[Indic-computing-devel] [Indic-Computing] Text to speech software

[Vijay P. S. A. <vi...@ek...>]

Hi,

I came across a recent article (although not this one) about the work on 
"Vachak" by this company, a text to speech software launched by this 
company for Indian languages. There website is www.prologixsoft.com and 
are based in Lucknow. There contact email id is 
co...@pr.... The software is also supported on Linux. I 
have tested there online speech files (.wav files) and its really 
amazing. Might help the speech group people.

best

vijay

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When your PC converses with you

By Royden D'Souza, Times News Network
The Times of India, New Delhi, India, December 7, 2002

Imagine villagers walking up to a PCO, dialling a number and having 
their e-mail read out to them in their language; visually challenged 
people surfing the Internet, and having web-page content read out to 
them in their mother-tongue; users phoning up a directory assistance, 
speaking in any of the 18 official Indian languages, or having your 
child taught daily by his/her favourite soft-toy.

Vaachak, a revolutionary text to speech software, created by Prologix 
Software Solutions Pvt Ltd of Lucknow, is the first ever software to 
translate Indian text in 18 Indian languages and even Romanised Hindi to 
clear, quality speech.

Vibhu Agarwal, president of Prologix, is obviously excited with 
Microsoft India expected to incorporate Vaachak in its latest version of 
Internet Explorer.

“The software’s synthesiser translates some 18 official Indian languages 
into clear electronic utterances in the desired Indian language, using 
the Indian Standard Code for Information Interchange (ISCII). What the 
user hears is clear and pleasant speech in a male or female voice."

"So, from having your e-mail read out to you through a sort of an e-Dak 
Seva, to having web-page content read out, to making your presentations 
more spiffy, Vaachak opens up an amazing world of options,” said Vibhu.

“Vaachak has a key role to play in e-governance, too, by enabling the 
transmission of important information and creating an administrative 
link with the inner-most reaches of a state, through the huge telephone 
network across India.” There are about 38 million telephone connections 
in the country, but only about 2 million Internet connections.

The government has so far sought to take the information revolution to 
rural India through IT Kiosks. However, this has been based on the 
premise that villagers are literate, know English, and have the time and 
money to access the Internet at such kiosks.