.NET Tools
>>>>> BUSINESS PROBLEM:
The .NET framework is fast becoming the operating system of choice for mobile speech-enabled applications, but developing systems that were able to run on it required a lot of time and custom coding and were often difficult to learn and use. Even the most robust speech APIs didn't provide the application framework or lifecycle support needed to quickly create and maintain high-quality speech interfaces.
>>>>> TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION:
.NET Speech Tools
A number of tools are available to more smoothly and easily program and coordinate speech-based applications on the .NET platform.
Product: Chant SpeechKit
Delivery Method: Component software available for download.
Pricing: Prices start at $149.
Functionality: The SpeechKit includes a Developer Workbench, Grammar Kit, Lexicon Kit, Profile Kit, and VoiceMarkup Kit. With it, users can develop desktop, server, mobile, telephony, or Internet software or Web pages that can transform text to speech and speech to text and deploy those applications independent of specific recognizers and synthesizers. The software supports Microsoft Speech applications, Nuance's Dragon NaturallySpeaking and IBM's ViaVoice engines and can run on any application in ActiveX, C-DLL, COM, Java, .NET, VCL, Web, and Xtra formats.
Business Benefits: It allows users to leverage a common framework across program languages and component formats, synthesize speech from anywhere within an application, import and export pronunciation lexicons and speaker profiles, and manage context-based and context-free recognition.
Contact: Chant Inc. at 1-310-410-9895, www.chant.net.
Product: SpeechStudio Suite 3.6 for Developers
Delivery Method: Software solution available for download
Pricing: Prices start at $595.
Functionality: Included components are SpeechPlayer, SpeechRunner, and Grammar Editor. SpeechStudio Suite is a set of tools, utilities, and controls for constructing, integrating, or prototyping speech and telephony applications written with .NET, C#, Visual Basic or Visual C++.
Business Benefits: Developers can quickly voice-enable any desktop or Tablet PC application with speech recognition, prompt creation, dictation, text-tospeech, and audio recording/playback. Built-in telephony support enables things like auto-answer, dial-out, touchtone, and voicemail applications.
Contact: SpeechStudio at 1-503-520-9664, www.speechstudio.com.
Product: Vangard Voice AccuSpeech Technology
Delivery Method: Hosted and installed software.
Price: Prices start at $399.
Functionality: AccuSpeech consists of the AccuSpeech Development Studio, which provides a graphic/audio development and test environment for adding speech capability to existing programs in a drag-and-drop graphic environment; the AccuSpeech Client that resides in each voice-enabled target device (PDA, tablet, laptop desktop, etc.); Dynamic List Exchange (DLX), which enables on-the-fly database changes to application data fields and forms; and the AccuSpeech Server, which addresses key configuration management issues by supplying coordination between all client devices and enterprise IT functions. AccuSpeech Technology can be deployed onto any platform that supports Windows, Windows Mobile, Win32, HTML, Java, C#, .NET, and Visual Basic.
Business Benefits: Rapid integration of speech applications into mobile business and eForms enterprise applications; reduced development time and custom code required to speech-enable applications; improved productivity for developers adopting the .NET operating environment.
Contact: Vangard Voice Systems at 1-800-909-2399, www.vangardvoice.com.