Washington State DOT Launches 511 System

BASKING RIDGE, NJ, MENLO PARK, CA and PORTLAND, OR - In November of 2000, Governor Gary Locke announced Washington's intention to provide a 511 phone system, allowing drivers across the state to get information on current weather, congestion and road conditions. Developed in partnership by Avaya (NYSE:AV), Interactive Northwest, and Nuance (Nasdaq:NUAN), the first phase of the voice-driven telephone system for the Washington State Department of Transportation (DOT) has been deployed. The Washington State DOT 511 provides voice-driven access to real-time traffic reports, along with continually updated roadway incident and construction information, express-lane status, mountain-pass road conditions, and weather information. It connects callers directly to the state's ferry system and provides 800 numbers for passenger rail and airlines. The 511 service is currently available within several communities across the state. Subsequent service extensions are planned to expand capacity to provide access statewide as well as to major metropolitan areas in neighboring states. System refinements and updates will continually be made based on consumer feedback. (To experience this service, analysts and media are invited to call 360/570-2300 (Olympia), 206/515-3866 (Seattle), or 5-1-1 on Cingular or Qwest Wireless cell phones, CenturyTel landlines, and miscellaneous other landlines throughout the state.) Over the years, the Washington State DOT has provided travelers with a variety of travel information through toll-free phone numbers, touch-tone menus and color-coded traffic flow maps on the Washington State DOT Web site. According to Bill O'Brien, CIO, Washington State Department of Transportation, "We wanted a more streamlined solution for the consumer, one that would provide access to all traveler information through a single voice-driven portal." O'Brien added, "The new 511 service enables just that. With the power of speech technology, we're ensuring that callers are able to quickly, easily, and safely get the information they need when they need it with one phone call." According to Chuck Van Meter, CEO, Interactive Northwest, "The state of Washington posed a unique challenge in 511 systems in the breadth of information it wanted to include and the level of caller interaction it wanted to deliver. This required us to leverage existing data sources - from real-time traffic sensor feeds and weather data, to the state's CARS(1) incident database - located across the state. We needed to create a solution that integrates this information into a natural dialog that callers can quickly navigate." Running on the Avaya(TM) Interactive Voice Response (IVR) platform for self-service, the system provides a means for implementation and integration with data sources, as well as scalability to serve the rest of the state as coverage is expanded in 2003 and beyond. The platform also ensures compatibility with existing Avaya communications networks throughout Washington's State agencies. Using speech recognition from Nuance, Washington's 511 traveler-information service lets callers simply dial '5-1-1' and verbally ask the system what they want, such as "traffic reports" or "mountain pass." The requested information is then "spoken" back to them by the system using Nuance Vocalizer 2.0. The system offers a level of "interactivity" that heightens customer satisfaction -- letting frequent callers use key words to quickly navigate the system, while still providing enough structure to guide new users. "Nuance's state-of-the art speech solutions eliminate confusing touch-tone menus and let drivers quickly get the information they need, while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road," said Ron Croen, president, CEO, and chairman, Nuance. "We're pleased to add the Washington State DOT to our growing roster of 511 customers." Providing travelers with continually updated information is a major goal of the national 511 initiative. The service is expected to save travelers, shippers and commuters both time and money by helping them plan around construction delays, congestion and bad weather. "The strong working relationship between Avaya, Nuance, Interactive Northwest, and our own team enabled us to easily meet our original plan for Washington's 511 travel information service," said O'Brien. "This project has given us the platform we need to expand capacity to meet future needs with a high degree of confidence in our success."