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October 29, 2008
Vlingo's Speech-Powered App for BlackBerry Now Includes Facebook, Twitter Updating
By Michael Dinan, TMCnet Editor
Capitalizing on robust social networking and mobile device markets, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company today unveiled an upgraded free application that allows BlackBerry (News - Alert) smartphone users to update their statuses on Facebook and Twitter with their voice alone.
Officials with Vlingo Corporation say their program – called “vlingo 2.0 for BlackBerry – includes support for 10 new applications and full-text message read-back.
According to the company’s chief executive officer, Dave Grannan, the product’s predecessor – vlingo 1.0 for BlackBerry – has exceeded consumer adoption benchmarks since its June release.
“Our users have spoken more than three million times to our application, including over 1 million times to compose text messages with the power of their voices,” Grannan said. “This is validation of our unique approach to voice recognition, which hinges on making mobile data and applications easier to find and use. It provides clear evidence of the growing need to simplify the mobile phone user experience.”
The new application – pictured on a BlackBerry smartphone on the right – allows users to power their devices’ most popular features by speaking. After pressing a key on their handset, users can not only search the Internet, send text messages and e-mails, but also launch an address book, alarm, BrickBreaker, calculator, calendar, camera, maps and media.
“With vlingo, users do not need to change how they speak or memorize a list of commands,” officials with the Cambridge company say. “They can say what they want, how they want, and vlingo captures the results – word for word. Offering the most accurate system on the market that gets even better as more users join the community, vlingo gives users the ability to freely mix typing and talking with no limits on what they can say.”
With the rapid spread of Facebook (News - Alert) – which, as TMCnet reported, is emerging as the world’s most popular social networking site – the vlingo application’s speech-powered status updates mark a step forward for the mobile space.
A screen shot of a vlingo-powered Facebook status update is shown on the left. In addition, the new version of vlingo for BlackBerry features full keyboard support, including SureType, “tell-a-friend” about vlingo and the ability to read back text or e-mail messages that have been spoken.Beginning today, vlingo 2.0 is available for BlackBerry Pearl, Curve and 8800 series smartphones.
U.S. and Canadian users can go here to download vlingo 2.0 for BlackBerry directly from a PC or smartphone. U.K. beta users can go here for a download of the vlingo product.
Don’t forget to check out TMCnet’s White Paper Library, which provides a selection of in-depth information on relevant topics affecting the IP Communications industry. The library offers white papers, case studies and other documents which are free to registered users. Today’s featured white paper is The Compelling ROI Benefits of Contact Center Quality and Performance Management Technologies, brought to you by Voice Print International (News - Alert).
Michael Dinan is a contributing editor for TMCnet, covering news in the IP communications, call center and customer relationship management industries. To read more of Michael’s articles, please visit his columnist page.
Edited by Michael Dinan
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