VoiceGenie Announces GenieBuilder Graphical Application Development Environment

TORONTO, CANADA - VoiceGenie Technologies Inc., the Next-Gen IVR and VoiceXML Gateway provider, announced the availability of GenieBuilder, an open-standards voice application software package for use on VoiceGenie's Next-Gen IVR platform. GenieBuilder includes a library of reusable and configurable dialog building blocks to help users create both speech and touch-tone voice applications. The package also contains a drag-and-drop graphical interface that speeds application development. GenieBuilder's GUI uses simple flowchart visualization and incorporates best practices in dialog and voice application design so that users get applications in a rapid timeframe, reducing development cycles and associated costs. GenieBuilder allows customers to integrate back-end systems to share legacy and Web information with their Next-Gen IVR platform. Applications built with GenieBuilder can incorporate existing corporate business rules and data, so callers can get the information they need without the help of a live agent. The complete GenieBuilder package helps businesses transition from proprietary IVR and fully take advantage of the benefits of VoiceXML and Next-Gen IVR. Open and standards-based, GenieBuilder-developed applications are VoiceXML 2.0 compliant and eliminate the lock-in associated with proprietary IVR systems. This allows businesses to be assured that their investment in their Next-Gen IVR applications and platform will continue to be compatible with future technologies. "Simply put, the addition of GenieBuilder to our Next- Gen IVR platform provides our customers with the tools they need to build critical voice applications faster, easier and at less cost," said Eric Jackson, Vice President, Strategy and Business Development with VoiceGenie Technologies Inc. "The combined offering delivers the industry's best-selling VoiceXML Gateway with the leading voice application software in a single, tightly integrated offering." Along with integration with VoiceGenie's VoiceXML Gateway, highlights of the GenieBuilder package include: *A graphical tool that voice interface designers and developers can use to create, test and deliver the best voice applications possible in a rapid fashion - while managing development of all the voice applications from one central location. *A built-in library of reusable dialog modules and a framework that encourages voice application teams to leverage developed business applications across multiple voice applications in the enterprise and share library components across business units or partners. *Support for role-based development so that teams of application developers can work collaboratively to create speech applications. *Support for VoiceGenie-offered speech recognition and text-to-speech products including SpeechWorks OSR, BBN Recognizer, and Nuance 8. Connectors to JDBC and ODBC-capable databases, including Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, IBM DB2, and Informix, support for third-party Java utilities and libraries, as well as complete XML support. "GenieBuilder expands the capabilities of VoiceGenie's award-winning VoiceXML Gateway product and gives carriers, enterprises, value added resellers and ISVs strong voice application development tools to create, manage, and distribute their own business solutions using Next-Gen IVR," said J. Cory Wright, Chief Operating Officer of Audium. "GenieBuilder customers can achieve significant ROI because teams can begin developing real business solutions immediately and can complete solutions over 60% faster than traditional VoiceXML development."