Who needs speech recognition software? While the technology is often ridiculed in pop culture with people trying to use over the phone speech recognition software, predominantly misunderstood and used for comical effect, the software has actually proliferated many industries over the decades and become more useful than ever.
It’s not quite the point where you would be able to command the US Enterprise, but it’s not far off. One of the speech recognition giants is Nuance, whose flagship product Dragon has been at the forefront of the commercial adoption of speech recognition software, outlasting many of its competitors.
The main benefits have always been centred around the product’s ability to transcribe dictated speech into text at a quick speed, however in recent years additional features allowing automatic transcription, time-saving shortcuts, macro commands and valuable customisations have been added to the stable (or cave).
In its earliest days, the software developed something of a stigma with its early release, possibly too soon to market and not able to rely on the processing power of today’s entry-level computers. This has always been a difficulty in converting new users, who may become frustrated by their computer’s lack of processor speed or memory, and coupled with the software’s requirement for at least basic training.
When you learn a new language, you can get a self-help course, but it just helps being able to talk to people who are fluent. The same goes for adopting a new input method like Dragon, having people that know the software and are well-versed enough to adjust the system to your requirements makes the conversion so much easier.
It’s not to say that you can’t learn a new language like Dragon on your own, but if time is valuable to you it does help to have someone by your side through the process to coach you, give you inside tips and tricks and introduce you to the wide spectrum of features that make the productivity tools so invaluable.
In South Africa, a company that has become known for its coaching, integration, training and after sales support is HCD (Human Capital Development). Headed by Managing Director, Peter Durham, the company has been tending to all matters Dragon since its earliest days. From the time when you had to dictate one word at a time, HCD have made themselves indispensable by keeping up with the latest product changes in terms of training and support.
Specialising in the medical and legal industries, HCD as its name suggests is all about harnessing productivity and human potential within companies. If you can talk, you can type and do so much more with Dragon. Beyond its simple transcription, HCD is able to assist your company, workflow and make suggestions as to how to incorporate the best solution to save you time and ultimately money.
Whether you’re lawyer or a doctor, a student or someone writing their memoirs, Dragon makes itself useful whether you’re just jotting down notes after a meeting on your cell phone’s voice recorder for transcription later, responding to a few quick emails or drafting a much longer document.
People who use the product often become so dependent on being able to dictate emails, documents and even use messaging programs that they almost forget how to type or their body physically rejects the idea. This just goes to show how integral and important this revolutionary productivity tool can be. If you’re looking for this kind of business enhancement, visit HCD for more information.