Special Announcement
Poll
Considering your 2010 travel budget, what type of events are you most likely to participate?
In-person events
Online events
Webinar SignUp
Click below to sign-up for our latest Webinar

January 01
2010 Directions Media Webinars coming soon!
Directions Magazine, Web-based Mapping, Business GIS, GeoSpatial Consulting, Location Based Services
White Paper Downloads
Get the latest white papers from our sponsors
Directions Magazine, Web-based Mapping, Business GIS, GeoSpatial Consulting, Location Based Services
Press Releases
Johnson Controls and VoiceBox Technologies Collaborate to Deliver Conversational Voice Search to Automotive Market
January 12, 2006

Company: VoiceBox Technologies, Inc.
Industry: Location-based Services (LBS), Telematics
Location: Detroit, MI, United States of America



Johnson Controls, Inc. (NYSE: JCI) and
VoiceBox® Technologies Inc. today announced a multi-year deal to provide
conversational voice search and retrieval features on Johnson Controls’ BlueConnect®
wireless mobile device gateway to the automotive market. Product availability and
details around specific rollout will be announced at a later date. The telematics voice
search capabilities, which include Bluetooth® hands-free dialing and in-vehicle music
navigation, are some of the many innovations featured at Johnson Controls’ product and
technology exhibit at the 2006 North American International Auto Show.

The agreement names VoiceBox as the exclusive supplier of conversational
language technology for Johnson Controls’ telematics portfolio. This relationship
combines Johnson Controls’ global leadership in automotive interiors and electronics
with VoiceBox’s expertise in voice search and conversational language processing.

“VoiceBox’s voice search capabilities will enable our customers to optimize the
use of Johnson Controls’ BlueConnect technology by offering a more intuitive user
interface,” said Jim Geschke, vice president and general manager of electronics, North
America for Johnson Controls. “We selected VoiceBox after extensive testing because
of its distinct, accurate and reliable voice user interface platform that allows users to
speak in a natural informal way when operating in-vehicle devices such as navigation
and music management, particularly in noisy car cabin environments.”

“We’re delighted to be working with a leading, global provider of advanced
telematics products,” said Mike Kennewick, CEO and chairman of VoiceBox
Technologies. “Our conversational voice search and navigation technology will perfectly
complement Johnson Controls’ robust telematics offerings and will enable users to
simply say it and get it, without struggling with complex menus or the need to memorize
voice commands.”

The foundation of VoiceBox Technologies’ product is based on advanced
algorithms called Knowledge Enhanced Search and Speech Recognition (KESSR),
which dynamically create searches and queries based on context and user intent.
Simply put, the technology allows the user to speak in free form and will determine
context and intent from the dialogue, and then executes a search without requiring the
user to memorize exact commands. Consistent and highly accurate recognition rates for
complex utterances in noisy environments make this technology particularly appealing,
and also sets it apart from the often-frustrating experience users have with current
technologies on the market.

VoiceBox® Technologies offers the world’s first conversational voice search
platform, called the VoiceBox Navigator Platform™, enabling breakthrough
conversational search and navigation of digital content from any mobile device and from
any IP network. A key differentiator for VoiceBox’s Navigator Platform is that it
consistently achieves a remarkable level of task completion searching across multiple
content domains through its Knowledge Enhanced Search and Speech Recognition
(KESSR) algorithms, which determine the context and intention behind the words
spoken by the user. Intelligent queries and searches are then dynamically executed
based on such context and user intent. The VoiceBox Navigator Platform runs on
various embedded, desktop and server systems for applications such as music and
media, navigation and driving directions, directory and hands-free dialing, and control
over digital devices. VoiceBox, headquartered in Kirkland, Wash., develops and sells
rich conversational language and voice search applications for the automotive, digital
home, mobile phone and VOIP markets. More information is available through the Web
site found at www.voicebox.com.

Johnson Controls is a global leader in interior experience, building efficiency and
power solutions. The company provides innovative automotive interiors that help make
driving more comfortable, safe and enjoyable. For buildings, it offers products and
services that optimize energy use and improve comfort and security. Johnson Controls also provides batteries for automobiles and hybrid electric vehicles, along with systems
engineering and service expertise. Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI) has 136,000
employees in more than 1,000 locations serving customers in 125 countries. Founded in
1885, the company is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. For additional
information, please visit www.johnsoncontrols.com.

Ashley Johnson (ashleyj@waggeneredstrom.com)
Phone: 425.638.7000

Advertisers