Empirix Awarded Patent for Intelligently Testing Next-Generation Contact Center Technologies; Technology enables automated testing of dynamic voice and speech applications over IP and TDM, to ensure a better caller experience

Business Wire, March 2, 2006

BEDFORD, Mass. -- Empirix Inc., which helps organizations adopt complex communications solutions with confidence, announced today that it has been issued U.S. patent # 6,957,420 for testing non-deterministic behavior of voice and speech applications, a key element of its Hammer testing products.

This technology enables Empirix to intelligently test next-generation contact center technologies, such as voice and speech applications that interact with callers dynamically rather than through a rigid path. One example would be a speech recognition application that prompts callers with, "What would you like to do today?" or presents options based on a caller's unique history, rather than "Press 1 for account balance, Press 2 to open an account..." and so forth. In the past, the only way to test these dynamic applications was manually, relying on human testers to determine every possible path and then test each individually.

Hammer CallMaster, the scripting tool used to create automated tests that are then executed via Empirix's Hammer call generator, is the medium for Empirix's non-deterministic testing ability. With this technology, Hammer CallMaster can automatically map out all likely paths for a dynamic voice transaction and then execute tests that verify functionality, performance and voice quality. Those same test scripts can later be executed in a production environment, using Empirix's OneSight proactive monitoring solution, to ensure quality of live applications and infrastructure.

In recent months, speech application problems have been a big topic in the news, and sites have emerged to help guide consumers through the process of getting to a live agent. According to Doug Williams, Vice President of Engineering for Web and Contact Center Solutions at Empirix, while application design is important, so is quality assurance - making sure that applications work. "Proactive, automated testing and monitoring can go a long way toward improving application performance and thus the caller experience," said Williams. "Many problems that callers experience are not due to design, but to poor quality - for instance, applications that malfunction under a heavy caller load, or that misroute calls."

Many speech application designers rely on manual testing to evaluate their applications, even though that approach typically uncovers fewer than 50 percent of functional problems, and cannot uncover load-related problems at all. "Our ability to evaluate non-deterministic voice applications brings a new level intelligence to automated testing," said Williams. "This patent demonstrates our continued product leadership and commitment to helping customers successfully deploy next-generation technologies in their contact centers."

Empirix will demonstrate its contact center testing and monitoring solutions at VoiceCon Spring 2006 (March 6-9, 2006; Gaylord Palms, Orlando), booth #322.

About Empirix

Empirix helps organizations adopt complex communications solutions with confidence. We combine the industry's deepest knowledge of telecommunications and self-service applications with award-winning testing and monitoring solutions to ensure our customers realize the promise of their technology investments. Empirix is the only company with expertise that spans the evolution of these advanced technologies across multiple markets - from testing in R&D labs through monitoring the end-user experience. For over a decade, thousands of quality-conscious network equipment manufacturers, service providers and enterprises worldwide have trusted Empirix to reduce the time and cost of integrating new technologies into existing environments. Visit www.empirix.com.

Empirix and Hammer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Empirix Inc. in the United States. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.