Elan Speech Given Technology Toll Excellence Award

TOULOUSE, FRANCE - SANEF (Société des Autoroutes du Nord et de l'Est de la France), designer and operator of motorway infrastructures, toll equipment, traffic management and Telecoms, has chosen Elan Speech to voice-enable Eliott, its automated traffic information assistant, on the French traffic radio, 107.7 FM. The Eliott service handles the continuity of real-time traffic information. An on-call radio presenter deals with any exceptional incidents. This new service is responsible for broadcasting and commenting upon real-time traffic information. By using speech synthesis, SANEF intends to provide 24-7 availability. "The Eliott service is not a gimmick," said Jean-Luc Pierrepont, in charge of SANEF Traffic Management. "It's a key tool for our operations, traffic management and safety activities. Broadcasting traffic information through speech synthesis in an automated manner allows us to guarantee up-to-date information is provided in real-time, 24-7 and therefore makes our operations more efficient." The Elliott service is capable of managing several incidents simultaneously by determining the order of priority. Speech synthesis allows immediate notification and follow up of events, from their detection to their closure. SANEF was recently awarded a 'technology toll excellence award' by the IBTTA (International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association) for this achievement.