formed from the combined businesses of Sound Advantage (established in 1997) and the AVT division (established in 1982) of Captaris Inc.

With headquarters in Orange County, Calif., AVST maintains facilities in Seattle, Wash., and the United Kingdom and has remote sales offices across the United States. With over 35,000 systems installed worldwide, AVST's communications solutions are sold and supported internationally by an extensive network of resellers and OEM partners. For more information contact Denny Michael, VP of marketing, at 949-699-2300 or access the company's Web site at www.avstgroup.com.