Apptera receives two new patents for caller behavior and speech applications

by: admin Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007

Rating: advertising voice solutions

Apptera has received two US patents - U.S. Patent 7,206,391 on the “Method for Creating and Deploying System Changes in a Voice Application System” issued on April 17, 2007 and U.S. Patent 7,242,752 B2 for “Behavioral Adaptation Engine for Discerning Behavioral Characteristics of Callers Interacting with VXML-Compliant Voice Application” issued on July 10, 2007.

From the press release“These patents and our growing intellectual property portfolio are important because they address the needs of the rapidly evolving mobile caller ecosystem,” Marketta Silvera, CEO, Apptera. “The ability to automate and personalize search-by-voice on the mobile phone and to offer relevant ads, information and answers is essential. These capabilities will greatly increase the value of Apptera’s MobileAd Technology for directory assistance service providers, portals, advertisers and their agencies.”

What we think
GoMo News remains luke warm on mobile advertising and voice technology. But any patents in this area will help Apptera carve a niche in a market that is increasingly more active. Voice and speech services are “in” and operators and vendors are ensuring that voice plays at least some active part in the mobile advertising evolution. AT&T already offers a new MovieTickets ad-sponsored ticket service and basically dialing in to directory services will mean more than just receiving information – consumers will be served ads or sent coupons and encouraged to view similar shows etc.

But Apptera is taking this one step further with its behavioural adaptation engine. This will intercept the calls and check them for patterns and moods according to pre-existing definitions.

What does this mean?
Basically, in the same way that mobile search can you behavioural analysis to ensure answers – so will Apptera. But the whole problem with anything based on behavioural is that it is based on pre-determined stereotypes and for this to really work – consumers are going to have to be very active users.

So its likely vendors will get it wrong before they get it right.

Read Apptera raises USD 9 million here.