AVST Delivers Advanced Communications Solutions for Workforce in Support of California 'Hands...

CallXpress[R] Unified Communications Platform Provides Hands-Free Access to Enterprise Communications and Information Systems in Support of New Legislation

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. -- As many states consider adopting legislation that bans motorists from holding cell phones while driving, California

became the fourth state to pass such a law when Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the measure into law on September 15, 2006, which goes into effect on July 1, 2008. In response to the law passage, Orange County-based Applied Voice & Speech Technologies, Inc. (AVST) today announced that its CallXpress[R] enterprise communications platform is "hands free" ready and supports the new California state law and current or pending legislation in other states.

A leading provider of unified communications (UC) solutions, AVST believes that California's adoption of hands-free legislation will accelerate the adoption of similar legislation across the nation over the next few years because California is a trendsetter in many aspects of popular culture, including progressive legislation. "When California passed a statewide ban on smoking in restaurants and other public places several years ago, a nationwide trend ensued and similar bans have now swept across the country," said AVST's President & CEO, Hardy Myers. "We believe that the same thing will happen with this hands-free initiative, with other states adopting similar legislation prohibiting motorists from driving while holding a cell phone."

While lawmakers and transportation safety officials continue to examine driver distraction as an important safety issue, many enterprises rely on their employees having the ability to use cell phones while driving to be responsive to their customers. As a result, AVST believes that businesses are seeking innovative solutions that allow workers to continue to communicate and access information while complying with the emerging hands-free legislation. "Keeping employees safe and productive while operating in a mobile environment is already an important consideration for enterprise IT managers," said Myers. "The new legislation only heightens the sense of urgency on this matter."

Industries that depend on a highly mobile workforce have been early adopters of advanced speech technologies, such as AVST's CallXpress UC platform, which delivers hands-free calling and information access capabilities to mobile workers around the world. The CallXpress Speech Server, built on the company's award-winning Seneca[R] speech module, allows mobile workers to use voice commands, without having to dial, to make and take calls and manage voice, fax, and e-mail messages on a cell phone while driving, all in a completely hands-free environment.

On September 20, 2006, AVST launched Version 4.8 of its CallXpress Speech Server, delivering a variety of performance enhancements and new features that provide increased support for a hands-free calling environment. The latest release also includes a "Call Me Back" command, Voice-Reply-with-Text capabilities, an Automatic Help mode, improved grammar commands, and new adaptations to noisy environments - all of which make it even easier and more efficient for drivers to communicate and access enterprise information in a hands-free calling mode on their cell phones.

"We have long recognized the need for mobile workers to take safety into account while conducting business on the road," added Myers. "Our speech solutions have included hands-free capabilities for several years, and we continue to develop new features that encourage safer driving habits by improving the ability of employees to manage all corporate communications and information exchange via a single hands-free speech interface."

Additional information on the CallXpress Speech Server can be found at http://www.avst.com/products/callxpressvoice/overview.asp.

About AVST

Applied Voice & Speech Technologies, Inc. (AVST) is a leading developer of communications solutions for businesses of all sizes. Through its world-class unified communications platform, CallXpress[R], and its innovative speech application module, Seneca[R], AVST offers the industry's most powerful suite of second generation communications solutions including voice messaging, unified messaging, speech-enabled applications (including automated attendant and hands-free mobile worker access), and call processing (including embedded IVR).

The CallXpress unified communications platform is designed to facilitate the enterprise migration from legacy TDM call processing and voice mail solutions to IP-enabled unified communications by delivering the interoperability, scalability, feature depth and flexibility, and administrative capabilities that enterprise IT and Telecom teams are demanding.

Headquartered in Orange County, CA, AVST maintains facilities in Seattle, WA and the United Kingdom and has remote sales offices across the United States. With over 35,000 systems installed worldwide, AVST's unified communications solutions are sold and supported internationally by an extensive network of resellers and OEM partners. Established in September 2003, AVST was formed from the combined businesses of Sound Advantage (established in 1997) and the AVT division (established in 1982) of Captaris, Inc. For more information contact Denny Michael, Vice President of Marketing at 949-699-2300 or access the company's website at www.avst.com.