VoiceGenie Launches New SpeechGenie VoiceXML Platform

TORONTO, CANADA - VoiceGenie Technologies Inc., the Next-Gen IVR and VoiceXML Gateway provider, announced the availability of a feature-extended release of SpeechGenie, a turnkey, standards-based solution for on-premises development and deployment of speech-enabled applications. This new version adds GenieBuilder, a graphical application development environment from Audium that allows customers to build speech-enabled services, and is based on the previous SpeechGenie platform, which includes the VoiceGenie VoiceXML Gateway and automated speech technologies from SpeechWorks International Inc. (Nasdaq: SPWX). This new SpeechGenie platform was designed with an "all-inclusive" approach to voice application development and is the first in a series of planned deliverables from the partnership of VoiceGenie, SpeechWorks and Audium. The maturity of both the technologies and the vendors behind SpeechGenie draws from over 25 years of combined development time and over 500 collective customer deployments, demonstrating a breadth of technology expertise and industry experience that proprietary, single-vendor solutions cannot match. "This combined platform brings together the best and brightest in the voice applications market," said Stuart Berkowitz, President and CEO of VoiceGenie Technologies Inc. "With over 11,000 VoiceXML applications built on our free developer's workshop site and hundreds of customer deployments to date, the VoiceGenie platform is becoming the de facto standard for creating open-standards applications. Our enhanced release provides customers with a robust and comprehensive solution that far exceeds anything currently available in the voice solutions arena." Product Features Core components of the SpeechGenie package include: *VoiceGenie VoiceXML Gateway, a VoiceXML 2.0 compliant platform optimized for the development and deployment of speech applications. *SpeechWorks OpenSpeech Recognizer, engine, a standards-based speech recognizer delivering accuracy with the flexibility, scalability and performance that enterprises and carriers require to deliver self-service applications. *SpeechWorks Speechify, Text-to- Speech engine, producing natural sounding synthetic voices that enable companies to deliver dynamically changing information in an audio format and decrease costs by using TTS instead of live voice recordings in many instances. *GenieBuilder, a graphical development environment optimized for SpeechGenie that helps organizations build powerful voice applications and transition from proprietary IVR systems. "The SpeechGenie package from VoiceGenie is an important new offering for the speech industry," stated Steve Chambers, Chief Marketing Officer of SpeechWorks. "Standards-based components provide customers with value, flexibility and investment protection. This solution, with its speech-centric design and field-proven reputation, addresses the needs of customers who want a comprehensive package of speech technologies, from leading vendors, tightly integrated with one point of support." "GenieBuilder allows customers to take delivery of SpeechGenie and create high quality speech applications right out of the box, dramatically reducing the time it takes to realize the ROI benefits of speech recognition and VoiceXML," said J. Cory Wright, Chief Operating Officer of Audium. "The addition of Audium to the SpeechGenie platform provides substantial new capabilities while protecting customers' application and infrastructure investments for the future." VoiceGenie, Audium and SpeechWorks will continue joint development initiatives that leverage the innovations in each company's products and technologies, while taking full advantage of developments in industry standards to accelerate market adoption and growth. Capabilities planned for future releases include additional languages, new development tools and enhanced support for emerging standards, such as Aurora.