Tata Group co unveils TelEmail

Our Bureau, Mumbai, Sep. 17: Speech and Software Technologies (I) Pvt. Ltd. (SST), a Tata group company, on Thursday announced the launch of a speech-activated solution that enables operation of e-mail through telephone or cellular phone that bypasses the use of a computer or ISP connection.

The privately-held company's solutions launch was announced in the high-profile presence of Mr Ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata group Mr R.K. Krishna Kumar, Chairman, SST and Tata Sons.

The TelEmail solutions, which is meant for corporate intranet networks, would be useful to the executive who increasingly needs a "Portable office", according to the company.

It also leads to savings in costs, it added, as the solution is available from Rs. 2.5 lakh (for 50 users) onwards.

This was the first time in India that such a technology had been offered, said Mr Prakash Shukla, President, SST.

The solution allows the users to phone in and access e-mail from the inbox of the corporate mail server. The voice acts as a browser.

It has been pilot-tested and deployed at AIG insurance, where agents will access sales leads from headquarters. Earlier, agents had to go cybercafes to access their mail," said Mr Shukla.

The user could even be intimated of new mail through an SMS message on the mobile.

SST already has an alliance with Tata's cellular service in Andhra Pradesh, Where it offers a voice portal called Voiceme.cc, which is voice-activated and available to Tata cellular subscribers.

Arrangements with the other service of the Birla Tata AT&T cellular combine are also on the cards. The solution is also Indian accent-sensitive, according to Mr Shukla.

The company was addressing the need of Indian launguage users, and was currenty working on Hindi and Tamil speech solutions, he added. Since TelEmail was voice-activated, use of this on the corporate intreanet could minimise corrupt practices, Mr Shukla said.

The company said that it would also offers speech solutions overseas, where it sees a huge market for TelEmail and it's the corporate sector. It has alliance with companies such as IBM.


Source: BUSINESS LINE, Friday, September 6, 2001 edition