Business Wire via COMTEX

Jan 15, 2004 6:12:00 PM

SALT LAKE CITY, Jan 15, 2004 (BUSINESS WIRE) --

Fonix(R) Corp. (OTC BB: FNIX), a provider of easy-to-use speech interfaces, tools and applications, and GW Micro Inc., a supplier of solutions to computer users who are blind or have low vision, announce Fonix DECtalk(TM) as a standard feature in every copy of Window-Eyes V 4.5, which is showcased this week at the ATIA Conference and Exhibition in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Jan. 14-17. Fonix receives unit royalties from GW Micro for each copy of Window-Eyes V 4.5 sold. Persons with visual impairments make up a large portion of the assistive market, and screen readers like Window-Eyes are integral to those users who need access to computers.

Fonix DECtalk, the industry leader for full-featured, small footprint text-to-speech (TTS) solutions, is a long-term supplier to the assistive market and the most intelligible TTS in the industry. GW Micro Window-Eyes is a software screen reader for people who are blind that gives them the power to carry out complicated tasks with the ease previously enjoyed only by mouse users.

'Fonix DECtalk provides our users with a familiar voice, long-known as one of the most human-sounding synthesized voices. DECtalk has been the standard in the assistive community for many years, and we are happy to be able to offer it to our users,'said Dan Weirich, co-owner of GW Micro. Window-Eyes is the most stable screen reader available, with Windows 9x and Me, 2000, XP and 2003 Server compatibility, and the first screen reader to offer Remote Access Solutions. 'Window-Eyes gives you total control over what you hear and how you hear it,'said Weirich.

'GW Micro is a terrific partner, and now they are able to take advantage of our Fonix DECtalk as a standard feature in Window-Eyes V 4.5,'said John Oelfke, vice president of Fonix Embedded Speech Solutions. 'Their users will continue to access the voices they have become familiar with over time. And they will have the intelligibility, even at a high rate of speed, that visually impaired people need every day. This partnership reinforces the leadership that Fonix DECtalk has had for years in the assistive market.'

Speech is a natural interface for people with limited or no sight. Window-Eyes and Fonix DECtalk provide users with a clear channel to the world of information and allow them to compete in that world. Fonix speech technologies provide a natural human interface to help people communicate through a broad range of applications used with PDAs, Smartphones, handheld and notebook PCs, and other wireless-enabled mobile products.

Benefits

Fonix DECtalk text-to-speech technology transforms ordinary text into natural-sounding, highly intelligible speech. It provides the highest level of speech quality and accuracy available in the industry, producing clear, correct pronunciation of single characters, words, phrases and proper names. Fonix DECtalk technology is the smallest fully featured speech synthesizer in the world, offers personalized voices and has extensive user controls to ensure optimum performance in real-world applications.

Features -- Six languages (U.S. and U.K. English, Latin-American and Castilian Spanish, French and German) -- Nine voices (four female, four male and one child) -- Variable speaking rates from 75 to 600 words per minute -- Accurate letter-to-sound pronunciation rules -- Ability to say ethnic-specific proper names About Fonix
Fonix Corp. provides speech interface solutions for mobile/wireless devices, computer telephony systems, the assistive market, automobiles and everyday consumer devices. Manufacturers and developers incorporate Fonix technology to provide their customers with an easy, convenient, reliable user experience. Visit www.fonix.com for an introduction to Fonix's complete suite of speech solutions, or contact a Fonix representative at 801-553-6600 and say 'Sales.'

Investor contact: ECON Corporate Services www.***************** 866-894-3913

Statements released by Fonix Corp. that are not purely historical are forward looking within the meaning of the 'Safe Harbor'provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the company's expectations, hopes, intentions and strategies for the future. Forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainties that may affect the company's business prospects and performance. The company's actual results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Risk factors include general economic, competitive, governmental and technological factors as discussed in the company's filings with the SEC on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. The company does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements contained in this release.

SOURCE: Fonix Corp.

Fonix Corp., Salt Lake City Elizabeth Sweeten, 801-553-6600 mediainfo@fonix.com

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