Convergys Integrates Audium Software into Open Hosting Environment

CINCINNATI, OH and NEW YORK, NY - Convergys Corporation (NYSE: CVG) announced its capability to develop advanced speech recognition (ASR) applications using industry-leading VoiceXML software tools. Convergys hopes to apply these tools to reduce client development costs, speed time-to-market for new automated customer care systems, and quickly and easily create application components for reuse across its own packaged solutions. Convergys will integrate Audium's Audium 3 VoiceXML software tools into its open hosting environment for clients operating ASR applications on Convergys' outsourced SpeechPort platform. "Audium 3 simplifies and standardizes the development of complex speech solutions by helping developers focus on the goals of the application," said Michael Bergelson, Audium's president and CEO. "Reusable components and an intuitive graphical user interface eliminate the need to work directly with the VoiceXML code, so designers can maximize the time they spend doing what is most important - improving the customer experience." "Organizations of all sizes are increasingly looking to speech as an effective and cost-efficient way to manage customer inquiries that don't require live agent support," said Jack Freker, president of Convergys Customer Management Group. "With the integration of these VoiceXML software tools into our open hosting service, we can provide our clients the flexibility to build and operate customized applications that best meet their customers' needs without sacrificing the proven mission-critical benefits of security, reliability and scalability delivered by the Convergys SpeechPort network."