Every year, in the post-Christmas wake, journalists bring out the tried and true Top 10 lists concept to take a look back and sum up the activities of the previous year.  This year, I found speech recognition in general being mentioned in more than a few places: from desktop software dictation products to passing mentions of the network-based products you find in automated phone systems.

Yeah, yeah, speech is great.  I work at Nuance, of course I think speech technology is an important part of the future.  But like any technology, you have to answer one important question...

SO WHAT?

Speech technology falls into the classic hi-tech marketing trap.  People don't want a 3/4" drill bit, they want a 3/4" hole.  They don't want to dictate to their computers -- they want to get work done faster.  They don't want to talk to an automated system instead of pressing buttons -- they want to get their issue resolved as quickly as possible. 

The speech industry has long been enamored of itself because of our way-cool technology.  Slowly but surely, however, we've taken our heads out of the sand.  It's not about speech!  It's about customer interactions.  It's about better service.  It's about getting people in touch with the right agents, or systems, or information, as quickly as possible.  It's about caring for the way you care about your customers.  And the challenge doesn't stop with the customer interface for inbound calls -- companies have to proactively communicate with customers, and they have to spend time analyzing their interactions with customers, if they want to truly provide the levels of customer service that today's consumer demands.

These days I cringe every time I hear Nuance referred to as a speech company.  That's like saying Microsoft is an operating system company, or that Apple is a touchscreen interface company.   It's a technology in the middle.  It's a means to an end.  It's the vehicle by which one can try to provide a better customer experience.