Speech Recognition becoming a part of customers lives

Australian customer satisfaction with speech recognition systems, and their technical capabilities systems have increased significantly over the past years, according to callcentres.net research.

The report, commissioned by Nuance Communications, found 58% of respondents were either "very" or "extremely satisfied" using a speech recognition system - an 11% increase on the findings of a similar survey in 2005.

The study concluded that the ability and acceptance of speech recognition in Australia is maturing and catching up to the rest of the world. "In the US, speech recognition is promoted as a extra service channel that gives convenience, 24 hour access, speed and has always been positioned by the market as something that is very positive," said callcentres.net director Dr Catriona Wallace. "Australia is definitely lagging in its uptake of speech compared to the US and Europe, however we're seeing it coming of age now," Wallace said. Peter Chidiac, ANZ managing director for Nuance Communications said advancements in the capabilities of speech recognition systems, particularly open dialogue systems, was one of the reasons behind their burgeoning acceptance.