Microsoft Solicits Speech Server Beta Testers
Testers are needed for the Microsoft Speech Server Beta Program (formerly .Net Speech Platform). Due to the close working relationship necessary throughout the duration of the program, participation is limited to North American customers. The Beta Program will provide options for testers to provision required equipment.
In related news, the beta 3 release of the Speech Application Software Development Kit (SASDK) was also released today. To hedge its bets in the speech arena, Redmond has also announced an Early Adopter Program (EAP); and specialized training courses on Speech Server, the SASDK, and voice user interface (VUI) and speech application design.
In response to today’s revelation, Kai-Fu Lee, corporate vice president of the Speech Technologies group at Microsoft remarked, "With the beta release of Microsoft Speech Server and the beta 3 of the SASDK, we are making it easier for enterprise companies and their customers to access information.
He continued, “We are excited to deliver this open-standards-based technology to the market as a common platform on which developers, partners and enterprises can create great speech applications."
"Speech technology is on the cusp of reaching its full potential, and we are committed to bringing it to the mainstream," said Lee.
According to sources familiar with the Speech Server, it is set to make its debut early next year.
Microsoft purchased Entropic in 1999 to bolster its speech recognition capabilities, and has conducted its own in-house research. Initial products aim to target complex phone systems, while others such as the “Athens” PC prototype are focusing on the client-side.
The concept PC, co-developed by Microsoft and HP, serves as a central console for communication, complete with integrated camera and wireless handset. Other partnerships for its speech technologies have been forged with Intel and Intervoice.
Cell phones, PDAs, and other devices are also targeted in the speech marketing mix due to their small form factors and clunky interfaces.
The software giant faces considerable competition from AT&T, Lucent, Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products, and Big Blue; all of whom have poured resources into developing alternate proprietary technology solutions.
Other projects have been conducted in recent years including British Telecom's Laureate Text-to-Speech System.
Also possessing deep pockets, IBM holds over 150 patents of its own, and once filed suit against Microsoft for allegedly violating one of its speech patents.
However, the implications of speech technology may run far deeper than the current race to build up a treasure trove of patents.
An AT&T spokesperson once told BetaNews, “A session with at least 20 hours of good tape would be required before a voice could be reproduced - making consent of the source a requisite.
In the case of public figures, were hours of tape already do exist, AT&T claimed, "The people who license the technology are certainly responsible for how it is used." One could only imagine picking up the phone to be greeted by their favorite dead celebrity.