Logitech Inc. and Berkeley Speech Technologies Sign Licensing Agreement

BeSTspeech ReadOut, Text to Speech Utility, Works Exclusively with
AudioMan

Fremont, Calif.--October 18, 1993 - Logitech Inc., international market
leader in computer peripherals, today announced the signing of a licensing
agreement with Berkeley Speech Technologies (BST). Logitech will include
BST's BeSTspeech ReadOut, a text to speech (TTS) utility, with its new
version of AudioMan, also announced today. BeSTspeech ReadOut is the only
product in the personal computer market with BeSTspeech TTS technology.
Major applications for text-to-speech conversion now include talking
dictionaries and translators, telephone voice information systems, and
speech output from automotive navigation systems. Famous disabled TTS
users include blind musician Stevie Wonder and astrophysicist Steven
Hawking. The AudioMan bundle will be available through Logitech dealers
and distributors in November at a suggested retail price of $179.

BeSTspeech ReadOut now works exclusively with AudioMan. Text-to-speech
conversion, as the technology is often called, is in effect a
knowledge-based expert system - a body of computer-executable rules which
utilize all of the knowledge about human speech which the science of
linguistics has amassed in its 3000 year history. The program reads aloud
from user-highlighted text within most programs running under Windows,
including word processors, E-mail, and even numbers and text from
spreadsheets. BeSTspeech ReadOut has an unlimited vocabulary - it can read
anything, including names, because it is true text-to-speech, not just
playback of pre-recorded words.

"The new version of AudioMan represents a giant step forward in the
business audio market," said Peter Wharton, Logitech's Global Product
Manager for Business Audio. "It combines the high-performance technology
of Berkeley Speech Technologies with the reliability, design, and support
of Logitech, offering TTS technology to Windows users for the first time.
Over the next few years, we will see a steady increase in the role of
audio in business presentations and applications."

"BeSTspeech ReadOut has never been directly available to the end user. This
is the first application for personal computers," said Elisabeth Peters,
General Manager of Berkeley Speech Technologies. "BeSTspeech ReadOut
allows the end user to utilize special features such as highlighting text
within E-mail, closing the E-mail, and retaining the ability to listen to
that text while working in another document or walking around the office.
Users can highlight a word in a document to hear the correct
pronunciation. It is especially useful for proofreading."

AudioMan is an external audio device with an integrated speaker and
microphone. It attaches to the parallel port of any IBM PC or compatible
via a cable, allowing users to record and play back audio (voice, sound,
and music) within a sound-compatible application. The product uses
Microsoft's Object Linking and Embedding (OLE), a cross-document interface
standard used by numerous Windows applications. OLE permits users to
integrate a variety of data formats (i.e., graphics, sound, and text) from
diverse sources within a single document. AudioMan records not only voice,
but sounds from other sources, such as tapes and CDs via the audio input
port. An output port allows the connection of headphones or speakers.
AudioMan is powered by standard "AA" batteries or by AC.

Logitech designs, manufactures and markets "Senseware" - products designed
to give human-like "senses" such as sight, sound, and touch to the
computer, making human-to-computer communication more intuitive and
natural. Retail and OEM products of the company and its affiliates include
pointing devices (such as mice and trackballs), hand-held scanners,
digital cameras, pen digitizers, joysticks, sound products, and related
software applications for IBM, Macintosh, and other platforms. Logitech
International, the financial holding company for the Logitech Group, is
traded publicly in Switzerland on the Zurich and Geneva exchanges. With
operational headquarters in Fremont, Calif., the group maintains
manufacturing facilities in Fremont, California; Hsinchu, Taiwan; Cork,
Ireland; and Shanghai, China; and offices in major cities in the U.S.,
Europe, and the Far East.

Logitech Inc, 6505 Kaiser Dr, Fremont, CA 94555
510-795-8500;  fax: 510-792-8901

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