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.
