September 30, 2003
Owasys chooses Babel for the new Owasys22C mobile phone.
Owasys is deploying PocketBabil, Babels embedded Text-to-Speech solution, in the Owasys22C, a mobile phone that has been designed and developed specifically for the blind and visually impaired.
With the introduction of the Owasys22C, the blind and visually impaired can enjoy the many benefits provided by mobile communications
The Owasys22C talks to the user; it tells them who is calling, and also reads names and messages aloud.
Spain, 30 September 2003. Owasys, a specialist in developing wireless devices for end-users with special needs, has chosen Babels technology for its new mobile phone Owasys22C. Babel Technologies S.A., a global player in providing pioneering speech and language technology. Owasys is deploying PocketBabil, Babels embedded Text-to-Speech solution, in the owasys22C, a mobile phone that has been designed and developed specifically for the blind and visually impaired.
The owasys22C will feature Spanish and US English language versions of Babels embedded TTS engine.
With the introduction of the Owasys22C, the blind and visually impaired can enjoy the many benefits provided by mobile communications. Until now, many mobile phone features were difficult to access for those who have little or no visual access to the mobile phones keypad or screen interface. The Owasys22C resolves this issue by using PocketBabil to talk to the user; it tells them who is calling, and also reads names and messages aloud. The phones ergonomic design and sophisticated speech synthesis makes the O wasys22c an essential tool for the mobile generation of visually impaired users.
"Owasys works with leading companies and suppliers to ensure its products are of the highest quality. Babel is without a doubt the leader in speech technology, so this alliance assures the Owasys22C will offer the highest levels of speech quality. The agreement with Babel, with its multilingual products, will help the Owasys22C to succeed in Spanish and English speaking countries, as well as on a worldwide level," said Fernando Aguirre, Marketing and Sales Director, Owasys. Vincent Fontaine, CEO of Babel Technologies, said: "Babel is well established as a leader in the rehabilitation sector. Its technology is already being used in a wide range of applications to bring services and solutions to people with special needs. Incorporating PocketBabil into a mobile marks a significant step forward in the quality of life for the blind or visually impaired as mobile devices become an increasingly important part of everyday life with services and applications being developed around them, now, with the Owasys22C, the blind and visually impaired can now enjoy the same sense of liberation and security that comes with having an easy to use mobile phone."
ABOUT OWASYS
Located in the technology park of Zamudio, a key research and development centre in Europe, Owasys is a company specializing in design, development, manufacturing and international sales of advanced wireless devices. Owasys is a member of the BluetoothTM SIG, Car Working group and one of the main drivers, of BuetoothTM Handsfree standard profile. The company has signed a collaboration agreement with the Spanish National Organization for the Blind (ONCE) to develop mobile telephones designed for the visually impaired. Furthermore, Owasys is Wavecom Open AT Partner for solutions in the M2M market and in the last months the firm has reached collaboration agreements with mainly european distributors in Europe.
ABOUT BABEL TECHNOLOGIES
Babel Technologies S.A. and Babel-Infovox AB form a corporate group, designing, developing and licensing cutting-edge voice processing technologies. The companies are located in Mons, Belgium and Stockholm, Sweden, closely linked to university research centres like Facult Polytechnique de Mons, Multitel asbl, KTH Stockholm, etc. It comprises an award-winning team of engineers, with comprehensive expertise in all aspects of Speech Processing who have now launched a world-beating range of products in the areas of Automatic Speech Recognition and Text-To-Speech. Babel Technologies rapidly became a major player on the market thanks to its outstanding multi-lingual, multi-platform products.