PERAMON ENABLES VOICE ACTIVATED ACCESS TO EMAIL FOR MOBILE USERS
Technology innovator applies VoiceXML technology to bring new productivity gains to over 145 million users
June 4, 2001: Sydney - World-leading technologist, Peramon, has introduced a set of applications to extend the reach of Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Domino applications to mobile workers using a voice interface on any phone or PDA. The implications of Peramon's ground-breaking mobile Internet technology are enormous, for the first time, over 145 million* users will be able to use their email, c alendar and contacts directory through their existing mobile phones, simply by using voice commands.
Peramon users have the same functionality on their Personal Information Management (PIM) applications whether in or out of the office. For example, they can receive and send e-mail, search, read and create entries in their calendar and access information from the corporate directory, as well as 'chatting' to colleagues over the Internet and participating in newsgroups.
For WAP users, the entire set of services will be available over GPRS and GSM.
As part of Peramon's 'theMOBILIZER' platform of mobile Internet infrastructure, the latest offering provides a number of significant productivity benefits. Users can compose and send email using a voice-only interface, which is synchronised with their office-based desktop environment, and can be listened to on another mobile phone without the need for a Windows AVI player. Any incoming information is converted from text to speech, making it easy to digest while on the move or in a car, where the hands maybe occupied. Users are also able to set preferences for email, appointments and group meeting via SMS alerts so that they can decide the importance of incoming emails while offline.
"Through such applications, we're moving closer to an acceptance of mobile Internet technology within corporates because the productivity benefits are there to be seen. You don't need to carry a laptop, phone and organizer when you leave the office - one device will do and it will keep you fully connected to the office. Access to corporate information via the phone is now quicker than booting up a laptop - the emphasis is on working smarter and voice navigation means you aren't restricted by the keypad," said David Townsend, managing director of Peramon.
"We've applied VoiceXML technology so that users can easily skip from one PIM function to another and back again simply by a voice command so that, for example, they can access their calendar while listening to an email. You don't have to wait to hear all the options before making a choice which means the environment is far more intuitive," said John Kell, R&D director of Peramon.
In keeping with Peramon's philosophy of global product development, the interface is available in over 15 languages and through its adaptive access technology, the display is optimised for whichever access device the user has.
The features available via theMOBILIZER Lotus Domino and Microsoft Exchange Connectors include: email, address lists, calendar, attachments, SMS alerts, network security, flexible voice access and language definition. These are all designed to integrate easily into existing enterprise applications and are available immediately.
* According to Jean Gabriel Henry, senior analyst Jupiter, Lotus Notes currently has 78 million licensed users and Microsoft Exchange has 67 million
Editor's Note
According to senior analyst Mark Plakias of the Kelsey Group, the size of the voice technologies market is likely to be worth $16.3bn by 2005. This includes the software m arket - automated speech recognition, text-to-speech generation and natural language understanding - with platforms, voice-browsing technology and professional.
A history Peramon groundbreaking first
About Peramon
Peramon leads the world in developing software to drive the mobile Internet marketplace. Its vision is to provide access to information anytime, anywhere and from any device. Founded in 1999, Peramon now employs 37 staff at its UK headquarters and Asia Pacific office in Australia.
Peramon's world class software applications are used by over 5 million people worldwide through services provided by blue chip organizations such as Critical Path, Star Media, Freeserve and BSkyB.
To make the mobile Internet vision a reality, Peramon is working with like-minded i nnovators including Motorola, Nokia, HP, Sun and Openwave.
www.peramon.com