SpinVox SpinOffs
By 
One of the best voice to text conversion systems comes from SpinVox. As a means of converting voicemail to text and having it sent back as an e-mail is second to none. The conversions are accurate and surprisingly quick.
Moreover, it is the source of the transcription technology behind the voice of application QuickVoice Pro, about which we have written a fair amount previously. I was to see word that the company is expanding further yet.
According to a press release earlier today they have released three new language versions of their API (application programming interface) — German Spanish and French. As the press release states, "the new versions of the API are being launched in response to increasing demand for technology developers recognized the speech interface enables the most natural form of communication. Developers want to build and launch quickly speech 3.0 applications and are looking for best in class open products for their target markets."
Although this adds up to one exciting thing — we are going to see an increasing number of applications that include voice to text transcription as a core, embedded functionality within the larger scope of the application.
The major question that remains open, however, is whether cost of such services will be. Thus far we’ve seen a wide range of prices between SpinVox proper, QuickVoice Pro, reQall and Jott. For any of these services to be successful in the long run they need to become commonplace in will only happen if the pressure means reasonable and largely accessible to the average customer.
Regardless, it’s exciting to see this technology expanding further in finding its way into apps where previously it wasn’t even thought of.
The full press release follows.
SpinVox API Now Available in Multiple Languages
New York, NY Jun 06, 2009 in iPhone
[prMac.com] London and New York – SpinVox, the global leader in voice to content messaging, is releasing three new language versions of its open API (Application Programming Interface) – in Spanish, German and French. The new versions of SpinVox API are being launched in response to an increasing demand from technology developers who recognize that a speech interface enables the most natural form of communication. Developers want to build and launch quickly Speech 3.0 applications and are looking for best-in-class open products for their target markets.
SpinVox API leverages SpinVox VMCS, the world’s largest commercial speech platform and the world’s first Cloud speech service, which already has over 30 million users and is growing fast. It provides a fully hosted platform with proven scale-on-demand capability and reliability to deliver on commercial-strength service level agreements (SLAs).
It also enables SpinVox to collaborate with third parties to foster further innovations in voice and expand the Speech 3.0 market, removing their need for expensive, specialist speech knowledge and high-end hardware costs. It also complements existing SpinVox platform development services for Enterprise application partners and Carrier networks.
SpinVox co-founder and CEO Christina Domecq, says: "The SpinVox API is the first open platform for the co-creation of a new category of services. With interest from over 20 different countries, it has already confirmed SpinVox as the defacto standard for a new generation of speech products, developing new revenue streams for both SpinVox and its partners. The interest from outside English-speaking countries has been remarkable and that’s why we’ve brought forward our plans to launch additional language versions of the API."
SpinVox API in English was announced at Mobile World Congress, Barcelona in February 2009 and developers were invited to pre-register their interest in SpinVox API in advance of its launch via a web registration page – www.spinvox.com/developer
500 developers
Since then, nearly 500 developers have become SpinVox API program members and, of these, 40 have now been selected by SpinVox to be part of the co-creation program and have now been tested on a live server.
These include business efficiency, personal productivity and social networking handset applications; survey software; business utility tools and voicemail solutions especially in the UC space. Developed using the SpinVox API, the first iPhone application enabled by SpinVox – Quick Voice Pro – is already available on the App Store.
SpinVox API is provided through either a SMTP or HTTPS interface. Support is available directly and on-line through the SpinVox Developer website, including a forum to share ideas and views is provided. Partners are required to provide Level 1 and 2 technical support for end-users.
Charges for SpinVox API are based either on a metered event fee, with lower pricing for higher volumes or on a per event basis. The program has no entry fee.
The next growth opportunity in speech
"SpinVox has created a new category – Carrier-grade voice conversion – which is live on five continents and now is helping entrepreneurial talent take advantage of the next growth opportunity in speech. Speech 3.0 applications and services will be one of a cluster of innovations that will drive the next upturn as people are now re-discovering the power of their voice," emphasises Domecq.
"We’ve been impressed by both the quality and quantity of the response to SpinVox API. Now we are extending the opportunity to Enterprises and developers who want to launch applications into economies where the dominant languages are Spanish, French or German."
SpinVox
SpinVox API
SpinVox(R) is the world’s largest privately-held speech technology company. Through significant innovations in voice and network technologies which are protected by over 70 patents worldwide, SpinVox has converged the two most natural forms of communication – voice and text – to create the fastest-growing form of messaging: Voice-to-Content(TM). SpinVox services are available directly through leading carriers, new media (Web 2.0), Unified Communications and other service providers globally.
Implemented as a carrier-class hosted network feature, SpinVox creates significant new value from everyday natural user behavior. At the heart of SpinVox is its Voice Message Conversion System(TM) (VMCS), which has built the world’s largest spoken corpus by combining state-of-the-art speech technologies with a live-learning language process, giving it unprecedented conversion accuracy, reliability, speed and scale. SpinVox is live with Alltel, Cincinnati Bell, Sasktel, Rogers Wireless, Telus,Telstra, Vodacom South Africa, Vodafone Spain, Movistar Chile, Skype and Livejournal.
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Rachael Lyon
Director North America Communications
SpinVox
917-515-2372
