Tandem announces joint marketing arrangement with NYNEX for VoiceDialing service application; North American RBOCs

GENEVA, NY -- Tandem Computers Incorporated today announced that it has entered into a collaborative marketing arrangement with NYNEX for a voice-activated telephony solution.

VoiceDialing, based on NYNEX's Voice Activated Telephone Control (VATC) architecture and running on Tandem's UNIX based line of fault tolerant Integrity servers, is available immediately.

NYNEX Science and Technology, the research and development arm of NYNEX, is initially targeting the other Regional Bell Operating Companies and major Local Exchange Carriers markets with its VATC service. Future plans call for penetration into the international wireline and wireless markets. NYNEX's voice-activated dialing solution has been deployed by Southwestern Bell Telephone and US West.

NYNEX's VATC solution consists of front-end media servers, the Pulse Code Modulation Recognizer (PCMR), and a back-end server based on Tandem's Integrity FT server platform. The PCMR units are responsible for network interface and speech recognition functions. The Integrity server -- a system built for UNIX system applications that require the highest levels of availability and robustness -- holds all subscriber data, including voice patterns.

The VATC solution is based on a user's telephone line. Using specialized switch software, the line is set at the telephone company's central office to detect either tone or speech. When speech is detected, the voice dialing service is activated and subscribers can simply say a name or phrase and have their call completed by the network. The system allows for separate profiles for each household member.

"While the market for voice dialing is relatively new, speech recognition applications and services have been growing at an accelerated rate over the last several years as the technological infrastructure has advanced to accommodate the services," said Don Fowler, Tandem's senior vice president and general manager, Solution Products Group.

Fowler continued, "At the very highest level, Tandem's fundamentals of fault tolerance, data integrity, and scalability match well to the needs of NYNEX's customers. And with the roll out of new and enhanced UNIX system servers based on Tandem's ServerNet architecture, we anticipate the VATC solution will be even more powerful and scalable."

"The deployment of this service will provide added convenience for consumers and a competitive business and technology weapon for the telephone companies," said Ed Thomas, Executive Vice President of NYNEX Science & Technology. "The expandability of Tandem systems and the company's fault-tolerant approach to UNIX servers helps us respond to voice-market demands and growth."

Tandem Computers Incorporated (NYSE:TDM) is the leader in continuously available, open, parallel processing, reliable client/server solutions and enterprise networks. The company manufactures, markets, and provides services and systems ranging from the desktop to the data center, as well as software to deliver complete customer solutions. Tandem, founded in 1974 and headquartered in Cupertino, California, has offices worldwide.

NYNEX is a global communications and media company that provides a full range of services in the northeastern United States and high-growth markets around the world, including the United Kingdom, Thailand, Gibraltar, Greece, Indonesia, the Philippines, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

The Corporation is a leader in the telecommunications, wireless communications, cable television, directory publishing and entertainment and information services.