Developing Software That Speaks and Listens Is A Snap

Latest component technology allows web sites and applications to speak and respond to voice

Orlando, Florida, June 5, 2000—Chant Inc., the leading developer of speech technology tools for software developers and webmasters announced today at TechEd 2000 a new version of its industry leading component software that enables web sites and applications to speak and respond to voice.

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.

"I couldn't believe how easy it was to get our system speaking with Chant components," said Larry Roberts, president of Roberts Information Systems, a retail systems software and services company. "Voice-enabling our point-of-sale systems offer our customers greater end user efficiency and gives us, as a vendor, competitive advantage in a crowed retail systems industry. It's a real attention grabber at trade shows."

"SpeechKit 3.0 makes it even easier to get systems talking," said John Earle, president and founder of Chant Inc. "In addition to new features, we've provided an optional control panel for the administrative activities of recognition and synthesis. This eliminates a whole area of programming for integrating recognizer and synthesizer capabilities."

SpeechKit components are built upon Microsoft's Speech API (SAPI) 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 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 for C/C++, Delphi, HTML (JavaScript and VBScript), Java, and Visual Basic on Windows 95, 98, NT, and 2000 environments. Recognizers and synthesizers require sound blaster compatible audio and Pentium class processors.

Availability

SpeechKit 3.0 will begin shipping in July 2000, and will be available on-line at www.speechkit.com and from ComponentSource (www.componentsource.com), Programmer's Paradise (www.programmers.com), VBXtras (www.vbxtras.com), and other software resellers.

About Chant

Chant Inc. is a leading provider of software and services that helps 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

Chant, SpeechKit, Talking with Technology, and Getting the World Talking With Technology are trademarks or registered trademarks of Chant Inc. All other marks are owned by their respective companies.