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March 12, 2009

Google to Launch Free Speech Recognition Service



By Michael Dinan, TMCnet Editor


The Internet’s search and ad leader this week announced that it’s launching a free speech recognition service that gives users one number for all their phones and then transcribes voice messages into text.

 
Officials at Google, Inc. say “Google (News - Alert) Voice” – currently available for users of GrandCentral, a service the company acquired in July 2007 – will be open to new users soon.
 
According to three of Google’s voice product managers – Craig Walker, Vincent Paquet, and Wesley Chan – users will get transcripts of their voicemails and will be able to archive and search all of the SMS text messages you send and receive.
 
Here’s what it looks like:
 
 
“As you may know, GrandCentral offers many great features, including a single number to ring your home, work, and mobile phones, a central voicemail inbox that you could access on the Web, and the ability to screen calls by listening in live as callers leave a voicemail,” the product managers said. “You’ll find these features, and more, in the Google Voice preview.”
 
The product’s launch marks another step in a busy week for the Internet search leader.
 
As TMCnet reported today, in a move that’s drawing some criticism from electronic privacy advocates, Google also announced that they’re poised to begin targeting ads based on user preferences.
 
In a company blog entry here, Susan Wojcicki, Google’s vice president of product management, described the new initiative as a way to “create more value for everyone.”
 
“Users get more useful ads, and these more relevant ads generate higher returns for advertisers and publishers,” Wojcicki writes. “Advertising is the lifeblood of the digital economy: It helps support the content and services we all enjoy for free online today, including much of our news, search, e-mail, video and social networks.”
 
Google is calling the new program “interest-based” advertising, and it’s being rolled out on a test basis now on company-owned sites, including YouTube.

As Reuters (News - Alert) reporter Alexei Oreskovic writes here, the move follows a similar play by Yahoo Inc, whose advertising program is based on an individual’s online activity.
 
The “interest-based” program marks Google’s first foray into an area that raises privacy concerns from groups such as the Electronic Information Privacy Center.
 
Of course, the Google Voice solution raises no such concerns.
 
As TMC’s Greg Galitzine (News - Alert) reports on his blog, the new service marries innovative new phone features with Google’s e-mail service (Gmail).
 
“While not entirely a new application (see Spinvox and PhoneTag... Vonage offers a service like this... you get the picture) I’m sure that the ‘Google-ness’ of this endeavor will a.) make it seem brand-new to a whole bunch of people, and b.) be well received by the masses,” Galitzine writes.
 
Go here to leave Google an e-mail address, and the company says it will notify you of when the service is generally available.
 

Don’t forget to check out TMCnet’s White Paper Library, which provides a selection of in-depth information on relevant topics affecting the IP Communications industry. The library offers white papers, case studies and other documents which are free to registered users.


Michael Dinan is a contributing editor for TMCnet, covering news in the IP communications, call center and customer relationship management industries. To read more of Michael's articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Michael Dinan


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