The New York Times > Technology > Speech Code From I.B.M. to Become Open Source

The New York Times > Technology > Speech Code From I.B.M. to Become Open Source "I.B.M. plans to announce today that it will contribute some of its speech-recognition software to two open-source software groups.
The move is a tactical step by International Business Machines to accelerate the development of speech applications and to outmaneuver rivals, especially Microsoft, in a market that is expected to grow rapidly in the next few years with increased use in customer-service call centers, cars and elsewhere. To do this, I.B.M. is again using the strategy of placing some of its proprietary software in open-source projects, making it available for other programmers to improve.
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I.B.M. is also announcing an agreement with Avaya, a leading supplier of call-center technology, to jointly develop speech-enabled self-service applications for corporate customers. "Web self-service and speech self-service can be developed in tandem," said Eileen Rudden, vice president of Avaya's communications applications division. "We see this as a way to lower the cost of building speech applications and broaden the market."