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Powerful speech recognition application touts increased integration with CallXpress® and expanded functionality.

Foothill Ranch, CA (PRWEB via PR Web Direct) April 12, 2005 -- Applied Voice & Speech Technologies, Inc. (AVST), a leading provider of unified communications solutions for the enterprise market, today introduced CallXpress Speech Server based on the latest version of its advanced speech module, Seneca® 4.5. CallXpress Speech Server delivers powerful speech-enabled call completion and personal assistant applications to AVST's flagship unified messaging product, CallXpress®.

When it comes to effective workplace communications in the 21st Century, employees have more ways than ever to stay in touch—from desk phones, mobile phones, pagers and PDAs to, email, instant messaging, faxes and Web conferencing services. While all these communications technologies allow for greater access and mobility, the increased onslaught of communication requests and messages, and the expectation of an immediate response, can be overwhelming for users, IT personnel and enterprise infrastructures. That is why many companies are migrating toward unified communications systems that provide converged technologies and advanced feature sets.

Responding to the market, anytime-anywhere communications for the workforce and 24/7 access to the entire enterprise communications infrastructure remain the driving forces behind AVST’s communications applications. With CallXpress Speech Server, AVST has uniquely combined the strengths of its world-class messaging platform, CallXpress 7.5, with its innovative speech applications platform, Seneca 4.5, to create a powerful, next-generation unified communications solution.

Maintaining AVST's leadership in the unified communications solution industry, CallXpress Speech Server provides speech enabled message access, call completion and personal assistant applications to thousands of its customers around the world. "AVST's 35,000 CallXpress customers are excited about having the advanced speech capabilities provided by CallXpress Speech Server," said Tom Minifie, AVST's Vice President of Product Management. "We continue to respond to our customers' demands for the ability to manage all corporate communications via a single interface, whether they are in the office or on the road."

Most significantly, CallXpress Speech Server now offers a Microsoft Exchange Calendar access feature that enables users to create and respond to meeting requests and retrieve appointments by day of the week or calendar date. Users can also take advantage of the new Missed Call Notification feature that captures screened names and Caller ID information when a caller fails to leave a message, as well as a Call Waiting feature that notifies users of new calls when they are on a call that was placed or received through CallXpress.

Adding improved flexibility and usability to the CallXpress Speech Server, additional features include:
*    Call Holding – users can place a session on hold to make another call or navigate their mailbox
*    Acknowledgement Voice Message Reminder – rather than simply rejecting an incoming call, users have the option to record a personalized message to be played to the caller; a copy of this personalized message is also delivered to the user as a voice message to remind the user of the call
*    Nuance 8.5 and Vocalizer 4.0 Engines – uses the latest speech recognition and text-to-speech engines from Nuance, providing higher recognition accuracy and a more natural sounding email reader
*    Windows 2003 Server – operates on Windows 2003 Server, in addition to Windows 2000 Server and Professional
*    Active Directory MMC Snap-In - supports subscriber administration through a new snap-in component for the Microsoft Management Console and Active Directory

The CallXpress Speech Server, based on Seneca 4.5, is available immediately through AVST's established reseller channels.

About AVST
Applied Voice & Speech Technologies, Inc. (AVST) is a leading developer of enterprise communications solutions for businesses of all sizes. Through its world-class unified communications solution platform, CallXpress®, and its innovative speech applications module, Seneca®, AVST offers the industry’s most powerful suite of enterprise communications solutions. AVST's solutions enable direct access to an enterprise's communications infrastructure including voice mail, e-mail and fax messaging from any voice or data device via a touch-tone, GUI or speech interface. Established in September 2003, AVST was formed from the combined businesses of Sound Advantage (established in 1997) and the CallXpress division (established in 1982) of Captaris, Inc.

Headquartered in Foothill Ranch, CA, AVST maintains facilities in Bellevue, WA and the United Kingdom and has remote sales offices across the United States. With over 35,000 systems installed worldwide, AVST's communications solutions are sold and supported internationally by an extensive network of resellers and OEM partners. For more information contact Denny Michael, VP of Marketing at 949-699-2300 or access the company's website at www.avstgroup.com.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Tolkachev
Lages & Associates
(949) 453-8080   
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Source :  http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/4/prweb228245.htm