VoltDelta Directory Assistance traces its roots back to 1968 with the founding of Computer Consoles Inc., (CCI) in Rochester, NY by three former Xerox engineers. Their vision was tomake it easy for those without extensive technical knowledge to access computer-based information, use it, change it, and send it back into computer memory. Their first product was the desk-size 520 console (named for the date of incorporation 5/20/68), that enabled remote access to a mainframe computer.
CCI went on to deliver one of the earliest versions of a smart computer terminal primarily for the telephony market including workstation hardware, software, networking, and ultimately a UNIX-based operating system for Digital Equipment Corp. computers. Also notable was that CCI was one of the first commercial entities to connect to the internet.
In the late 1970’s CCI created systems to streamline and improve operator services for Directory Assistance providers. The first was deployed at Rochester Telephone in 1977. With an ability to improve operator efficiency (which AT&T at the time pegged at $1 billion per year, per second of Average Work Time), enabled CCI to garner dominant market leadership for operator services in the US and UK markets.
In 1989 CCI was acquired by Standard Telephones and Cables (STC). The former CCI organization became known as STC Telecom.
In 1991 Northern Telecom Acquired STC Telecom. The group was merged with the TOPS (Traffic Operator Position System) switching platform group and other Directory and Operator Service (DOS) systems.
Speech Recognition
In the late 1980’s Northern Telecom and Bell Canada had embarked on joint speech recognition research efforts. The merger with CCI initially combined Northern Telecom’s speech recognition software and application for automating toll calls by speaking yes or no with CCI’s name recording for toll call automation.
Speech recognition efforts focused on automating Directory Assistance continued throughout the 90’s with customized hardware deployed to handle an increasing grammar size. Automated DA deployments during this timeframe included Bell Canada, Bell South, and Qwest.
In 1998, with the acquisition of Bay Networks, the company's name was changed to Nortel Networks. Speech Research efforts between Nortel and Bell Canada subsequently ceased.
VoltDelta
Components of Nortel’s directory and operator services (DOS) business unit were acquired by VoltDelta in 2004. Significant voice recognition and directory assistance resources joined the VoltDelta family as part of this transaction, including an office in Montreal, Canada for experts in the field of voice recognition.