Unisys Launches Global Voice Portal Solutions

ATLANTA, GA - Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) unveiled Unisys Voice Portal Solutions. The solutions answer a growing demand for technology that leverages both current and future mobile networks, as well as the most intuitive interface in the world - the human voice. Unisys Voice Portal Solutions will provide many benefits to end users. These include the ability to more easily navigate voicemail through the use of their voice and simpler access to Web content where PC portal information is not available. The solutions will also help to maximize a carrier's average revenue per user (ARPU) through subscriptions, transactions and increased voice usage. According to market predictions made by The Kelsey Group, up to 128 million people worldwide will use voice portal services by 2005. In addition, Cahners In-Stat Group has projected that the voice services and voice portal industry may reach $6 billion by 2006. Unisys Voice Portal Solutions include Voice Controlled Messaging, Voice Web, and Voice Activated Dialing (VAD). Unisys Voice Portal Solutions provide a central point of access to a set of content and services which are accessible through voice commands and delivered via audio recordings, text-to-speech, alarms or music. Voice Activated Dialing is the voice navigation of a user directory. This makes it possible to dial common numbers without a keypad and increases usage due to the ability to use the phone in more daily situations. Voice Controlled Messaging allows users to navigate through messages using the voice versus the keypad. Voice Web provides access to Web data without a computer using VoiceXML, a standards-based voice browser infrastructure. Unisys Voice Portal Solutions' hands-free, flattened navigation will shorten the connect time and work on any handset -- alleviating the dependency on handset sales to fuel demand. The device-independence of the solutions makes it a lower risk alternative for growing ARPU. It also lets carriers apply this technology for many types of data, such as news, stocks and weather information. Additionally, the solutions can voice-enable legacy data applications and provide people with rapid access to sales figures and logistics. Telenor, a leading distributor of voice, information, knowledge and entertainment through communications services in Norway, has implemented Unisys speech technology for their voice-activated automatic attendant solution. The automated solution, which replaces call transfer via a manual switchboard, typically cuts clients' operating costs in half, according to Trond Haaberget, director, Business Development for VIPcom, a division of Telenor Business Solutions. "Being first in the market with a commercially-stable service has helped garner a lot of PR value in the Norwegian and Scandinavian markets," said Haaberget. "We have found Unisys to be a very solid and reliable partner for us in this project." Also, Unisys signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Orange S.A. for the collaborative design of new services including voice portal solutions. "The current demand trend from communication companies is driven by the fact that this is a new technology helping to bridge the gap between today's network and the future data-based, high-speed networks," said Larry Srader, vice president of Strategy and Marketing at Unisys. "Voice portal technology continues to build momentum as the key choice for data in a narrowband environment and as a staple of the broadband networks to come. Unisys strong position in the messaging space with extensive expertise in speech technology provides an advantage to our voice portal solutions."