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WirelessDevNet.com Press Release
Metaphor Releases Toolset That Allows .NET Developers to Build Professional Speech IVR Applications
WELLESLEY, MA, June 7, 2005 - Metaphor Solutions, a leading provider of Speech IVR (Interactive Voice Response) applications and tools, announced the release of version 3.0 of its speech IVR application development toolset, Metaphor Conversation Manager (MCM). MCM is the first speech application development toolset made for .NET developers who are not speech experts. Developers can now use C# and Visual Studio for building high quality speech IVR applications at the level of the call flow and business process instead of at the lower level of the speech interface. The toolset hides the low-level complexities of building speech applications like grammar creation, grammar binding, exception handling, call event handling, and SALT or Voice XML syntax.
"Because the Metaphor Conversation Manager automatically handles low level speech interfaces, our speech solution developers can be more efficient, and focus on the call flow and business processes of our customers' applications.
The large number of pre-built speech application modules and name and address grammars available with the MCM enable us to save time and money for our customers," said James Davis, President of Acclaim Telecom Services, an IVR solutions provider based in Richardson, Texas.
Using the MCM capability of "write-once, play anywhere," developers can write the speech applications once in C# and they will play on any popular voice gateway, such as the Microsoft Speech Server or any Voice XML platform. In addition, MCM allows developers to use over 50 pre-built and pre-tested and reusable speech applications and modules, and thousands of pre-built grammars and pre-recorded prompts. All MCM projects can be exported to standard Visual Studio.NET projects to debug, extend, customize, and deploy.
"Metaphor development tools and their large portfolio of packaged speech applications and modules allow us to quickly address our customer demands for speech IVR applications. MCM allows us to run the same application on multiple voice gateway platforms, using any ASR or TTS engine with international language support," said Patrick O'Hagan, General Manager of the Kainos Speech Business division, based in the United Kingdom, which provides speech solutions and hosting services for the UK, Ireland, and other European markets.
Current approaches to speech application development focus on the speech interface and then add back-end IT interfaces. In contrast, MCM focuses on a standard IT development platform as its foundation and then adds front-end speech interfaces with libraries. With other toolsets, engineers have to learn new, unfamiliar development platforms and try to fit them into their IT applications.
However, with MCM, using C# and .NET is already familiar to developers, so they can focus on solving the customer's business requirements instead of being distracted by low level speech interface complexities. This allows speech application development in MCM to be ten times faster than developing speech applications in straight Voice XML, or using Speech Web Controls, and five times faster than developing with graphical-based speech widgets connected in flow charts that get very messy and difficult for professional applications.
"The Metaphor Conversation Manager provides a turning point for enabling mass adoption of speech deployments," said Michael Kuperstein, CEO of Metaphor Solutions. "Now any IT engineer can write professional speech applications as proficiently as the experts for a fraction of the cost and time. Free evaluation downloads are now available at www.metaphorsol.com/MCM."
In addition to the development environment, MCM comes with post-deployment application management tools. The Application Monitor allows an IT administrator to observe the system performance and modify logging levels under real time load conditions. Both standard and custom call-events can be logged. Standard reports generate call analytics from these logs in dynamically defined call epochs. The Application Editor allows a non-engineer, like a Call Center Administrator or Business Analyst to modify applications in real time based on business requirements. These changes may include prompts and business variables in the application.
About Metaphor Solutions
Metaphor Solutions, Inc. is a leading provider of packaged speech IVR applications and tools, offering the largest portfolio of packaged applications and the fastest tools to develop, customize and deploy speech IVR applications to enterprises. Metaphor tools and applications are available on the company website for download. The company's packaged speech IVR applications run on standard voice gateways based on VoiceXML and SALT. Metaphor markets its applications directly as well as through a network of partners and resellers.
Deployments can be hosted or installed on-site. Callers can dial into Metaphor's inventory of speech applications and experience them live using the published numbers on the company web site at www.metaphorsol.com.
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