BusinessWire
December 08, 2005 06:00 AM US Pacific Timezone

Fonix Offers Enhanced Text-to-Speech for Embedded Applications

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 8, 2005--
Newest version of Fonix DECtalk improves TTS language quality, reduces memory requirements and supports more operating systems

Fonix Speech, an operating division of Fonix(R) Corp. (OTCBB: FNIX), an integrated communications carrier providing telecommunications services and value-added speech technologies, releases an updated version of its Fonix DECtalk(TM) text-to-speech (TTS) technology. Fonix has greatly enhanced this new version's naturalness and intelligibility in several major European languages (French, German, Italian, and Latin American and Castilian Spanish) as well as U.S. English. In addition, Fonix DECtalk 4.6.4 now supports Windows Mobile 5.0, including C#.NET, VB.NET and .NET Compact Framework.

"With this new version of DECtalk (4.6.4), developers can now have up to seven languages active using less than 2 MB of memory," said Walt Nawrocki, VP and GM, Fonix Speech. "TTS applications can be developed that allow for a change of languages with each segment of text, story or data stream. These enhancements allow developers to design even more applications using multiple international text-to-speech languages. Hand-held devices such as electronic dictionaries, PDAs, inventory trackers, toys, navigation devices and screen readers can easily incorporate multiple languages and function for varied, multinational end users."

Fonix DECtalk 4.6.4 supports the following OSs:

-- Windows 98/NT/2000/ME/XP/.NET

-- Windows CE 3.0/4.x/Windows Mobile 2003

-- Linux Kernels 2.2/2.4, 2.65

-- Mac OS 10 or higher

-- Symbian (Nokia Series 60 platforms 1 and 2)

-- Symbian UIQ 2.0 and 2.1

-- Solaris

-- Windows Mobile 5 (new)

-- .NET Compact Framework (new)

DECtalk still supports the widest array of hardware platforms as well, including:

-- ARM 7/9 and TI OMAP

-- Intel X86 and XScale

-- Renesas SH3/4, Sparc and Freescale Power PC 5100/5200

-- Epson S1C33 and Blackfin 533/535

Fonix DECtalk 4.6.4 is available immediately from Fonix. For more information, visit www.fonix.com or call 801-553-6600 and say "Sales."

About Fonix DECtalk

Fonix DECtalk technology has been developed and refined over the past 20 years. Fonix DECtalk is the smallest footprint, full-featured, multilanguage text-to-speech engine in the industry. Version 4.6.4 supports the widest array of hardware platforms and operating systems on the market, and offers nine voices (four female, four male and one child's voice) and seven languages (U.S. and U.K. English, Castilian and Latin American Spanish, French, German and Italian).

About Fonix Speech Group

Fonix Speech, an operating division of Fonix Corp., provides voice technology solutions for mobile/wireless devices; interactive videogames, toys and appliances; computer telephony systems; the assistive market; and automotive telematics systems.

About Fonix

Fonix Corp., based in Salt Lake City, is an innovative communications and technology company that provides integrated telecommunications services and value-added speech technologies through Fonix Telecom Inc., LecStar Telecom Inc. and The Fonix Speech Group. The combination of interactive speech technology and integrated telecommunications services allows Fonix to provide customers with comprehensive cost-effective solutions to enhance and expand their communications needs. Visit www.fonix.com for more information, or call 801-553-6600 and say "Sales."

Statements released by Fonix that are not purely historical are forward-looking within the meaning of the "Safe Harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the company's expectations, hopes, intentions and strategies for the future. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainties that may affect the company's business prospects and performance. The company's actual results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Risk factors include general economic, competitive, governmental and technological factors as discussed in the company's filings with the SEC on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. The company does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements contained in this release.