Nuance and Eicon Networks Intensify Partnership; New Version of Nuance® OpenSpeech® Recognizer Facilitates Voice Platform Development and Integration with Eicon Diva Server Communication Platforms

Business Wire, Jan 31, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO -- Eicon Networks Corporation ("Eicon"), a global leader in providing world class products and technologies for media processing, today announced that it has intensified its partnership with Nuance Communications, Inc., formerly ScanSoft, Inc., by making it easier to integrate Nuance(R) OpenSpeech(R) Recognizer (OSR) with Eicon Diva Server communication platforms. A source code sample has been created using the Eicon Diva Server Software Development Kit (SDK) and will be shipping with the Nuance OSR product starting later this quarter.

Seamless integration with telephony networks is one of the key requirements for voice platforms. System integrators and ISVs challenged with this task have to tie together various building blocks from different vendors, including speech engines such as Nuance OSR and telephony boards from various vendors. Telephony application programming interfaces (APIs) tend to differ significantly in their characteristics and in particular in their ability to abstract the specifics of the underlying telephony network.

With Diva Server SDK, Eicon offers a modern and feature rich telephony API that provides simple and effective means to integrate Diva Server telephony boards. It offers high-level function libraries and samples available for C, C#, VB and VB.net development environments. Diva Server SDK incorporates all Diva Server telephony boards for analog, ISDN BRI, ISDN PRI and E1/T1 digital telephony interface as well as Diva Server SoftIP, the host-based media processing software for H.323 and SIP based IP telephony networks under a common API.

"This ensures that voice platforms once developed for a certain Diva Server product can remain unchanged when adding different telephony protocols or interfaces," said Franz-Josef Eberle, Director Product Management at Eicon. "In particular for the transition towards IP telephony Diva Server SDK provides a real advantage as it facilitates legacy TDM configurations, dedicated IP-only configurations, and in particular allows for hybrid TDM/IP platforms - all with a common API."

Brian Eberman, vice president product marketing management, Nuance Communications Inc. said, "As the global leader in speech recognition, Nuance is committed to delivering products with unparalleled performance. Our partners' expertise is critical to successful speech applications, and we are pleased that partners such as Eicon drive forward the seamless integration of voice platforms with telephony networks."

The inclusion of the source code sample within the Nuance OpenSpeech Recognizer product is particularly important for the many common ISVs and system integrators that already exist between the Nuance and Eicon Partner programs.

About Nuance Speech Solutions

Nuance Speech Solutions make the user experience more compelling and expand business potential. Through its dictation, embedded and network speech solutions, Nuance offers the world's preeminent portfolio of speech technologies, expertise and solutions that transform the way people interact with businesses, information and each other. Today, thousands of companies and millions of users around the world depend on Nuance Speech Solutions to deliver vital information, increase productivity and conduct business. To experience the power of the spoken word, please visit www.nuance.com

About Eicon Diva Server

The Diva Server telephony adapters provide a full set of voice processing functions including tone detection and generation, voice activity detection and echo cancellation. Powerful onboard Digital Signal Processor (DSP) resources - dedicated to each communication channel, ensure real-time voice processing and reduced latency and overall system performance improvement for sophisticated, high-density speech solutions.

Up to eight Diva Server adapters - offering 2 to 480 channels - can be installed to operate concurrently in a single server. Any type of Diva Server adapter - Analog, ISDN BRI, ISDN PRI, E1/T1 digital, or SoftIP (H.323, SIP) can work together in the same server. Ease of installation is guaranteed as all Diva Server adapters conform to Plug and Play standards, eliminating the need to manually configure your server. Diva Server adapters are ready to be used with all state-of-the-art operating systems, offering drivers for both Microsoft Windows and Linux. Diva Server drivers for Windows are officially certified by the Windows Hardware Quality Labs (WHQL). For more information, visit www.eicon.com/divaserver

About Eicon Networks

Eicon Networks has been designing, manufacturing and marketing leading brands of communications products since 1984. The company's portfolio includes the Diva range of media processing products for voice, speech, conferencing, fax, and document handling applications and the Eiconcard range of transaction processing products. Eicon distributes, markets and supports its products in more than 80 countries through a network of channel partners, telecommunication companies (telcos), internet service providers (ISPs), independent software vendors (ISVs) and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Information about Eicon Networks is available at www.eicon.com.