P R E S S R E L E A S E
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: For Audiopoint
PRESS CONTACT
Tony Keller
SS|PR
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tkeller@sspr.com
Audiopoint Provides Personalized News and Information Services to EarthLink’s Service Subscribers
Personalized Voice Services allows customized access to News and Information using simple voice commands and any telephone
ROCKVILLE, Maryland, 2008 – Audiopoint, a speech applications company developing products for businesses that reach consumer markets, and EarthLink (NASDAQ: ELNK), one of the nation’s leading Internet service providers (ISPs), today announced an agreement that will give EarthLink’s subscribers the ability to define their own News and Information Services leveraging Audiopoint’s latest product release and speech application service.
The popularity of EarthLink’s Email By Phone has demonstrated that people want access to a wider range of information on the go. News and Information Services combines the existing functionality of Email By Phone with natural voice-enabled Web content. Popular content such as Local News, Weather and Stock Quotes, amongst other personalized services are now available from any telephone using simple voice commands.
“The demand is growing for powerful new communications services as a strategic way to enhance customer service and build a competitive edge,’ said Brian Lichorowic, CEO & President of Audiopoint. “At the center stage of these new services is Audiopoint’s next-generation Personal Voice Portal. Using PVP, Earthlink customers will have a very real edge in the marketplace. Today’s announcement furthers Audiopoint’s goal of providing our customers with the most progressive speech applications on the market today.”
The new service provides an expanded access solution by voice enabling web content for the individual subscriber. Information is retrieved by phone through a voice activated menu system. In its most generic sense a voice portal can be defined as “speech-enabled access to Web-based information.” In other words, a voice portal provides telephone users with a natural language interface to access and retrieve Web content.
“Earthlink’s Email by Phone with enhanced News and Information services will allow our subscribers to access customized content from any phone just as they can from browsing the Internet.” said Craig Forman, EarthLinks’ EVP & Chief Product Officer. “As part of our commitment to providing a positive Internet customer experience, the continuing partnership with Audiopoint allows us to provide our subscribers with the flexibility of anytime, anywhere access to all of their EarthLink services.”
Additionally EarthLink’s Email by Phone services will support those with impaired motor coordination, the blind or those with a general inability to use mobile web devices. Keypad interfaces are replaced with simple voice commands and the visual display is replaced with text-to- voice translation which reads the information to the user from any telephone connection without requiring any additional hardware.
Using a convenient online enrollment form, EarthLink subscribers may sign-up for this $4.95 per month service at http://www.earthlink.net/dialup/extras/ebp/. Audiopoint plans to offer additional service features including security via voice authentication later in the year. Audiopoint and EarthLink foresee that subscribers will find this new service effective in supporting today’s mobile lifestyle because it addresses their critical need to access information on demand.
About EarthLink
“EarthLink. We revolve around you.” As the nation’s next generation Internet service provider, Atlanta-based EarthLink has earned an award-winning reputation for outstanding customer service and its suite of online products and services. EarthLink offers what every user should expect from their Internet experience: high-quality connectivity, minimal online intrusions and customizable features. Whether it’s dial-up, high-speed, voice, web hosting, wireless or “EarthLink Extras” like home networking or security, EarthLink connects people to the power and possibilities of the Internet. Learn more about EarthLink by calling (800) EARTHLINK or visiting EarthLink’s Web site at www.EarthLink.net.
About Audiopoint
Audiopoint is a leading provider of innovative, voice services to consumer-oriented businesses. The company designs, develops and deploys large-scale Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) software and services. Since the establishment of Audiopoint in 1998, the company’s strategy has been built on continuous product innovation. Audiopoint developed and launched the industry’s first voice portal in 1999 and is currently releasing its newly developed Personal Voice Portal (PVP) platform. Audiopoint is a privately held company based in Rockville, Maryland with office in Middleburg,Virginia and Atlanta, Georgia and can be reached at 866-545-1560 or www.audiopoint.net.
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