COVER STORY

Global outlook
Subtle improvements in sentiment which would have been unthinkable in the gloom of last winter suggest that spring is in the air for the telecom sector. But the green shoots of recovery could be wiped out if economic recession takes hold.

VOICE RECOGNITION FOR MOBILES

Overview
The benefits seems compelling: hands-free, keypad-free operation that is speedy, safe and convenient. But despite all this, voice recognition technology has yet to make an impact in the mobile market, although that may soon change.

A-Z of services
Round up of services available now - and on the way - for both business and leisure applications.

Standards
As multitudes of website developers adopt VoiceXML, it could mark the beginning of a voice era on the net.

Voice portals
Only a few services have so far been launched, but most of the leading mobile operators are testing various forms of voice portal technology

US business portals
Improving the quality of voice output is key to overcoming corporate reservations about voice portals.

European business portals
The expected explosion in voice portals over the next few years will be driven by customer-facing applications, such as call centre or financial trading systems.

European vendors
Early optimism in the European sector may have been over ambitious, but investors still have faith in the region.

Developing markets
The telecomms industry is looking to speech technology to deliver interactive services in countries where PC penetration is low.

Call centre technologies
The call centre has evolved tremendously in recent years to embrace technologies such as voice recognition.

Case study
Microsoft Research has developed a speech recognition engine which allows users of hand-held computers to break away from dependence on keyboards and touch screens.

Voice commerce
Expectations are running high, but technical, security and design problems must be solved.

Interview: Ron Croen
Despite the potential of speech technology, Nuance's president says some telecoms operators have been delaying purchases.

Profile
InterVoiceBrite (IVB), a provider of voice recognition systems to telecoms operators, and its Omvia technology.

Technology issues
Research is intensifying to develop intelligent software which works in real time and understands natural language for mobile handsets.

Profile - Omnitel
Omnitel has led many developments in Italy's mobile communications market; its Omnitel 2000 is claimed to be the largest implementation of a natural language-based voice recognition system.

PAYPHONES IN THE MOBILE ERA

Overview
Rising penetration levels of mobile phones have inevitably had a significant effect on the payphone sector. But adding value to payphone services could be popular with the public and service providers in Europe and the US.

Germany
Despite losses by the countryÕs main operator, new providers are cautiously optimistic about the payphone market.

Call charges
The future of payphones depends as much on operatorsÕ ability to generate new revenue streams as on the popularity of pay-as-you-go mobiles.

Technology trends
With possibilities for videoconferencing, internet access and as mini business centres, phone boxes have ambitions much bigger than their voice traditions suggest.

US market
Payphones are important in less advantaged communities, but some telcos are abandoning the market.

Regional focus: California
Parts of the Golden State are taking a tough line on payphones. Some precincts have even banned them altogether.

UK market
Falling revenues on traditional voice services have led BT to examine alternative uses for payphones

France
A public service sentiment pervades the French payphone provision, but the future lies in a mix of old and new multimedia applications.

Cultural issues
Converting payphones into communications portals may sound like a good idea, but operators must consider the behavioural and cultural implications.

Community telecentres
Replacing public callboxes with telecentres - providing anything from a simple, reliable phone line to full phone, fax, internet, distance learning and telemedicine capabilities - is an attractive option for developing countries.

Law enforcement issues
In parts of the US, callboxes are being swept from the pavement along with the criminals who allegedly rely on them to conduct their illicit activities. But operators are fighting back.

Advertising
Providers of payphones have struggled to find new ways of making money from their properties. Advertising has recently started to look far more attractive as a result.

OTHER ARTICLES

Viewpoint
Regular opinion column from the FT's Alan Cane.

View from the Top
Steve Sanderson of UK-based optical network provider Storm Communications.

Profile - NTL
After a $34bn spending spree, the UK's biggest cable operator claims a unique position in the broadband telecoms market. But it has plenty of work to do.

News update
New research on valuing incumbent telcos; prepaid mobile services.

GPRS, 3G update
Despite a flurry of activity, no-one should hold their breath for commercial GPRS and 3G services.

ADSL diary
Marcus Gibson once again drives his ADSL modem 'Betty' to the limit in search of Really Useful sites and activities on the net.