QNX and VoiceBox Team Up to Improve Reliability and User Experience of Next-Generation Telematics and Consumer Devices

OTTAWA, Nov. 16, 2006 -- Two software innovation leaders have joined forces to improve the user experience of voice recognition systems for in-car telematics and infotainment applications. QNX Software Systems, the global leader in operating systems and middleware for the embedded market, and VoiceBox(R) Technologies, Inc., the pioneer of conversational voice search technologies, are working together to improve the reliability and user experience in next-generation telematics, consumer electronics, and digital home applications. The VoiceBox Conversational Voice Search Platform(TM), deployed on the QNX(R) Neutrino(R) realtime operating system (RTOS), lets users speak in natural and conversational ways to more easily search for digital content and to control in-car and consumer devices.

Leading auto suppliers are already implementing technology from QNX and VoiceBox to enable hands-free and eyes-free management of a variety of in-car functions, including navigation, climate control, and radio control through spoken requests. The system can understand the context and intent of queries, which allows users to speak in a conversational way. For example, the driver can ask "What's the temperature in Detroit?" and then say "Raise the temperature to 70 degrees," and the car will respond to the different requests accordingly.

"The fault-tolerant environment offered by the QNX Neutrino RTOS enables us to better support the high standards necessary for in-car conversational voice applications," said Tom Freeman, Senior Vice President of Marketing at VoiceBox Technologies. "The synergies between our technologies will also lend themselves to the development of sophisticated voice search applications for emerging markets such as the digital home."

"VoiceBox is the market leader in conversational voice search and is currently being used by many of our automotive development partners," said Andrew Poliak, Automotive Segment Manager at QNX Software Systems. "This partnership is key to improving the user experience and performance of electronic devices as the markets for telematics and consumer applications merge."

The VoiceBox Conversational Platform is based on advanced algorithms that determine context and intent from conversational speech. Users aren't required to memorize exact preset commands and can simply ask for what they want, even in noisy environments such as the automobile.

QNX and In-car Infotainment

More than 140 car models worldwide use QNX software technology for an array of telematics and infotainment products -- everything from hands-free cell phone kits to high-end multimedia and navigation systems. Besides providing the ultra-reliable QNX Neutrino RTOS, QNX Software Systems offers a revolutionary multimedia solution with intelligent connectivity and full customization, advanced 3D/2D graphics for navigation displays, instant-on technology for ultra-fast bootup times, embedded web browsers, fault-tolerant file systems, and a variety of other technologies optimized for the automotive market.