Comverse has introduced a new voice messaging solution called VoiSMS that goes beyond text-based SMS.
VoiSMS will enable cell users to send SMS messages, without typing the text itself. The sender selects the recipient and speaks the message. The system then alerts the recipient who can dial an access number to hear the message or activate a visual inbox application, enabling the text to be read on the screen of a mobile device.
Developers of the technology, Comverse, believe that in the evolution toward 3G multimedia messaging, this technology, alongside SMS, will drastically take off.
"Messaging has proven to be the killer application in three areas: email; instant messaging for Internet portals; and voice mail for service providers," says Comverse MD Stuart Eveleigh.
"The growth of SMS has proved the importance of pure messaging services for cell phone users. Voice-based SMS technology will complement text-based SMS and enhance existing mobile messaging capabilities, towards the forthcoming 3G multimedia messaging evolution," he explains.
Leveraging the complementary strengths of WAP and GPRS, the application introduces an easy method for sending and receiving voice messages. It is network and voice-mail independent, meaning that users can send messages to recipients of other networks.
"This will be an ideal service when a message needs to be sent to one or more recipients and when text messaging is unavailable or insufficient. Users will be able to choose addresses out of their Personal Address Book (PAB) and perform group messaging functions. Once a voice message is recorded, notification is sent to the recipients via a text-based SMS," notes Eveleigh.
The recipient can listen to the message by either click-dialling an embedded access number or by utilising its visual inbox where users may view the message. They can also choose other inbox functions including Call Return, SMS Return and Voice SMS Forward. A friendly and intuitive user interface is provided through WAP or STK on the mobile handset itself.
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Comverse is a provider of software and systems enabling enhanced services for wireless and wireline communications service providers such as MTN, Vodacom and Telkom.
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