Fixed Mobile Convergence

Voice processing technology provider Ditech Networks (News - Alert) is now an exclusive global marketing and sales partner for voicemail-to-text solutions provider SimulScribe.

This is a sweet deal for SimulScribe (News - Alert), as Ditech’s voice processing technology is used in the networks of most of the major carriers, including Verizon, Sprint/Nextel, Orascom Telecom, AT&T, China Unicom (News - Alert), Global Crossing and West Corporation, as well as a slew of other service providers. Ditech Networks also stands to make out well off this deal, as SimulScribe’s voicemail-to-text technology is well known for its accuracy and reliability.

 

As per the deal, Ditech Networks will immediately begin selling SimulScribe’s VTT solutions through its existing carrier relationships and will start assuming responsibility for SimulScribe's service provider and enterprise customers.

More specifically, Ditech Networks will begin offering SimulScribe's SimulAuto, SimulHybrid, and ScribeALL products. SimulAuto, available as an on-premise or cloud service, is a fully automated, real-time API transcription service that runs on voice recognition technology with SimulScribe's proprietary models. SimulHybrid adds human-based correction to SimulScribe's exclusive VTT technology to deliver more accurate voice transcription. ScribeALL is a real-time, highly accurate platform designed for any file that needs transcription, regardless of the application.

In addition, SimulScribe will integrate Ditech Networks’ voice quality improvement algorithms (VQA) into the SimulScribe platform. This will significantly increase the accuracy of the voice recognition services the two companies bring to their carrier and enterprise customers.

The partnership is also expected to help drive further innovation in voicemail-to-text (aka speech-to-text) technology, as SimulScribe’s open, web-based APIs, when combined with the mStage-related APIs being developed by Ditech Networks, will allow operators to build leading edge voice applications.

SimulScribe's VTT solution is already integrated with Ditech Network's toktok application.

Voicemail-to-text is a key value-added application for wireless service providers offering visual voicemail to their customers. Visual voicemail lets mobile users view their voicemails in list form by way of a special user interface. This allows them to prioritize messages and, optionally, listen only to those messages which are deemed important. This saves time compared to having to dial into a voicemail box and listen to all the messages in chronological order.

The voicemail-to-text feature takes this one step farther by transcribing the audio into text format – so the user can then read the voicemail on his or her mobile device’s screen. This is a key capability for business travelers, as it lets them read voicemails on their screens, as opposed to having to play the audio in places that might be noisy, such as on an airplane just before takeoff, in a busy subway station or in a nightclub with music blaring. In addition, having the voicemails in text form lets the user “skim” through the message more quickly and take note of only those parts which are important.

“We believe SimulScribe has the most accurate automated VTT on the market,” said Jamie Siminoff, a co-founder of SimulScribe, in a release. "Having built carrier-grade voice solutions for over 15 years, and processing hundreds of millions of calls every day for carriers around the world, Ditech is uniquely positioned to deliver the carrier-grade SimulScribe VTT platform to service providers and enterprises looking to address the growing global demand for voicemail transcription."

"Ditech Networks researched the voicemail-to-text market extensively before selecting SimulScribe,” added Todd Simpson (News - Alert), president and CEO of Ditech Networks. “We were impressed with SimulScribe's technology and platform and are excited about pursuing opportunities in the voicemail transcription market. Combining VTT with VQA, and offering a rich API to carriers will, we believe, strengthen Ditech Network's position in the market."