Voice Architects Launches Service to Improve Speech Application Performance

PORTLAND, OREGON - Voice Architects, a voice user interface firm, announced today the launch of the speech recognition industry's first independent application assessment and repair service. Structured within VA's Speech Application Execution Framework(SAEF™), SAEF Tuning™ helps application owners understand application performance, identify problems, prioritize improvement opportunities, and accomplish cost effective repairs and enhancements. "There are several misconceptions in the market place about speech", said Voice Architects' Managing Director, Keith Rolle. "The first is that once applications have been successfully deployed, you can lock the closet door, throw away the key, and the application will continue chugging along indefinitely. In fact changes in caller demographics, user behavior, business context, and other factors significantly degrade application performance. Add prompt changes and dynamic data elements into the pot, and even quality applications will suffer double digit decline in completion rates." The second misconception is that double digit error rates are just part of the cost of deploying speech", said Rolle. "In fact self-service applications have a significant impact on customer loyalty and lifetime value. With SAEF Tuning, customer focused companies can get a handle on their application performance, and begin proactively managing it the same way they manage their live agent service levels." The first step in SAEF Tuning is a quick but powerful performance assessment called AlphaCheck™. Application call logs are run through Voice Architects' LogSensor™, which identifies hotspots, and abstracts performance data in a readily accessible format. Typically customers perform AlphaCheck in order to assess their application, and prioritize improvements, and in some cases, perform quick fixes without the need for additional tuning. Once problems are identified, applications go through SAEF Tuning Analysis and Repair. SAEF Tuning is a menu type service whereby clients only engage those services deemed necessary by AlphaCheck, a big savings over traditional tuning services. To maintain optimal application performance, Voice Architects offers an application monitoring service, SAEF Monitoring, which assures applications perform up to daily agreed benchmarks.