Via Voice update gives users a say in Web navigation
By Grant Du Bois
From: PC Week - September 20, 1999 - Page 54

IBM has announced an update to its speech recognition software that lets
users navigate the Web through voice commands. 

The new Via Voice Millennium package comprises three products: ViaVoice Web,
Via Voice Standard, and ViaVoice Pro. 

With ViaVoice Web, a user can open a browser and then access Web sites by
voice. In addition, ViaVoice Web assigns numeric values to links on a site so
that users can activate a link by enunciating its number. 

"It's the next step in the journey of the user interface," said Helene
Lunden, product line manager at IBM, in West Palm Beach. FL. 

ViaVoice Web also lets Web suffers communicate using browsers such as
Netscape Communications Corp.'s Navigator and Microsoft Corp.'s Internet
Explorer. The estimated street price is $79.95. 

ViaVoice Standard lets entry-level users talk to PCs to write and edit
documents in a speech pad application. The estimated street price is $59.95. 

Via Voice Pro merges Standard and Web features and lets users dictate into
Windows applications such as Microsoft Word. Excel and Outlook. The estimated
street price is $179. All versions are available now. 

Other features of ViaVoice Millennium include giving users the ability to
edit with a mouse, a keyboard and their voice together. Also included are
instructional wizards that enable ViaVoice Millennium to learn a user's voice
faster than ViaVoice 98 learns. 

A personal agent called "Woodrow" can help users employ their voices to give
commands, and, if requested, the agent will read e-mail to users. Finally,
the 64,000-word vocabulary base has been enhanced, and users can add
thousands of words in three new topic areas - cuisine, business/finance and
computers. 

"The product has really matured from ViaVoice 98," said Tom Savel, a Houston
doctor. Savel said that "integration with Windows is smooth," that the
headset and microphone are comfortable, and that the price is right. "Users
can customize according to their needs," he said. 

IBM can be reached at 800/825-5263 or http://www.ibm.com.