Case Studies

OSU Medical Center needed to improve patient care and lower costs for their transportation system. Microsoft Speech Server, part of Microsoft’s unified communications solution, answered the call.

Using the expertise of Intervoice Inc. and the power of Microsoft Speech Server 2004, Talbots created a new voice-enabled gift card balance application.

The O.C. Tanner Company needed to solve call volume and call containment issues. With call center calls reaching 30,000 per day and many customers opting for live support, O.C. Tanner needed a powerful voice response solution to bring the situation under control – and they needed it fast.

The inefficient handling and skyrocketing costs associated with hundreds of inbound and outbound calls in dealerships became an opportunity for a bridgeSpeak speech-enabled solution.

From the smiling cop who writes the parking ticket to final verification of payment, Citation Management wanted to make the whole ticket-writing and collection process work seamlessly for city governments. With IVR partner ComputerTalk, Microsoft Speech Server 2004 R2, and existing in-house expertise, the new speech-enabled AutoPROCESS payment solution was developed.

Schindler Elevator Corp. was seeing a 500 percent growth in the number of call center calls with 25 percent specifically related to password reset issues. With no live support after hours or weekends, employees were often locked out of doing productive work. With its partner Gold Systems and Microsoft® Speech Server 2004 R2, Schindler found a new password reset solution.

As a Maryland-based ISV, VoiceMetrix Corp. discovered a new marketing opportunity within the federal government court system. Using its IT expertise and Microsoft® Speech Server 2004 R2, VoiceMetrix developed the Advanced Jury Information System (AJIS) Appear Speech Server, which streamlines jury communications to improve customer service, increases juror attendance, and reduces the workload and costs of jury administration.

San Francisco transportation authorities wondered if better commuter parking information could result in fewer cars, less congestion and better use of Transit and Park and Ride parking spaces. With the expertise of ACME Innovation, a Microsoft Gold partner, and its ParkingCarma™ service, a solution was created that connects drivers with parking spaces at Park and Ride lots serviced by light rail.

Several pharmaceutical companies were seeking a way to manage new FDA-mandated regulations for a marketed drug that affected the whole supply and user chain. Covance and Gigamoto Partners developed a Drug Risk Management Solution using Microsoft Speech Server 2004 within a Microsoft .NET operating environment.

Compass Bank wanted to begin to update its touch-tone customer services with new IVR solutions but wanted a low cost platform with future flexibility and measurable ROI. Using the expertise of Intervoice and its Omvia voice-enabled suite with Microsoft Speech Server 2004, the auto-attendant solution was deployed to handle 66 percent daily internal and external calls.

ServiceMagic Inc., headquartered in Golden, Colo., is one of the nation's leading online marketplaces connecting homeowners with prescreened and customer-rated home service professionals. The company, along with its IT partner, Gold Systems, developed powerful new IVR solutions utilizing Microsoft Speech Server 2004: a high volume outbound calling system to handle 40,000 calls per day, an automated appointment scheduler, a one-to-one matching service, and a contractor orientation. The company saw its lead turnaround time improve 180 percent and development efforts evolve into a more reliable, scalable and fast-response environment.

Pull-A-Part sells discounted used auto parts from more than 2,000 automobiles in each of the five yards that the company maintains in the southeastern United States. Pull-A-Part deployed Microsoft Speech Server 2004 on Windows Server 2003. As a result, the company increased its IVR system's uptime to 99 percent from 85 percent, doubled its capacity to receive calls, added enhanced voice recognition and callback features, and implemented a technology infrastructure that grows with the business.

Freescale Semiconductor Inc. wanted to replace a self-service voice automation solution phone directory as it spun off from its parent company, Motorola Inc. They turned to Intervoice Inc., a Microsoft Certified Partner, for a better solution — Intervoice Auto-Attendant for Microsoft Speech Server 2004. Freescale estimates the ROI will be less than six months and that it has the future flexibility needed to create and manage new applications in-house.

Woodforest National Bank has been using a Microsoft Speech Server 2004 based IVR application for the past two years and needed to scale up the Telephone Banking System solution. Specifically, it wanted to address the growth in call volume, create a new Spanish language application, and move to a real-voice interface. Again, using its own in-house IT expertise, the existing .NET infrastructure, and powerful Microsoft Speech Server 2004 R2 software, Woodforest addressed each opportunity.

bridgeSpeak's Automotive Retail (AR) solution, built on the Microsoft .NET Framework, allows automotive retailers to interact with their customers proactively by telephone. This application automates the process of outbound calls and quickly directs inbound calls to the person or department the callers wish to speak with.

Using in-house IT expertise, familiar Microsoft Visual Studio .NET development tools, the Microsoft Speech Server 2004 Software Development Kit and Microsoft Speech Server 2004, NextiraOne developed a speech-enabled password reset solution that reduced the overall help-desk overhead by 65 percent and gave employees 24-hour access to automated password reset capabilities.

With more than 8,000 calls each day, Microsoft was a prime candidate for finding a new speech-recognition solution to answer the call for improved first-try recognition rates, a reduction in live operator expenses, an application that was easier to maintain, and a solution that was not proprietary. Using in-house expertise, the company developed MS Connect, a powerful new autoattendant solution built on top of its Microsoft .NET infrastructure utilizing Microsoft Speech Server 2004.

When Grange Insurance Group wanted to extend its customer service hours to allow around-the-clock billing inquiries, it turned to Microsoft Global System Integrator Tata Consultancy Services and Microsoft Speech Server. Grange expects its ROI to include improved customer service and enhanced customer satisfaction.

Using the expertise of Intervoice Inc. and the power of Microsoft Speech Server 2004, Talbots created a new voice-enabled gift card balance application.

Two legal groups in Alabama wanted to streamline old Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) phone services to handle calls more efficiently. Using the IT expertise of Computer Talk and its development team, a solution was developed with Microsoft Speech Server 2004 at the heart of each design.

Valassis was facing customer dissatisfaction and lost sales opportunities due to the length of their quotation process. Using its internal information technology expertise and its investment in the Microsoft .NET infrastructure, Valassis created Valassis SalesSpeak with Microsoft Speech Server 2004, a self-service, voice-enabled sales support solution.

Landstar System, one of the nation's largest transportation companies, matches thousands of independent truck owners and operators, known as business capacity owners (BCO), with companies that need to transport freight. In an effort to enhance capacity by raising BCO retention, satisfaction, and compliance levels, the company created a powerful voice-enabled solution built on top of Microsoft Speech Server 2004.