Active Voice Delivers The Year's Must-Have Tool For SMBs And Their Mobile Workforce

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) April 15, 2008

Active Voice, LLC, a global leader in Unified Messaging, Unified Communications and speech-activated solutions, today announced the general availability of Active Voice SPEAK, their new and advanced speech-enabled auto attendant designed specifically for the small and mid-sized business environment (SMBs) and their mobile workforce.

"At Active Voice, we recognize that SMBs have minimal options when it comes to speech technologies," said Eyal Inbar, General Manager of Marketing, Active Voice. "The existing speech driven solutions available on the market are predominately targeted to the mid-size and large enterprises, with expensive costs, complexity issues and lengthy implementation processes associated with it. We wanted to provide a speech-enabled auto attendant that is practical for SMBs and their mobile workforce. Therefore, the engineering framework behind SPEAK was to offer an out-of-the-box turnkey solution that is considerably more affordable, while being easy to implement, easy to deploy and easy to use. We believe that the availability of SPEAK provides SMBs a practical solution for an in-house speech appliance."

The use of plug-and-play technology and pre-built applications designed specifically for the SMB environment makes Active Voice SPEAK an easily deployable solution right of the box. Because SPEAK doesn't require additional IT resources, SMBs are able to see the results of their investment faster.

Nancy Jamison, independent marketing analyst with Jamison Consulting, recognizes the importance of Active Voice SPEAK's technology.

"Historically, the SMB market has been underserved and under supported when it comes to speech technology, because of cost and complexity," said Jamison. "Solutions that are specifically designed for this market, like Active Voice SPEAK, are important in raising awareness of the value of speech-enabled technologies. The affordability, plus the plug-and-play convenience, helps make this a viable solution for SMBs, allowing them to see the beneficial results of their investment very quickly."

Furthermore, SPEAK leverages open standards and cutting-edge technologies to integrate seamlessly into existing voice, data and telephony infrastructures - whether it is IP or TDM - saving companies even more costs and time commitments. This technology responds to the current and emerging requirements of the mobile workforce, and utilizes a total hands-free mode that ensures safety for workers in a mobile environment while increasing overall productivity.

Access to e-mail and calendaring modules gives SMBs the resources they need to be connected, no matter where work may take them. SPEAK also enhances the customer service experience by utilizing an auto attendant and corporate directory, allowing callers to be routed quickly and effectively, giving employees the time to focus on other more productive tasks.

"At the end of the day, it's all about the bottom line - costs, features, adaptability, usability and return on investment," added Inbar. "We, at Active Voice, understand this and made our SMB customers' bottom line our priority when designing SPEAK, a product that lets them do more at a lower cost and no IT hassle. With SPEAK's general availability, SMBs can now begin to evaluate and explore the real-time quantitative and qualitative benefits of an out-of-the-box solution made just for them."

For more information about Active Voice SPEAK, please visit: http://www.activevoice.com/products/speak.

About Active Voice
Active Voice, LLC, a subsidiary of NEC Unified Solutions and a global leader in Unified Messaging, Unified Communications and speech-activated solutions, is powering the communications infrastructure of businesses worldwide. The Seattle-based company has offices in the United States, Australia and the Netherlands. Over 200,000 Active Voice systems have been installed in more than 60 countries. Active Voice's products are sold and supported through a network of independent telecommunications manufacturers, dealers, computer resellers and strategic partners. For more information, visit our Web site at http://www.activevoice.com or contact Active Voice's Sales Support at 1-800-284-3575 or by e-mail at sales @ activevoice.com.

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