Honeywell Releases New Version of VoiceCatalyst
Honeywell today released an upgrade to its Vocollect VoiceCatalyst software for warehousing operations.
VoiceCatalyst 2.1 software enables unparalleled connectivity and provides the launching point for implementing voice-enabled operations to achieve the highest levels of productivity.
"VoiceCatalyst 2.1 is a great piece of software that enables [users] to take advantage of the full Talkman line of devices," says Jay Blinderman, director of product marketing at Vocollect. "You can use it without changing any of the equipment you're already using."
With VoiceCatalyst 2.1, customers now have access to Vocollect SoundSense, which reduces speech recognition errors by 50 percent by eliminating unwanted environmental sounds in noisy warehouse environments; Vocollect TouchConnect, for immediate touch-pairing of wireless SRX2 headsets to the A700 line of devices, and the Vocollect RapidStart training application.
"With RapidStart, when a new employee puts on the headset, it walks him through how to use the equipment with an interactive training exercise," Blinderman says. "He can get training through the app rather than taking out a supervisor's time, and it keeps the training consistent across shifts.
New to the solution is a capability that lets users ask the system how much battery life is left and receive a response by voice or visual display, reducing the risk of downtime, according to Blinderman.
Further, Honeywell released Vocollect’s Talkman A720 device, the latest model in its Talkman A700 line of handheld devices. This new voice-centric mobile device has two Talkman Connectors, enabling customers to leverage investments made in wired peripherals. The Talkman A720 uses the same infrastructure of batteries and chargers as other Talkman A700 solution devices, including an extended-capacity battery estimated to endure 24 hours of use on a single charge. The Talkman A720 joins Talkman A710 and A730 in providing speech responses 19 percent faster (compared to the prior generation of Vocollect Talkman products) leading to better worker efficiency.
"VoiceCatalyst and the Talkman A710 are just so much more efficient compared to previous versions of Vocollect's voice client," Blinderman says.
"In a competitive marketplace, warehouse operators need solutions that can withstand harsh environments and provide supreme performance," said Bruce Stubbs, director of industry marketing at Honeywell Scanning & Mobility, in a statement. "Honeywell has integrated multiple solutions and products from scanners, to vehicle mount computers, to voice devices, to software to help customers solve their most pressing business challenges in distribution centers."
Honeywell acquired Vocollect in the fall.
Though the VoiceCatalyst and Talkman A710 are both geared toward warehousing environments, Vocollect does make other products that can be used in any "task-oriented jobs," such as in healthcare when nurses are making the rounds.
Both products are due to be released before the summer.