SpeechTime Selects ScanSoft RealSpeak for Voice-Controlled Information Systems

PEABODY, MA and STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - ScanSoft Inc. (Nasdaq: SSFT), a supplier of imaging, speech and language solutions, announced that SpeechTime, a Swedish voice and Internet specialist, has selected ScanSoft RealSpeak to create voice-controlled information services in Sweden. By calling a telephone number hosted by SpeechTime, a user can access information services 24-hours a day, including weather forecasts, stock quotes and traffic information. ScanSoft's RealSpeak is a product for converting text into human-sounding synthesized speech. The technology is used for a wide range of applications, including delivering emails for unified messaging systems, providing prompts for interactive voice response (IVR) applications, and speech-enabling mobile, automotive, game and PC/multi-media applications. ScanSoft RealSpeak offers support for hardware systems, including Hitachi, Intel (Pentium, Strong ARM and XScale), MIPS and NEC, as well as operating systems, including Linux, Microsoft Windows and Windows CE, and Sun Solaris. RealSpeak offers a single, standardized application programming interface (API) that enables the deployment of speech-enabled applications in 19 languages: US and UK English, German, French, Dutch & Belgian Dutch, Castilian and Mexican Spanish, Italian, European and Brazilian Portuguese, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish, Danish and Cantonese & Mandarin Chinese, Korean and Japanese. "Our in-house speech server platform offers highly competitive services in the areas of Voice Control and the mobile Internet. We just launched a new weather and a new traffic information service in Goteborg. Our customers such as Svenska Dagbladet, SMHI and Kiruna Forskningsturism want the most natural interface," said Hans Wahllöf, CEO at SpeechTime. "We have choosen ScanSoft RealSpeak text-to-speech because it provides us with the most natural-sounding speech and a long proven record within the industry." "ScanSoft is pleased to provide the text-to-speech technologies behind this innovative offering, making important information more accessible to people on the road," said Peter Hauser, ScanSoft's senior vice president and general manager, International. "RealSpeak gives access to dynamic information sources and delivers natural-sounding content to users in any location on any device."