SuperSport Zone has launched an interactive telephone service driven from its existing Web site to allow callers to access the latest sports news. The service, powered by Intelleca Vocalis`sSpeecHTML, provides Web site access to callers via phone and spoken voice commands.
"The telephone was an obvious tool for relaying up-to-the-minute sports information," says SuperSport Zone GM Ray Moore. "With SpeecHTML we can offer the level of content our visitors need. Now, even if they don`t have Internet access, we can deliver breaking sports news to our mobile visitors, regardless of where they are, as long as they have access to a phone."
Moore notes that SuperSport Zone, as the interactive arm and information news base of electronic sports media company SuperSport International, is committed to opening up its Web content to a broad range of potential audiences and viewerships. SuperSport Zone has a user base of over 230 000 people, with 4 million page impressions per month. By using different platforms and taking advantage of the Internet`s expansion to devices such as cellphones, televisions and palmtops, the interactive Web site aims to extend its reach to new users.
"SuperSport Zone and DStv recently merged the Internet with television so viewers can now browse the Web site on DStv`s Channel 29," says Moore.
"SpeecHTML is another medium through which we are making it possible to deliver real-time sports news. People in their cars, for example, will be able to keep track of various sports scores while they travel."
Information provided to callers via SpeecHTML will include SuperSport Zone`s top five stories, and five lead stories on SA`s three most popular sports - soccer, rugby and cricket. Also included will be the latest scores, and a selection of information such as log tables, leading scorers and statistics.
The SpeecHTML gateway links callers to the SuperSport Zone Web site, from where information is accessed, retrieved, converted to speech, and sent down the telephone, according to the caller`s commands. The solution combines advanced speech recognition, text-to-speech conversion and Internet technologies to provide quick and convenient access to information.
Moore says: "We chose SpeecHTML because, unlike competing products, it offers combined text-to-speech synthesis and voice recognition in one solution and from one vendor."
Mike Renzon, Intelleca Vocalis MD, notes that the SpeecHTML managed service extends existing online services without the site owner or customer having to buy additional hardware or software. "Low-level integration with databases is no longer needed, allowing customers to change and update their services at any time simply by updating their Web pages."
You can call the SuperSport Zone voice portal on 082 17 333.
Share
Editorial contacts