Preferred Voice Launches New Peripheral for the Telco Market
DALLAS, TX - Preferred Voice announced the completion of SAM (service access module), a proprietary, patent-pending remote intelligent peripheral that allows the creation of speech-driven subscriber services using legacy, switch-based feature sets.
The SAM allows ISUP T1 connections from the Telco switch and is the first Speech Empowered Intelligence Peripheral for the Telco's AIN (advanced intelligent network) switch feature sets, developed to Telcordia Standards GR-1129, GR-1298 and GR-1299. As well as furnishing the RLT (release link technology) and caller ID for all speech service sets. The SAM RLT feature is not switch dependent and can provide this feature set for any switch in the North American Dialing Plan. The SAM also provides the on-site intelligence required for network delivery of Preferred Voice's current menu of speech driven services.
The SAM communicates with Preferred Voice's VIP (voice integrated platform) through the company's nationwide VOIP (voice over internet protocol) and SS7 Network. The SAM can also provide PSTN (public switching telephone network) access. The real time switching, RLT functionality, network access, call management and call control resides within the SAM with upper level intelligence and application control being provided by the remote located VIP.
One of the SAM's functions is to incorporate the speech recognition requirements for subscriber services associated with the switch software sets and to act as an intelligent peripheral to speech enhance the service sets available in the Telco AIN software. In the past, speech services such as voice dialing required no interaction with the Telco switch features. The SAM changes the development of speech-enhanced services by operating as an intelligent peripheral. By communicating with the Telco's software, speech can enhance a wide range of Telco subscriber Call Management services, such as:
- announounced Call Screening
- Time of Day Call blocking
- Specific Number Blocking
- Specific Priority Number Pass through
- Speech Enhanced Call Redirection
- 100% Speech Enhanced Voice Mail with speech out-call capabilities
Furthermore, the SAM software provides the call management for speech enhanced 411 services such as speech Enhanced 411-Directory Assistance, Call Completion for Directory Assistance Toll Calls and Call Completion for Directory Assistance Long Distance Calls.
The SAM will now offer the ILEC's captive Yellow Page Group the ability to offer a new service to its customer base called "Business Connect" a 100% speech driven listing of all Yellow Page businesses. This revolutionary new speech driven concept is offered to the ILEC customers as a "free-to-the-caller" service with the business paying a nominal monthly fee for their listing. The business can also add "Special Announcements Prompts" prior to the call being connected.
"This is a major new source of revenue for the ILEC Yellow Pages that can add as much as $60 a year for each business listed," said Jack Johnson, vice president of sales.
"One of the more important SAM functions is to solve the ILEC Telco problem of providing CID (Called Identification) for calls that are placed when the subscriber uses VAD (voice assisted dialing). This has been a troublesome issue for the ILEC companies and their subscribers," said G. Ray Miller, CEO of Preferred Voice. "This issue has faced every company that intends to offer voice assisted dialing in the ILEC Telco market, and we are very pleased to announce that we have solved this important issue."
Preferred Voice will produce the initial phase of SAM units, and is conducting preliminary negotiations with several potential manufactures for SAM production. The initial production of the SAM will be slated for installations to upgrade the companies existing wireless and wire line customers.
"The potential for a new collection of revenue producing services without adding any additional overhead is exciting," said Miller.