Work professionally – wherever you happen to be: SpeechExec application for BlackBerry smartphones now available for large businesses, SMEs and individuals
Vienna, Austra - Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is today bringing out Version 1.5 of its SpeechExec application for BlackBerry® smartphones. This latest version enables dictations to be recorded and sent using a BlackBerry smartphone*. Even in areas with poor mobile phone reception, travelers can now send their dictations reliably, and receive a confirmation within the application’s interface that it has been sent successfully. A wide range of easy-to-use functions, similar to those available from Philips Digital Pocket Memos, will be particularly welcome to frequent dictation users. The application’s interface has been optimized and a microSD card can be used to store and transfer data. In addition to large businesses with up to 1,000 users, Philips has also turned its attention to SMEs and individual users: the solution can be purchased as a service for a fixed annual price from www.speechshop.net, enabling entrepreneurs to acquire a highly efficient dictation application for their BlackBerry smartphones at a minimal initial cost (no additional hardware or server software required!).
“With our solutions for ultra mobile dictation, we are taking an approach to make the application available irrespective of the user’s location. In this way, employees who are frequently required to travel, for instance in sales or management, have a seamless connection to the company-internal dictation management system and can benefit from the highly efficient work processes in their companies – even while on the move,” says Thomas Brauner, Senior Director and Category Leader at Philips Speech Processing.
Dictation made easy
The new version of the SpeechExec application tightly integrates with core features of the BlackBerry® solution, which include: efficient and reliable data transfer, quality voice recording, and thorough security. In addition, the application has an intuitive user interface and a wide range of easy-to-use features that make dictation on the move simple. For example, people can customize shortcut keys on their BlackBerry smartphone to control certain functions of the SpeechExec application. Users can also insert new passages into recorded dictations. Classifying dictations into categories and indicating the document type or priority for processing are further integral elements of a productive work-flow – also back in the office, it means that the typing staff is given key information, supplied clearly along with the dictation, to assist with preparing the documents.
Improved data transfer; complex security mechanisms
Anyone who travels frequently is aware that the strength and quality of network connectivity can vary. For instance, a mobile signal can be lost when travelling on a train that goes through tunnels. The BlackBerry solution employs an efficient and secure way of sending and receiving information across a mobile network. Even if reception is temporarily lost during the transfer of a dictation recording, the BlackBerry solution will resume and complete sending the file when reception is reestablished. The SpeechExec application displays details of the current transfer status so that users can be confident knowing that their dictation has been sent.
In addition to sending dictation recordings over the air, users can also store and transfer files from a BlackBerry smartphone using a removable microSD memory card to a computer or other dictation devices such as the Philips Digital Pocket Memo. In every instance, all files are securely encrypted prior to being sent over the mobile phone network.
Simple administration; ASP model for SMEs
“The SpeechExec application equips BlackBerry smartphone users with a highly professional dictation management solution. Doing this does not necessarily require investing in additional hardware: the Philips Application Service Provider model makes the application available via a reasonably priced annual license – meaning that the solution is affordable even for SMEs and individual users. Even more importantly, is that it is incredibly easy to install and there is no cost incurred for maintenance,” explains Thomas Brauner. The annual license can be purchased from www.speechshop.net at a charge of EUR 96.00 - for an English, German or French language version.
For large companies using the SpeechExec Enterprise software solution, IT administration has been further simplified as settings and rules can be synchronized centrally for all BlackBerry smartphones. Statistics provide information on the use of the dictation functions. Incoming dictations are converted into the file format preferred by the company (MP3, WAV, DSS or DSSPro) and automatically transferred to the typing staff responsible for processing – which also works in a Citrix environment with thin clients.
* SpeechExec version 1.5 is available now and works on the following BlackBerry smartphones:
- BlackBerry® Storm™
- BlackBerry® Bold™
- BlackBerry® Curve™ series
- BlackBerry® Pearl™ series
- BlackBerry® 8800 series
For more information and to obtain individual Application Server Provider (ASP) licenses, visit www.speechshop.net. The SpeechExec Enterprise solution can be obtained from a Philips specialist distributor for dictation solutions – details at www.philips.com/dictation.
About Philips Speech Processing
For more than 50 years Philips Speech Processing has been the driving force in delivering dictation and speech technologies to users around the world. With its headquarters and production centre located in Vienna, Austria, Philips Speech Processing is the world’s market leader in professional analogue and digital dictation solutions. From office-based desktop dictation to mobile dictation, from conference recording to entire workflow solutions with the SpeechExec software family, our products support every imaginable scenario. Revolutionary digital dictation products, such as the SpeechMike, the Digital Pocket Memo with Voice Commands, the Barcode Module and the LAN Docking Station are helping professionals to work more efficiently every day, in the easiest possible manner, entirely in keeping with Philips ‘sense and simplicity’ philosophy. For more information, visit: www.philips.com/dictation
About Royal Philips Electronics
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a diversified Health and Well-being company, focused on improving people’s lives through timely innovations. As a world leader in healthcare, lifestyle and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into people-centric solutions, based on fundamental customer insights and the brand promise of “sense and simplicity”. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs approximately 121,000 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of EUR 26 billion in 2008, the company is a market leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as lifestyle products for personal well-being and pleasure with strong leadership positions in flat TV, male shaving and grooming, portable entertainment and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.
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