LAKE FOREST, Calif.,
Jan. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Voice
Assist, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: VSST), a leading developer of
hosted speech services and voice "in-application" technology, today
announced the commercial release of Voice Assist Standard complete
with two-way texting. Voice Assist empowers consumers to text
by voice from any phone or device to any phone or wireless
connected device, even mobile phones without a text plan.
This enables individuals who are driving or have their hands
busy to receive a text by voice and reply, remaining handsfree for
maximum safety.
The number of mobile phone subscriptions worldwide reached 4.6
billion in 2010 and is expected to increase to five billion this
year, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
In addition, about five billion text messages are sent each
month in the U.S., up from 2.8 billion a year ago, according to the
wireless trade association CTIA.
Cultural factors also play a role in text messaging's surge.
Teenagers have made it a routine way to communicate. About 63
percent of Americans from ages 18 to 27 text message, according to
a Pew Internet & American Life Project survey out in
March 2010. Those teens are bringing
texting to their parents — or are moving into the workforce and
texting with older colleagues. Now 31 percent of cell phone owners
ages 28 to 39 use text, and 18 percent of those 40 to 49 do, Pew
reports.
"We are excited to be eliminating the barriers of communication
and the generation gap," said Michael
Metcalf, CEO of Voice Assist. "With over four billion
mobile phones, text messaging is becoming the number one data
application of all time. Because Voice Assist is a
cloud-based program, the program works on any phone or device and
on any network. Now teens can text their parents and
grandparents, and their parents and grandparents can listen and
send a text back using any mobile phone or even the same old
landline phone they've owned for years. The executive in the
boardroom can send a text using a Blackberry and his wife can
receive it by voice while driving the kids to soccer practice.
Now anyone can send a text to anyone else – all by using
simple voice commands."
The National Safety Council estimates that at least 28 percent
of all traffic crashes – or at least 1.6 million crashes each year
– are caused by drivers using cell phones and texting. NSC
estimates that 1.4 million crashes each year are caused by drivers
using cell phones and a minimum of 200,000 additional crashes each
year are caused by drivers who are texting. With Voice
Assist, users can keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the
road while sending and responding to text messages.
Voice Assist Standard is available for $4.95 per month and enables users to make calls,
manage e-mails, send and receive text messages, and post to social
networks such as Facebook and Twitter by voice commands.
Voice Assist Premium Plus is available for $14.95 per month and includes all the features of
Voice Assist Standard plus Chatter by Voice, enabling users to post
to Chatter and Salesforce.com.
About Voice Assist, Inc.
Headquartered in Lake Forest,
Calif., Voice Assist is a hosted speech services company
that enables voice in any application, network and device.
The company's cloud-based speech platform eliminates the need
to use a keyboard or keypad to interact, and enables users to
communicate, connect or transact using any application on any phone
or device. The Voice Assist platform includes a fast and safe
way to make calls, manage your e-mails, send text messages and post
to social networks such as Facebook and Twitter by voice commands
and provides a scalable solution for developers to add voice to any
application.
For more information on the company, visit
http://www.voiceassist.com.
Forward-Looking Statement: The statements in this press release
regarding any implied or perceived benefits from the commercial
release of Voice Assist Standard with two-way texting or our
technology are forward-looking statements. Statements such as "…and
is expected to increase to five billion this year, according to the
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)."; and "…text messaging
is becoming the number one data application of all time."; involve
risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to,
functionality of our technology, and any other difficulties related
to risks and effects of legal and administrative proceedings and
governmental regulation, future financial and operational results,
competition, general economic conditions, and the ability to manage
and continue growth.
Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize,
or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes
may vary materially from those indicated. Important factors that
could cause actual results to differ materially from the
forward-looking statements we make in this news release include
market conditions and those set forth in reports or documents we
file from time to time with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to
revise or update such statements to reflect current events or
circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of
unanticipated events.
SOURCE Voice Assist, Inc.