Lattice launches multilingual systems for Emergency Services at BAPCO 2008

The "First Contact" applications from Lattice Voice Technologies is an innovative suite of software that enables an organisation's staff to communicate directly with customers, each in their own different language. The system identifies the language of the customer and then enables communication between staff and customers via scripted dialogues that embody the client's best business practices. These dialogues can operate both automatically and by real-time intervention from client staff. The system uses any language in and any language out, and operates on a wide range of devices, enabling this multilingual facility to be deployed between:

• telephone callers and call centre staff - "On the Phone",

• via touch screens for visitors to front desks of offices - "In the Office" and

• via mobile devices for customers at home or on the street - "On the Street".

The systems integrate with telephone, computing, Internet and mobile technologies that are already in operation as part of the client's normal business infrastructure. The multilingual facilities can be served from a remote Lattice Voice Server or from local systems, to optimise corporate and local resources.
"First Contact" is one of the world's first highly convergent range of applications, tightly integrating both established and leading-edge technologies from fixed & mobile telephony, computing and the Internet.

Operational highlights

The "First Contact" applications are particularly relevant for Police Forces, given their duty of care and the general principle of giving access to their services for all citizens regardless of ethnic background, and of course in circumstances that are often life-threatening.

For example, "First Contact - On the Phone" enables a call taker at a Police call centre to identify the language of a caller, usually within 30 seconds, and then enables the call taker to establish the reason for calling and to identify the key facts of the situation. For example, the system may identify a caller's language as Polish and then enable the call taker to ascertain that the caller needs to report a traffic incident, and further to discover that a number of cars have been involved, the road is blocked and three people are injured so an ambulance is required. In this way "First Contact" enables an English-speaking call taker to communicate directly with a Polish-speaking caller, and to identify sufficient information to be able to despatch the correct resources effectively and efficiently.

Similarly, "First Contact - In the Office" enables a desk officer and a visitor to a Police station to communicate, each in their own language, via two touch screens. For example,
having enabled the desk officer to identify a visitor's language as Mandarin, the system then enables an English-speaking officer to establish that the visitor needs to report an assault on himself, along with the time and location of the incident and a description of the attacker. Again enabling the desk officer to deploy the correct resources efficiently and to reassure the visitor of the actions taken and any further procedures that may be necessary.

"First Contact - On the Street" deploys these multilingual facilities outside the call centre and police station, wherever officers and detectives need to communicate with people on the street or in their homes or businesses. For example, having stopped a motorist for a possible drink-driving offence, the system enables a traffic officer to identify the motorist's language as Latvian, and to communicate with him directly. The officer can choose for example to ask the motorist, in Latvian, whether he has been drinking in the past twenty minutes. The officer can go on to explain that he is authorised by law to ask the motorist to take a breathalyser test. He can then, in Latvian, explain the use of the device, the test and the results, and then explain that the motorist is free to go or is being arrested for the relevant charge.

Such multilingual software applications, that enable direct communication between people in different languages, are a very cost-effective way to deal with the language barrier and to provide access to important services regardless of ethnic background. These applications can be used not only in reactive circumstances, but also to proactively reach out to local ethnic communities to accelerate programmes for community engagement. In these ways, the "First Contact" applications are an important component in a Police Force's strategy for enhancing performance on a wide range of issues - operational, political and financial - and can add a compelling dimension to a Force's community-based policing activities.

Technical highlights

"First Contact" has been designed and built using all the relevant standards applicable to telephony, computing and the Internet. The applications need no proprietary equipment. All the functionality is available using the existing hardware and software that a client company would normally be using already, such as telephones, mobiles, PDAs, servers, personal computers and web browsers. Also, all the applications have been designed from the outset to satisfy all the large enterprise needs for robustness, reliability and resilience.

The "First Contact" applications have been developed for UNIX, using the C programming language, for resilience and portability, and also are fully compliant with all relevant standards. In relation to the web-based modules, the applications use HTTP for transport functionality, HTML for delivering the payload contents and XML & XSLT for data structuring and presentation, so that the system is scalable and easy to customise to the needs of each individual client. In relation to the telephony functionality, the applications use the SIP protocol for session initiation, and fully supports connectivity via VoIP, ISDN and analogue devices.

"First Contact" products can be deployed in "stand-alone" mode and "network" mode. "In the Office", for example, can be deployed via a stand-alone PC connected to a pair of touch-screens. "On the Street" can be deployed with scripted dialogues embedded in the mobile device itself. Where functionality and content are served from a server on a network, the applications are designed to be lightweight, so that server processing and network communication is as efficient as possible.

Lattice Voice Technologies is an early stage company and is funded by its co-founders and by Yorkshire Fund Managers. The company develops innovative software solutions that enable the staff of client organisations to communicate directly with customers who may speak a wide range of different languages. These applications enable client organisations to embrace a clear competitive advantage in offering the full range of their products and services to all of their potential customers regardless of ethnic background.

In these days of globalisation and economic migration, it is not only politically correct to embrace all of one's community of customers, it is commercially and operationally advantageous too.

For further information please contact Bob Carnell, Co-Founder and Sales & Marketing Director at:

Email: Bob.Carnell@lattice-voice.com
Mobile: 07785 958 249 Office: 01904 661 900
Website: http://www.lattice-voice.com/