You talkin' to me? Voice recognition software quickly making a name for itself.

• Author: Owsen, Dwight M.
• Position: VOICE RECOGNITION

In the "Star Trek" series, Captain Kirk often would deliver commands to his computer, which would then perform the requested task. Or, he would verbalize a problem and the computer would respond with an answer.

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While voice recognition technology is not at that level of sophistication, it is becoming a useful tool that is finding its way onto accounting professionals' desks.

WHAT IS VOICE RECOGNITION SOFTWARE?

Simply, voice recognition software allows computer users to speak commands into their computers--such as "open file"--via a microphone to complete the task.

Voice recognition systems range from high-end applications for medical professionals to low-end programs that allow users to navigate the internet.

For most CPAs, neither extreme has much appeal due to cost and functionality issues. However, there are mid-range programs--such as Dragon NaturallySpeaking, IBM ViaVoice and even Microsoft Office XP--that are available at reasonable costs.

Many users already have the computing power to run voice recognition programs, so the decision becomes which software to purchase. Prices start at less than $100 and increase depending on functionality.

Microsoft Office XP, office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010565111033.aspx, possesses basic speech recognition capabilities, which can be an inexpensive way to experiment with the technology.

Want greater capabilities? Dragon NaturallySpeaking, www.scansoft.com/naturallyspeaking, has a range of programs for Windows users and offers versions that recognize several languages in addition to English.

Those using alternative operating systems can use IBM's ViaVoice software, www-3.ibm.com/software/speech, which comes in versions for Windows, Macintosh and Linux.

It's worth taking the time to review these and other software packages on the market to see what meets your needs.

GETTING STARTED

The accounting profession is often a leader in adapting new technology. For example, it was one of the first to include spreadsheets and word processing software in its business toolkit when they became available in the early 1980s.

So why hasn't the profession incorporated voice recognition? The software is easily available; it's affordable, as many packages are available for less than $100; it's simple to install; easy to learn; and compatible with newer computers and the latest office suite software packages.

While installing voice recognition software is easy enough, users must train the...