TMCnet News
VoiceBox Speech-Enables Auto XM Satellite RadiosTMCnet VoIP Minute Watch Columnist
Very soon, XM Satellite Radio subscribers will be able to cruise through the roads as well as through massive amounts of digital audio content just by simply requesting whatever they want to hear with their voice. This will be possible thanks to a partnership announced Thursday between the satellite radio provider and voice search technology developer VoiceBox Technologies Inc.
Both companies have just entered into a multiyear alliance to deliver a voice-enabled XM Radio platform to the automotive industry. Through the partnership, the companies will co-develop a voice-search-enabled reference platform that will allow drivers to access XM Radio's 160 digital entertainment channels of commercial-free music and sports, news, talk radio, and entertainment. The technology is expected to be made available to automakers and the aftermarket in mid-2006. "After extensive analysis, XM chose VoiceBox as its source for voice technology because of its intuitive and conversational voice search offerings that have remarkable accuracy in noisy, real-world environments; VoiceBox's technology provides the ultimate voice-enabled user environment," said Rod Mackenzie, director of Advanced Applications at XM Satellite Radio. "Together, XM and VoiceBox will be able to provide XM subscribers with a hands-free and reliable voice-enabled technology that offers more choices and quality services."
The companies' telematics offering integrates technologies within VoiceBox's Navigator Platform that enables conversational control of media and navigation of digital content from any mobile device and from any IP-based network. The platform's speech recognition algorithms determine the context and intent from conversational speech, enabling consumers to speak in free-form language. VoiceBox's Navigator Platform runs on various embedded, desktop and server systems for apps such as music and media, navigation and driving directions, directory and hands-free dialing, and control over digital devices.
"VoiceBox Technologies is excited to join forces with XM Satellite Radio; this marks the beginning of a solid partnership with the industry's leading satellite radio company," noted Mike Kennewick, chairman and CEO of VoiceBox Technologies. "VoiceBox and XM's co-developed voice-enabled telematics offering will combine the power of VoiceBox's voice-search and voice-to-data technologies with XM's unparalleled technology and content leadership to provide consumers with a reliable and easy-to-use voice-driven experience to find personalized information on topics such as stocks, weather, music and traffic."
XM made news earlier this month when it was joined by Neural Audio Corporation, a provider of digital signal processing and surround sound technology for the broadcast industry, to announce they will broadcast select XM music channels in 5.1 Surround Sound twenty-four hours a day. XM and Neural's offering of 5.1 Surround on XM is called XM HD Surround, which provides content with six discrete channels of digital full fidelity audio powered by Neural Audio technology.
Beginning in March 2006, XM will broadcast the free-form music channel Fine Tuning (XM Channel 76) and the classical pops music channel XM Pops (XM Channel 113) in XM HD Surround. XM will also broadcast a variety of special shows and live music performances at the XM studios in XM HD Surround.
XM manufacturing partners such as Denon, Onkyo, Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc., and Yamaha will introduce home audio systems capable of playing XM HD Surround powered by Neural Audio in 2006.
XM Satellite Radio
VoiceBox Technologies
-----
Johanne Torres is contributing editor for TMCnet and Internet Telephony magazine. To see more articles by Johanne Torres, please visit Johanne Torres' columnist page
|