LocusDialog Announces Availability of Speech Enabled Auto-Attendant and Call Routing Application

MONTREAL, CANADA - LocusDialog announced the upcoming release of OpenDialog —- an open standard-based version of its auto-attendant and call routing application. Initially released on VoiceXML, OpenDialog can operate on the LocusDialog Speech Application Server or can be integrated onto a third-party VoiceXML platform making it available as an application that can run alongside other VoiceXML applications. Leveraging the features of the LocusDialogSTS standalone system, OpenDialog and the LocusDialog Speech Application Server target open standard platform providers wanting to add speech-enabled auto attendant and call routing application to their product offering. There are presently close to 1,000 LocusDialogSTS speech enabled auto-attendant systems deployed, routing over 500 million telephone calls per year. "Standards-based technologies are driving the evolution of our industry," says Richard Martel, president and CEO of LocusDialog. "We firmly believe that opening up our market leading auto-attendant application to Open Standard platform providers will accelerate the deployment of speech-based applications in both the corporate and service provider market place. Open platform providers now have access to the same features that have provided LocusDialog with the largest number of speech-enabled auto-attendant deployments in our industry." OpenDialog will include complete access to LocusDialog's phonetic dictionary, containing close to one million proper noun. According to LocusDialog, this phonetic dictionary, combined with LocusDialog's discourse manager technology, consistently results in a call transfer efficiency rate in excess of 95 percent. "There is a definite void in the market for a proven and mature speech-enabled auto-attendant application running in an Open Standard, VXML-based environment," continued Mr. Martel. "We are confident that this new product offering will fill this void and open many new growth opportunities for our company and the industry as a whole." OpenDialog and the LocusDialog Speech Application Server provide support for: Various ASR engines and VXML gateways via the LocusDialog gateway adapter; Personalization and branding of speech applications VUI (Voice User Interface) design and implementation for multi-lingual applications; Adaptable framework for other Open Standards such as SALT and X+V. OpenDialog can be packaged with the LocusDialog Speech Application Server or can be adapted to run as an OEM application running on an Open Standard Platform. It will be released in two phases. General availability of the CPE enterprise Version 1.0 running on Windows or UNIX will be available in the fourth quarter of 2003. The Carrier / Service Provider version will be available in the first quarter of 2004.