Pipebeach, WirelessCar collaborate on mobile e-services

Underlining the increasing importance of tying speech recognition to the wireless Internet, Pipebeach (Stockholm, Sweden) and WirelessCar (Gothenburg, Sweden and Irvine, CA) have agreed to develop advanced off-board speech-enabled services for vehicles, focusing on Europe during the first phase. WirelessCar enables the global automotive industry to implement and benefit from mobile e-services. The company offers solutions that connect vehicles to a variety of mobile e-services, such as roadside and emergency assistance, access to Internet services, vehicle software management, and remote diagnostics.

With speechWeb from Pipebeach, it will be possible to reach Wireless Car mobile e-services with a phone call and navigate the services safely using a speech user interface. speechWeb is a carrier-class mobile speech portal that enables voice browsing and personalized mobile Internet services. It provides the mobile user with a speech-controlled gateway to applications that are developed with standard Web technology, such as e-mail, traffic information, personalized news cast, sound games, location and positioning services, and speech-enabled mobile transactions.

"We are excited about the possibilities of a speech user interface in a car," said Christer Granberg, Pipebeach CEO and co-founder. "Audio is a very powerful means of communication. The user can just speak the name of the service and instantly get traffic information or driving directions, access and send e-mail, or listen to a personal news feed. Personal voice services no further than the touch of a button in your car."

WirelessCar provides non-branded services in the areas of connectivity, mobile e-services, and billing. It handles all aspects of the wireless technologies and focuses on adding value to the global automotive industry by helping them connect to the wireless world, the existing infrastructure, and their end customers. The company was founded by Ericsson, AB Volvo, and Telia AB to bridge the gap that exists between the telecom and vehicle industries.

Edited by Ellen Jensen
Managing Editor, Wireless Networks Online