media:[Fwd: [webwatch] IBM UNVEILS VOICE-TO-WEB PRODUCTS]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [webwatch] IBM UNVEILS VOICE-TO-WEB PRODUCTS
Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2000 20:45:36 -0500
From: "Lisa LaNell Mauldin" <lisamauldin@earthlink.net>
Reply-To: "webwatch" <webwatch@telelists.com>
To: "webwatch" <webwatch@telelists.com>


IBM UNVEILS VOICE-TO-WEB PRODUCTS
IBM is launching new fleet of products designed to allow users to surf the
Internet by talking over the phone. "Instead of using a Web browser, you're
using a voice browser," says the general manager for IBM Voice Systems. The
voice-enabled WebSphere server technology will be marketed to
telecommunications companies that want to build portals where users can get
news, stock quotes, movie listings, horoscopes and other information via
their telephones. Voice-enabled Internet systems will become increasingly
important as the number of mobile phone users far outstrips the number of PC
owners. Cahners In-Stat Group predicts that by 2002, there will be 1 billion
wireless phone subscribers worldwide, growing at a compound annual rate of
34.5% over the next five years. In contrast, there are about 550 million PC
users. "The future of the computer industry is not necessarily on the desk
top. Accessing information from a number of smaller devices, unless you like
to type with toothpicks and you're under 30, you're going to use a more
natural interface," says a VP at International Data Corp. (Reuters/Financial
Times 22 Jun 2000)
http://www.ft.com/

Received on Friday, 23 June 2000 06:36:50 UTC