Beyond voice mail

BEYOND VOICE MAIL

The voice processing market is expanding rapidly to new groups of customers such as universities, local governments, banks and newspapers, which join traditional Fortune 1000 buyers.

In recent years that parallel the personal computer market's explosion in the early 1980s, both acceptance of voice processing technology and understanding of its benefits has increased.

However, as in the PC market, familiarity has created demand for more sophisticated applications. Buyers now expect voice processing to be more innovative in improving communications.

As a result, voice messaging vendors of the 1990s will be required to develop diversified applications.

Austin College

At Austin College in Sherman, Texas, a campus voice mail system is currently used to let students turn in verbal foreign language homework from remote locations.

The system also allows professors to update large classes on late-breaking events relevant to course material. Professors record a message only once and send it to student voice mailboxes of the entire class via a "distribution list."

Furthermore, academic and social communication among faculty and students is not held hostage to rigid office hours and class schedules.

City Systems

Voice processing is also used by the cities of Fort Worth and Richardson.

A crimewatch voicemal distribution list called "CrimeNet" provides shared information on burglaries, bad checks, and other causes for alarm to Fort Worth merchants and the police.

Late-breaking news concerning Fort Worth is sent to "guest" voice mailboxes of print, television and radio journalists covering the city.

In Richardson, an "animal shelter" application allows residents to call and record descriptions of lost pets.

Both Austin College and the cities of Fort Worth and Richardson use Aspen voice processing systems from Octel Communications Corp. of Milpitas, Calif.

Other users of the Aspen system include Resource Information Management System (RIMS), M.S. Carriers, Westchester-Rockland Newspapers, Dallas Morning News, and the Chicago Cubs.

RIMS uses a "voice-forms" application to help put customer service calls in touch with service and support technicians. When all operators are busy, the system answers the line, asks callers a series of questions, and records their verbal responses. Every 15 minutes at the Naperville, Ill., based software development company, the responses are transcribed to electronic mail and sent to technicians.

M.S. Carriers, a trucking company operating out of Memphis, Tenn., uses an interactive voice response application to keep track of its hundreds of shipments.

Drivers on the road use the keypad of any touchtone phone to communicate with the company's IBM Systems 38 database in real time. The keypad is used to input mileage and estimated time of arrival to the destination, eliminating the need for dispatchers to act as data input clerks.

Computerized voice response tells the drivers whether they are taking a logical route to the destination and whether the remaining distance can be driven within the estimated time of arrival. If not, the system transfers them to a live dispatcher, who can concentrate on delayed shipments.

Classified advertisers can purchase "talking classifieds" with the Westchester County (New York) based Westchester-Rockland Newspapers. The Gannett-owned newspaper chain uses voice mailboxes to allow a seller to verbally expand on the performance of his used Porsche.

Talking Ads

Interested buyers can leave their names and phone numbers in a remotely accessible voice mailbox, which ensures the seller's home phone number will remain private and uninterrupted.

Voice mailboxes are used at the Dallas Morning News to field calls from subscribers with missing, wet, or damaged newspapers.

The mailboxes automatically signal the pocket pagers of mobile circulation drivers who call in, retrieve the messages, and quickly deliver fresh papers.

But It Won't Win Games

In Chicago, voice processing bulletin boards are used to field the hundreds of repetitive calls regarding upcoming Chicago Cubs games and tickets.

Callers are provided with accurate, updated information. It's been a successful application.

COPYRIGHT 1991 Nelson Publishing
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group