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AT&T and Wizzard Software Agree to Extend Agreement for Wizzard to Continue Distributing AT&T Natural Voices TTS Product Portfolio Worldwide

Posted on: Thursday, 7 April 2005, 09:00 CDT

Wizzard Software (OTCBB:WIZD) is pleased to announce that the current licensing/distribution relationship with AT&T (NYSE:T), allowing Wizzard worldwide distribution of AT&T's Natural Voices (R) text-to-speech engine, has been extended for an additional five-year period.

This agreement substantially extends Wizzard Software's current position as AT&T's preferred channel for their award winning Natural Voices desktop Text-To-Speech Software Developer's Kit and AT&T Natural Voices Telephony Server edition, enabling Wizzard to continue to offer distributable runtime Text-To-Speech engines worldwide for an additional five-year period. AT&T Natural Voices software is an example of the innovation power of AT&T Labs, AT&T's world-class R&D organization that develops new services and technologies for business customers.

"Wizzard has become an exceptional sales/support channel for AT&T Natural Voices," said Mike Robinson, AT&T Intellectual Property Licensing Manager. "By bringing AT&T's extensive TTS technology portfolio to market through Wizzard's low-cost sales/support model, we've been able to reach a fast-growing and diverse market with high-quality and affordable products. We are pleased to extend this relationship for the benefit of AT&T, Wizzard, and our mutual customers."

Wizzard plans to step up efforts to market Natural Voices in Linux and Windows(R) versions to corporate customers and the software development community in the following four fast growing categories:

-- Developer's kits so that programmers can integrate AT&T Natural Voices into custom Linux and Window's applications.

-- Runtime engines for distribution of AT&T Natural Voices with products or deployment for corporate usage.

-- Wav file licensing for a wide variety of environments where AT&T Natural Voices excellent voice quality and automation add value.

-- Voice Fonts that allow users to experience different languages, based on different male and female voices.

"We are extremely pleased with the confidence that AT&T has shown in Wizzard," said Bruce Phifer, General Manager of Technology and Services for Wizzard. "For well over a year, Natural Voices customers have enjoyed the benefits of an excellent Wizzard/AT&T relationship. This announcement is viewed as a milestone, in that long term continuation of the Wizzard/AT&T relationship is a very positive factor to Wizzard customers whose technology strategies are dependent on our ability to continue offering/supporting this exceptional technology at compelling prices."

Named "Technology of the Year" by Frost & Sullivan, a global leader in international consulting and training on emerging high technology and industrial markets, AT&T's Natural Voices product line is widely considered to be one of the most human-sounding speech synthesis systems in the world. AT&T Labs' Natural Voices software offers "plug-and-play" language support instead of requiring different engines for each language. AT&T's Natural Voices team can create voices up to three times faster than the industry standard and the AT&T technology provides exceptionally high channel density.

AT&T's Natural Voices has been licensed by Wizzard's customers to be used in a variety of formats, including homeland security technology, simulators for training in the US Military & NASA astronauts and in accessibility software to aid the visually impaired.

About Wizzard Software:

Founded in 1996, Wizzard Software has become a leader in the speech technology application development market. Wizzard architects solutions to business problems using its expertise in consulting, speech development tools and building speech based applications for the Desktop and Internet. Wizzard has achieved global recognition because of its expertise with voice communication whether it is via PC or telephone. Wizzard's successes have lead to expanding opportunities in both the government and commercial sectors. In April of 2004, Wizzard acquired MedivoxRx Technologies. Established in 2000, MedivoxRx is the originator of "Rex", the talking prescription pill bottle, which "talks" to the patient allowing them to distinguish what type of medication is in the bottle and hear critical information on dosage amounts and refill parameters. Additional information on MedivoxRx can be found at www.rxtalks.com. More information on Wizzard Software can be found on the Investor's Page at www.wizzardsoftware.com.

Legal Notice

Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: "Forward-looking Statements" as defined in the Private Securities litigation Reform Act of 1995 may be included in this news release. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance. These statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future results or events. We disclaim any intention or obligation to revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. There are important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to risks associated with changes in general economic and business conditions, actions of our competitors, the extent to which we are able to develop new services and markets for our services, the time and expense involved in such development activities, the level of demand and market acceptance of our services, changes in our business strategies and acts of terror against the United States.

Source: Business Wire

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