The Elite in Speech Gather at Conversations 2001, the Premier Networking Event for SpeechWorks...

Business/Technology Editors

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 1, 2001

Attendees to Gain Knowledge and Share Experiences with Keynote Speakers from Companies such as First Union National Bank, Microsoft,

United Airlines and Visteon

SpeechWorks International, Inc.

(Nasdaq: SPWX), a global leader in speech recognition and text-to-speech (TTS) technologies and services, today announced its keynote speakers for Conversations 2001, SpeechWorks' Third Annual International User Group Conference. A dynamic group of industry experts representing world-renowned customer service innovators, telecommunications carriers and telematics companies will educate SpeechWorks' customers and partners this year at the Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona from October 14 to October 17, 2001.

SpeechWorks CEO, Stuart Patterson will kick-off the keynote series followed by industry leaders such as Steve Boehm, General Manager, First Union Direct; Kai-Fu Lee, Vice President of User Interface Technologies Division, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT); Bill McIntyre, Manager of New Technologies and Distribution Planning, United Airlines (NYSE: UAL); and Brian Radloff, General Manager of Infinitive Speech Systems, a subsidiary of Visteon Corporation (NYSE: VC). SpeechWorks CTO and co-founder Mike Phillips will close the conference with a look into future applications and possibilities with speech technologies.

At Conversations, attendees will participate in highly interactive business and technical discussions on topics ranging from VoiceXML, text-to-speech, user interface design, branding of speech applications, the R.O.I. of speech, speaker verification and much more. In addition, attendees will get the inside scoop on SpeechWorks' breakthrough solutions, such as SpeechWorks OpenSpeech(TM) Recognizer, plus learn about future technologies designed for telematics and multimodal applications.

Customer Presentations, Interactive Demo Room and Partner Showcase Lounge Enlighten Guests on the Power of Speech

SpeechWorks customers from around the world will also be on hand to deliver compelling presentations and case studies on recent deployments, future applications, R.O.I. and customer satisfaction. Attendees will hear from industry leaders in travel, finance and communications such as America Online (NYSE: AOL), Avaya (NYSE: AV), Checkfree (Nasdaq: CKFR), Credit Lyonnais, Credit Union Australia, Dollar Rent A Car (NYSE: DTG), The Hartford (NYSE: HIG), iBasis (Nasdaq: IBAS), Intel (Nasdaq: INTC), InterVoice-Brite (Nasdaq: INTV) and Synapse.

This year, SpeechWorks has added an Interactive Demo Room where participants can learn about and interact with SpeechWorks' latest technologies. In the Partner Showcase Lounge, dozens of SpeechWorks' partners will demonstrate their solutions and network with attendees in a relaxed environment during scheduled conference breaks and dedicated Showcase hours. For a complete list of participating partners, visit www.conversations2001.com.

"The ultimate networking experience - personalized for me! SpeechWorks anticipated my every need and connected me to the right people," said Nancy Staley, from First Union Corporation after attending Conversations 2000. "I walked away filled with new ideas and on top of who's doing what with speech."

In addition to learning from SpeechWorks, its partners and customers, attendees will have a chance for relaxation and adventure. Attendees can enjoy a guided tour of the Sonoran Desert River, go horseback riding or take a gliding tour. SpeechWorks is also offering guided tours of the Tonto National Forest in a Hummer 4x4, or the opportunity to tee-off with friends and colleagues in a round of golf.

For additional information and to register for Conversations, visit www.conversations2001.com or write to us at conversations@speechworks.com.

About SpeechWorks

Through the power of SpeechWorks(R) technologies, the human voice is all a caller needs to access instant information and conduct transactions from any landline or wireless phone. Around the world, customer service innovators such as CIBC, Credit Suisse First Boston, Hyundai Securities and United Airlines are realizing returns on SpeechWorks applications that consistently delight and serve customers 24 hours a day. With over 100 partners, SpeechWorks (Nasdaq: SPWX) delivers natural language speech recognition, speaker verification and text-to-speech (TTS) solutions to leading corporations, telecommunications providers and government organizations worldwide. For a description of our products, services and unique customer programs such as the SpeechWorks Here(TM) Guarantee, call 617.428.4444 or visit www.speechworks.com.

SpeechWorks, OpenSpeech and SpeechWorks Here are trademarks or registered trademarks of SpeechWorks International, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.