Microsoft's Tellme Announces 'One Button' Voice Access to Mobile Communications and Information
Coming to Windows(R) Phones; More Than 75 Percent of Smartphone
Users Prefer Voice and Would Buy Phones With Tellme; Free to Carriers
and Handset Manufacturers for Windows Mobile 6.5 Phones
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif/PRNewswire/ -- Today Tellme(R)
Networks Inc., a Microsoft subsidiary and pioneer of voice services,
announced the first mobile voice service to combine content and
communications, simplifying how people interact with their phones every
day. Unlike other voice-based services, Tellme is the first to allow
people to press one button, say what they want and get it, whether that
is to send a text, make a call or search for information. Tellme has
designed a unique version of this experience specifically for
Windows(R) phones due out this fall.
The new service puts many of the most popular phone functions behind
a single button. Windows(R) phone users just press the side button of
their phone to do the following:
-- Send a text by saying "text" to open a text box, then speak the text
message and say "send" to send it to anyone in their contact list
-- Initiate a call simply by saying "call" and then the name of anyone in
their contact list
-- Search the Web with Microsoft Live Search by speaking your request,
such as "weather in San Francisco, California," "pizza in Kansas
City," "movies" or "Mother's Day gift ideas"
"Because it's so intuitive, we believe there is a real opportunity
for voice to materialize as the leading user interface for the phone,"
said Dariusz Packzuski, senior director of consumer services at Tellme.
"By bringing voice access to calling, texting and searching, together
we reduce 'menu surfing' on phones and make the benefits of voice more
tangible for everyday needs."
In a head-to-head comparison, it is clear why people prefer voice
over touch. For example, it requires four touches and more than 20
keystrokes to find a business with the Apple iPhone, while it only
takes one button push and one verbal command to find the same business
with Tellme. Tellme's research shows similar results for other tasks,
such as making calls, sending text messages and conducting searches for
content such as traffic, movies, news and sports.
"For example, Sprint has integrated voice access to the Live Search
application on Sprint Instinct phones and subscribers love it,"
Packzuski said. "In fact, we've seen impressive adoption of voice with
three in every four search queries being initiated by voice."
In a recent study conducted by Sanderson Studios Inc., more than 70
percent of respondents said that voice is superior to keypad or
touch-based methods to perform some of the most popular mobile tasks.
This includes looking up a business listing or location (78 percent),
sending a text message (72 percent), placing a call (79 percent),
getting information such as movies, weather, traffic or sports (77
percent), and getting directions (81 percent).
For the past decade, Tellme has been pioneering voice services for
businesses and consumers, answering billions of calls every year and
helping millions of people get the information they need simply by
speaking a request. Now the convenience of voice is coming to
Windows(R) phones, bringing people closer to the things they want by
providing easier access to more of the phone's functionality. With
Tellme, people using the latest Windows(R) phones will be able to
simply say what they want, such as "call Mom" or "text Jim" or "pizza,"
and results display on the screen.
Tellme will be available for free on Windows Mobile 6.5 phones in
fall 2009 when the phones hit store shelves. Initially available in the
Windows Marketplace for Mobile store, the service will also be
available for free to mobile operators and carriers to embed
"on-device" for a voice experience right out of the box.
ABOUT TELLME
Tellme (http://www.tellme.com/)
fundamentally improves how people use the phone with services that
allow people to use the power of voice to access the people and
information they care about. Tellme makes it possible to simply say
what you want and get it. Today Tellme powers billions of calls every
year and is used by more than 40 million people every month. Located in
Mountain View, Calif., Tellme is a Microsoft Corp. subsidiary.
Tellme plays an exciting role in achieving Microsoft's vision around
the limitless potential of voice as a way to find information, connect
with people and enhance business processes, any time and from any
device.
Source: Tellme
CONTACT: Marci Pedrazzi of Tellme, a Microsoft Subsidiary,
+1-650-693-9060, marci@tellme.com; or Kristin Prigmore of Weber Shandwick,
+1-425-452-5451, kprigmore@webershandwick.com, for Tellme
Web Site:
http://www.tellme.com/
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