5 years ago... Dragon aims to broaden use of speech recognition

NEWS 30.07.98Dragon Systems is to release a software developer's kit intended to promote the use of speech recognition software outside word processing applications. The SDK incorporates Microsoft ActiveX components, which should ease integration with software supporting ActiveX standards, and also supports Microsoft Speech Application Programming Interface. Dragon NaturallySpeaking is already a part of Corel's desktop applications suite, while Lotus prefers technology provided by its parent company, IBM. 30.07.03Five years ago, with desktop processing power a fraction of today's levels, there at least seemed to be some kind of nascent market for speech recognition technology. Dragon, IBM and Lernout & Hauspie seemed to battling it out. Of course L&H eventually bought Dragon and then the companies executives found themselves at the centre of a kind of Belgian Enron affair, ending in criminal charges being brought. And products such as IBM's Simply Speaking ended up the subject of spam email, along with septic tanks, pornography and the 'purple pill'. Perhaps the saddest part to all this is that computers are getting faster but there is still little take up of speech recognition, though some professions such as medicine and law have always seen the opportunities. Even in 1997 it was starting to work pretty well, though a 2001 review by this publication turned up some unlikely, drug-related glitches. Is the best we can hope for future iterations bundled as part of Windows? Maybe that's not such a ridiculous idea.