WebMail, the local free e-mail service provider, has introduced a service that allows users to listen and reply to their e-mail messages over the phone.
The service is powered by Vocalis SpeechMail, a speech recognition application -- represented locally by Intelleca Vocalis - that provides remote, voice-enabled e-mail access.
"SpeechMail enables WebMail users to check their e-mail whether they are in a car, a hotel room or a shopping mall," says Taryn Hood, marketing manager at Interface Media, the integrated media and e-commerce group behind the WebMail.co.za initiative.
"Having access to e-mail on the move used to require investment in expensive equipment such as laptops, PDAs and WAP-enabled cellphones. With SpeechMail all you need is a telephone or cellphone."
Hood says WebMail has over 260 000 registered users, 90% of whom are in SA. The free e-mail service is based on the premise that e-mail access should be easy and available from any computer, regardless of the user`s physical location.
"We focus on utility, which means providing our customers with solutions that are simple and convenient. SpeechMail increases WebMail`s functionality and extends its reach."
SpeechMail lets the user know how many messages there are, what the headers are, who they are from and when they were sent. The user can navigate using speech or the telephone keypad. It recognises voice instructions, speaks the contents of e-mails to the user, and replies to the sender with a recording of the user`s voice. Calls to the SpeechMail service number are charged at the general service call rate.
"By offering voice-enabled e-mail access, WebMail provides an ideal solution for people who need to check their e-mails regularly, but don`t always have access to the Internet," says Mike Renzon, Intelleca Vocalis MD.
Because it is an ASP-hosted facility that connects with existing mail servers, SpeechMail requires no additional hardware or software, and there is no need to replace existing infrastructure such as e-mail or voice-mail systems.
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