Verizon Business Makes It Easy for Large Businesses to Customize Speech Applications on Its Hosted Speech Platform

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - Enterprises can now better customize and control the speech services used to interact with their customers while still enjoying the reliability and cost benefits of a fully hosted speech platform. 

Verizon Business' new Open Hosted Speech Services (OHSS) allow customers to create and host their own speech applications while they continue to rely on Verizon Business' broader speech platform, which includes interactive voice-recognition services.  This new capability gives users flexibility and oversight typically associated with customer premises equipment-based solutions, without the large capital costs or burden of platform management.

[To hear a podcast of how Open Hosted Speech Services can enhance a company's customer service experience, go to: http://www.podtech.net/home/5271/verizon-business-adds-open-hosted-speech-services-to-contact-center-portfolio.]

"OHSS combines the benefits of hosted services, such as reliability, geographic redundancy, automatic technology upgrades and low total cost of ownership, with the security and control that were previously only available in a premises-based solution," said Mike Marcellin, vice president of global product marketing for Verizon Business. "With OHSS, we are offering our large-business and government customers the best of both worlds."

The new service is based on the industry standard, VoiceXML.  Customers retain control and ownership of any VoiceXML-based applications, while also having the option of running these applications on Verizon Business' Hosted Interactive Voice Response (IVR) platform or porting the applications to another platform of their choice.   

"Many business customers have long been attracted to the cost and scalability benefits of hosted platforms, but they have also wanted to retain control over their applications," said William A. Stofega, research manager at IDC.  "Open Hosted Speech Services allow these customers to run their own applications on Verizon's hosted speech platform."

Verizon Business' expert professional services team can assist customers in developing and deploying applications that they can host themselves.  That team can also help customers integrate OHSS with Verizon Business' other contact center solutions.

OHSS customers can access a full suite of standard reports, including detailed billing backup and performance maintenance, through the Verizon Enterprise Center, a secure, global online portal.  The reporting captures daily, weekly and monthly speech application activity, and customers can retrieve this information from virtually anywhere at any time.

About Verizon Business
Verizon Business, a unit of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), operates the world's most connected public IP network and uses its industry-leading global-network capabilities to offer large-business and government customers an unmatched combination of security, reliability and speed.  The company integrates advanced IP communications and information technology (IT) products and services to deliver leading enterprise solutions including managed services, security, mobility, collaboration and professional services.  These solutions power innovation and enable the company's customers to do business better. For more information, visit www.verizonbusiness.com.

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