VOICE
technology
Interview
Something
to shout about
Manufacturing & Logistics IT spoke with Anton du Preez, business
development manager, UK, Ireland and South Africa for Vocollect about the
company’s current product development strategy and how it is planning to secure
a greater presence in a number of current burgeoning vertical markets.
oice-directed solutions companies such as The Co-op is more appropriate for which company is also starting to see
V
are increasingly in the UK use an interface that WMS company involved; we greater uptake in countries such
becoming the Vocollect developed together are confident that we have now as Turkey, the Middle East and
methodology of with Manhattan Associates. This addressed the different ways that the United Arab Emirates. “What
choice for a growing is built as standard into The WMS companies prefer to develop we find is that, in the more mature
number of warehouses across Co-op’s Manhattan WMS system. interfaces,” said du Preez. Voice markets for Voice such as UK,
the globe. However, certain In the case of another Vocollect Interface Objects provides an France and Germany the large
market verticals were keen to user, Faber Music, they have a alternative mechanism whereby tier 1 retail market – particularly
exploit this technology earlier similar infrastructure, but one that the WMS companies can build grocery retail – has already been
on, while others are still in their was put in place by Vocollect and maintain some of the Voice penetrated by Voice; therefore
comparative infancy in terms of partner and systems integrator dialogue – what is spoken to the we are looking to expand into
adoption. This might explain why Zetes, bespoke to Faber’s user and the business process other vertical markets and
recent surveys* found that less specific requirements. “Therefore, that directs them – inside their applications,” said du Preez.
than 10 per cent of all warehouses we have these two ways of application in an intuitive and “Encouragingly, we see a growing
currently use Voice. So, how working with WMS companies simple way using their own number of early adopters of
is one of the leading names today – a standard Voice- development environment. “This Voice within other verticals, and
in Voice solutions, Vocollect, directed interface or customised will allow them to implement this all points to good growth
looking to target the remainder? middleware solution,” explained quality Voice applications quicker, potential. One of these growth
“Primarily, we’re looking to expand du Preez. In addition, Vocollect faster and more flexibly, and we verticals is pharmaceutical. If you
into new and fast-developing is about to launch a new product feel this is a good way to expand look at a sector such as grocery
vertical markets, and together called VoiceInterface Objects, our market presence, certainly retail the primary driver for
with our resellers will work which will provide a third integration across Europe,” du Preez remarked. companies is productivity, then
closely with a number of WMS option. “It will be horses for they try to achieve as much
providers that serve a range of courses as to which methodology Geographical expansion accuracy as they can without
vertical sectors,” said Vocollect’s sacrificing this productivity.
Anton du Preez. “Following on He added that there is also more Pharmaceutical, on the other
from this, we will provide them geographical expansion on the hand, is the exact reverse.
with the tools to develop horizon for Vocollect; into territories Accuracy is the prime objective,
solutions that use the Vocollect such as Russia, Poland and other and then companies want to be
infrastructure – the Talkman Eastern European countries. as productive as they can be
Voice computer, the headset, According to du Preez, the without sacrificing accuracy. >>
the client software for voice
recognition and speaking the
language back to the user, and Anton du Preez: “What we find is that, in the more
the management software that mature markets for Voice such as UK, France and
wraps around it.” Germany the large tier 1 retail market – particularly
grocery retail – has already been penetrated by
This builds on what is already Voice; therefore we are looking to expand into
available today. For example, other vertical markets and applications.”
36
MANUFACTURING
&LOGISTICSIT July 2009
www.logisticsit.com
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