VOXWARE INTRODUCES TOOLVOX FOR THE WEB; THE INTERNET FINDS ITS VOICE

INDIAN WELLS, CA -- Voxware, Inc., a developer of advanced voice-processing
software for multimedia computing, Internet, and communications
applications, today at Demo 96 introduced ToolVox for the Web, a new
product that makes it simple for virtually anyone to add high- quality
voice to World Wide Web pages, and for cybernauts to listen to it. The
company also announced that ToolVox for the Web beta trial software, for
both Windows 95 and Windows 3.x, is now available for download, free of
charge, from Voxware's home page (http://www.voxware.com/).

Comprising both an authoring tool and a player, ToolVox for the Web
achieves 53:1 compression ratios. It delivers voice data across the World
Wide Web more quickly and reliably than other Internet audio products,
even across international connections or congested servers and networks.
Using ToolVox for the Web, for example, a five-minute excerpt from
President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address can be compressed from 4.66
Mb to only 92 Kb--smaller than many graphics files.

Based on Voxware's proprietary MetaVoice technology, ToolVox for the Web is
compatible with any standard HTML server and does not require installation
of special server software. And, there is no server license fee,
regardless of the number of users being supported.

Existing HTTP/HTML servers can "stream" long voice clips in real time,
controlled by ToolVox for the Web's "smart" add-in player. Short clips
download in less time than it takes current Internet voice technologies to
establish the buffers required for "real-time" playback. Playback can
start before a page is fully downloaded, allowing any individual or
organization with a Web presence to establish a personal connection with
visitors by speaking directly to them. It also provides a valuable tool
for holding users' attention during extended downloads of large files.

Using the ToolVox for the Web player interface, users can also speed-up or
slow-down playback by up to a factor of 2, without changing the pitch or
character of the original voice. This enables users to slow- down playback
for enhanced comprehension, or to speed it up for scanning purposes.

The ToolVox for the Web authoring tool comes in both a free, basic version
and a "Gold" version (due in early 1996). Both include a recorder and can
compress any input voice file (.WAV or AIFF) to 8 kHz at 2400 bps. Voice
files at other sampling rates are automatically down-sampled to 8 kHz
before being compressed into .VOX files that are ready to be embedded into
any HTML document.

The Gold version of the authoring tool will offer a variety of enhanced
features, designed to facilitate extensive use of voice in multiple HTML
documents. For example, it will provide support for "drag-and-drop"
batch-mode compression of up to 10,000 files. It can also be used to
create OLE2-enabled .VOX files that can be sent via e-mail to anyone with
an installed player.

The ToolVox for the Web player is also available free of charge, for
unlimited distribution to Internet users by Web sites using ToolVox for
the Web technology. The player can coexist with any other installed player
and comes in two versions: a Netscape Navigator 2.0 Inline Plug-In, and a
"helper" application. Both applications are contained in a single download
from Voxware's Web site, and users can install the appropriate player by
running the automated setup routine.

The Netscape Navigator 2.0 Inline Plug-In manages data streams in
cooperation with the HTML server in order to automatically play voice
clips. If the Netscape Navigator 2.0 parser encounters a .VOX file and the
user has not yet downloaded the player, the browser will ask if the user
would like to have the player automatically downloaded. The helper
application can be used with virtually any Web browser. It has an
interface that allows users to play, stop, speed-up and slow-down voice
clips.

The key element of ToolVox for the Web is Voxware's proprietary 2400 bps
real-time RT24 codec (compressor/decompressor). Unlike other standard
audio waveform codecs, the underlying modeling of the RT24 codec is based
solely on the human voice. And while other codecs can reproduce speech
with reasonable quality, they do so at the expense of high bit rates and
significant computational complexity. The RT24 codec has an extremely
efficient coding algorithm that enables it to code high-quality speech to
very low bit rates, while maintaining low computational complexity.

Following installation of the ToolVox for the Web authoring software,
Webmasters simply record a voice file, or select an existing .WAV or AIFF
file; use the authoring tool to create a compressed .VOX file; and then
incorporate the file into any HTML document using either "EMBED" or "HREF"
tags.

Webmasters can also select any of three available play-mode parameters,
including "user," where users click either the Vox icon or the player
window's "start" button, in order to begin playback; "auto," where sound
plays automatically once the page is displayed in the browser; or "cache,
" where users download the file for playing at a later time. Using these
play modes, Web pages can be configured so users can listen to voice clips
by clicking on hot spots or graphic images. Or, welcome messages can be
played automatically--with no user interaction--to anyone who accesses the
page.

With ToolVox for the Web, presidential candidates can explain their views
to voters. Comedians can deliver punch-lines to their fans. Users can
listen to voice clips while waiting for graphics and text files to
download. And voice-based e-mail can be sent to friends and business
associates.

In addition to the free distributable version of the ToolVox for the Web
player and the free basic version of the authoring tool, product and sales
information for the upcoming Gold version of the authoring tool can be
downloaded from Voxware's Web site. ToolVox for the Web releases for
Macintosh System 7 in both 68xx and PowerPC versions are scheduled for the
second quarter of 1996.

Voxware, Inc., is a developer and marketer of proprietary digital speech
processing technologies that enable innovative and creative use of voice
in computing, Internet and communications applications. The company's
products are designed to meet the growing need for new technologies that
support and extend voice applications for business, communications,
education and entertainment. Founded in 1993, Voxware is privately held
and based in Skillman, N.J.

Contact: Lee Feldman, Voxware, Inc.
Voice: 203-854-6761
Email: 4982373@mcimail.com
 
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