Speaking of managing, we came across this article that makes mention of how important managing mobile devices and data traffic are in today’s enterprise. You’ll be glad to hear that as a result, companies were able to save time and money as they invested in TEM (Telecom Expense Management), especially a solution that offers them real-time data, such as Avalanche Telicost.

Stop by and say hello next week, and you could win an Amazon Kindle!

We already know that Speech-to-Text does well in the warehouse, but we came across an article that highlights how Voice is being used “outside the box”: the place that it is most important, the classroom.  The article highlights some interesting ways voice technology is being used in education.  Doing this saves money by reducing the need for a translator.

In this case, Voice helps educational institutions meet the growing demand for access to online education. As the Speech Technology article mentions, the alternative is hiring a professional translator for $20,000 per course. As you can imagine, that’s a hefty price.

The software uses speech-to-text or text-to-speech input and another program translates. It is then delivered as either a text or a subtitle, which will be used in videos for computers or tablet devices.

“Greater integration takes place between the TEM and Mobile Device Management (MDM) propositions, as smartphone penetration in the enterprise market continues. MDM is one of the hottest topics around at the moment.”

This is something that few companies have yet to embrace, and just as the article explains, it should be something that we begin to see implemented in many companies throughout 2012 and beyond. Take a look and tell us what you think, or give us a few of your top topics for 2012!

“[Bill Kuipers, president of operations consultancy Spaide, Kuipers & Co] thought he was in the minority about pick-to-voice technology. “I’m not surprised based on my own observations, but I thought I was in the minority. Lots of clients consider but ultimately reject it (usually due to the cost of hardware, and the required software integration). It tends to be more expensive than comparable RF Scanning devices.

‘Plus, you almost always have to buy some sort of intermediate software system, whereas most applications already support basic bar code reading – or can easily incorporate it.’”

This is the fundamental problem with yesterday’s voice technology. It requires you to buy new devices and servers, deal with lengthy implementation times, a replacement of existing business processes, and an overhaul in training. In that case, who would want to deal with it?

And that’s where the value of a voice application like Speakeasy comes in. It doesn’t require new hardware, can be implemented in as little as 30 days, works with your existing applications, and as such, is easy for workers to learn. If you’re curious about the differences, I highly suggest checking out the recent webinar we held entitled, “Say Goodbye to Legacy Voice.”

InformationWeek had an article yesterday on the problems healthcare CIO’s are facing when it comes to the proliferation of mobile devices in the healthcare space. The article points out many of the common themes we are hearing (especially when it comes to BYOD) about smart-device management. However, it brings up an interesting point that is often overlooked when the smartphone/tablet/smart-device conversation comes up: what is their effect on the WLAN? Not only do you have extra demand on information traveling to-and-from, but you also need to make sure that the extraordinary amounts of data are secure.

As the article explains, “The ‘bring your own device,’ or BYOD, phenomenon in hospitals has created a networking problem for CIOs by driving up demand on wireless LANs and has kept security officers busy because it’s difficult to control all the data that flows to hundreds or thousands of handheld computers…”

The piece has a lot of interesting information, so if you’re looking for a quick read before you’re off for a long weekend, we suggest you check it out! Also, if you’re interested in learning more about smart-device MDM, check out our upcoming webinar here.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Look for us to have more and more information on the Goya example in the coming weeks and months. Additionally, if you’re looking for more information on Speakeasy and voice products, we recently held a free webinar that you can view on-demand.

Wavelink spotlighted Speakeasy with a live system collecting data and responding and directing workers in Mandarin Chinese. Speakeasy supports a wide range of global languages, even with regional accents or variations. Retailers are quick to understand the benefits of Speakeasy in several of the key retail functions, especially the lack of need for user specific training, speech processing functions local on the device, and the ease of integration and use. They agreed it would improve floor staff productivity and flexibility audibly guiding workers through their tasks looking at mobile device displays only when necessary.

This show also  included a lot of different electronic shopper hardware and software, it was highlighted by a number of intelligent video display panels. The panels actually watch the viewers and react by changing programming based on how many people are watching, whether they are moving closer or farther away, which direction, the viewers sex, and I even saw one where the panel evaluates the mood of the shopper. I’m told none of the data is saved due to privacy concerns, but using it on the spot allows the store to change its look and interaction with shoppers to buy what they came for, and keep ‘em coming back for more. Mobile technology was well represented by several key global and local software and hardware providers and distributors. Most of the high tech hardware companies were present as were the ERP and WMS system providers in some fashion.

As I said earlier, retailers recognize the advantages provided by good, new technology and move quickly to capitalize on the benefits. They are now quickly learning the good things Wavelink Speakeasy, on top of Terminal Emulation and Wavelink Industrial Browser, can do to improve their operations and profits. Thanks for checking in!

From Hong Kong, 再见 (Zàijiàn) or goodbye!

Kelly

Check them out and tell us what you think! If you were also at Oracle, tell us what you found interesting at this years show!