February 11, 2005

NEW PRODUCTS Nuance and Angel.com, a Web-based telephony-solutions provider, have announced an alliance to deliver voice automation solutions to the SMB market. Angel.com's on-demand self-service speech solutions will be made available on the Nuance Voice Platform, which supports VoiceXML 2.0. As an additional element of the partnership, Angel.com's solutions will leverage Nuance Vocalizer, the company's text-to-speech engine. SilkRoad unveiled InstantEngage, a solution allowing companies to interact with potential customers using a tailored-chat function. The solution's key features include customer location tracking, which tracks each customers' page visit pattern; agent familiarity, allowing returning customers to select the agent they spoke with previously; searchable customer history; and agent-to-agent chat. LumenVox will be announcing Version 5.5 of its Speech Recognition Engine (SRE), LV Speech Tuner (LVST), and Speech Driven Information System (SDIS) at San Francisco's SpeechTEK West 2005. The newest version of the SRE includes lattice-based confidence scores, while Version 5.5 of LVST allows for speech application tuning; parameter, grammar, and version-upgrade testing; and transcription. Additionally, SDIS supports a VB ActiveX exe interface, which enables developers to program their required application logic via Visual Basic. Performix Technologies has announced its Performix Performance Management Portal (PMP). The solution aligns KPIs with corporate goals, providing centralized access to individual employee performance data and analysis, while offering tools to execute employee performance-management best practices. CUSTOMER WINS Venture Catalyst Incorporated (VCAT), a consulting service and technology provider with a focus on the gaming and hospitality sector, has announced that Thunder Valley Casino has selected Mariposa, the company's CRM and BI system. The solution, which is developed to work with data collection systems including existing player tracking and slot accounting tools, lets gaming companies create multichannel, targeted marketing campaigns, and analyze customers and products on the casino floor. FrontRange Solutions and 1stDirect.com, a FrontRange partner, have helped Salem Press, a library reference-materials provider, customize GoldMine to make its sales staff and processes more efficient. The company's telesales system in GoldMine includes integration with Salem Press' mainframe accounting system, streamlined order-writing, and reporting. Related articles: Can You Here Me Now? VoiceXML frees users from being locked into technology silos. Nuance's Speech Splash How Blogging Will Revolutionize the Contact Center