Chant Keeps Borland's Latest Tools Talking with Technology

Components enable C++Builder, Delphi, and JBuilder apps and web sites to speak and listen

Long Beach, California, July 22, 2001—Chant Inc., the leading independent vendor of speech technology tools, announced today at the 12th Annual Borland Conference availability of its industry leading component software that enables web sites and applications to speak and listen for Borland's latest tool releases: Delphi6 and JBuilder5.

The components, known as SpeechKit, allow for rapidly adding speech recognition and speech synthesis (text-to-speech) capabilities to software programs and web pages. This allows the user to talk with software programs and web sites to fill out forms, query databases, enter transactions, navigate pages, ask questions and get responses without having to use a computer mouse or keyboard.

"The rapid development capabilities of Borland's Delphi6 and JBuilder5 combined with SpeechKit components makes for fast delivery of systems that can speak and listen," said John Earle, president and founder of Chant Inc. "Developers and web masters can focus on application content and business rules rather than having to deal with the low level details of speech recognition and synthesis. This eliminates any real or perceived barriers for integrating speech technology."

SpeechKit components are built upon Microsoft's Speech APIs (SAPI3, SAPI4, and SAPI5) and IBM Speech Manager API (SMAPI). Users who have speech technology installed from vendors such as Dragon Systems, IBM, Lernout & Hauspie and Microsoft, can use this technology to interact with applications and web pages through SpeechKit. For users who do not have any speech technology installed, Chant provides and easy way to download and install recognizers and synthesizers to support voice-driven and text-to-speech functions.

SpeechKit handles all the low-level processing with the speech engines and operating system, thus eliminating the need for in-depth understanding of how speech technology works and the need to intertwine this low-level code within the application business logic.

System Requirements

SpeechKit components can be integrated into applications written in any language. They are packaged in ActiveX, C/C++, COM Server, Java, and VCL formats. These component formats can be use by all the popular development IDEs (C/C++, Delphi, Java, Visual Basic), HTML (JavaScript and VBScript) editors, and Multimedia content (Macromedia Director and Flash) tools on Windows 95, 98, NT, and 2000 environments. Recognizers and synthesizers require sound blaster compatible audio and Pentium class processors.

Availability

SpeechKit 3.0 is available for purchase from Chant at www.speechkit.com and from other software resellers such as ComponentSource (www.componentsource.com), Programmer's Paradise (www.programmers.com), GreyMatter (www.greymatter.com), and QBS Software (www.qbssoftware.com).

About Chant

Chant Inc. is a leading provider of software and services that help organizations gain competitive advantage with speech technology. Chant helps organizations identify and implement the most attractive opportunities appropriate their company and industry. Chant is the first company to provide engine-independent middleware for developing desktop, web-enabled, and telephony applications that use speech technology. www.chant.net