Verizon's New 411 System: Is It a Live Operator, or Is It 'Darby'?

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Monty Solomon <monty () roscom com>
Date: July 15, 2004 5:28:08 PM EDT
To: undisclosed-recipient: ;
Subject: Verizon's New 411 System: Is It a Live Operator, or Is It 
'Darby'?

     Verizon's New 411 System: Is It a Live Operator, or Is It 'Darby'?
     - Jul 14, 2004 09:56 AM (PR Newswire)

Self-Service System Brings Latest Speech Recognition Tools to New York 
to
Better Serve Customers


NEW YORK, July 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The new voice on Verizon's 411 service
is so expressive, and the listings "she" gives are so effectively 
researched,
that New Yorkers are about to befriend Darby, the California 
voice-actress on
the automated directory assistance system being introduced in New York 
this
month.


Verizon has enhanced its 411 directory assistance service, applying
advanced speech-recognition and Internet technologies to give customers 
the
kind of fast, accurate and automated information they are accustomed to
getting in their own Internet data searches. The newest version of 411 
begins
in Manhattan and the outer boroughs today, and follows introduction of 
the
service on Long Island and in Westchester, Syracuse, Albany, Buffalo and
Binghamton in recent weeks.


Because the automated system is so effective, many customers do not even
realize that the voice they hear has been prerecorded, or that the 
listing
they receive was researched instantaneously without human intervention.

...

     - http://finance.lycos.com/home/news/story.asp?story=42489639


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