Zi Corporation (Nasdaq: ZICA) (TSX: ZIC), a leading Asian and global provider of intelligent interface solutions, will unveil at CommunicAsia 2005 a revolutionary new service discovery engine that provides users with a quick and easy method for accessing and discovering a phone’s full set of features, applications and services without having to remember where and how to find them via the phone’s built-in menu structure. Qix™, pronounced “quicks,” intuitively accesses information directly from the phone screen used for dialing a phone number on the 12-button keypad.
Zi Corporation comes to CommunicAsia (Stand 3K1-08 at the Canadian Pavilion) as one of Asia’s leading providers with its software now operating on nearly 700 different devices worldwide. The Asian launch of Qix is the latest development from Zi designed to help users easily access new and increasingly advanced services available from mobile phones and other handheld devices.
“Qix is a genuine breakthrough in phone usability that will promote the increased use of applications and services through the small form factor of the mobile phone,” said Glen Morgan, senior vice president of global sales and marketing, Zi Corporation. “Qix proactively anticipates a user’s needs, working from the user’s perspective, for the user’s benefit, and we are delighted to be showing it to the Asian market for the first time at CommunicAsia”.
Combining patented technology and a unique, proprietary indexing engine, Qix significantly reduces the number of key presses needed to use a mobile phone’s full set of services and features and eliminates the need to scroll through complex menu systems. Qix can greatly enhance the user experience for the subscriber and simultaneously drive service usage and adoption resulting in greater ARPU (Average Revenue per User) for the operator.
Qix utilizes all the information stored in the mobile phone to facilitate the choices available to the user. While in the phone screen for dialing a number on the 12-button keypad, Qix begins interpreting the possible combinations of the letters and numbers entered and presents the user with a list of options; including, phonebook contacts, browser bookmarks, installed applications, operator customized services, help files and more. In most cases, after just 3 to 4 key presses, the desired option is presented.
As an example, pressing the “9/WXYZ” key followed by the “3/DEF” key would bring up a list of contacts, individuals or companies, whose names or numbers begin with these combinations, such as a colleague’s name from the phonebook, Wendy, and a company’s number with the sequence of 93 within it from the call log file. Equally it would display available applications, services, bookmarks, help files or games available on the device containing the number sequence 64 or letter combinations of WXYZ with DEF. In this example, Qix would present the Web browser application, a URL bookmark such as Yell.com and the Web settings help file on the phone. The user then simply highlights and clicks on the relevant item and it is opened regardless of whether it is an application, bookmark, etc.
Commenting on the Qix technology, Morten Grauballe, vice-president of product management at Symbian, said, “We are delighted that the first version of Qix is based on the Symbian OS, the world’s leading operating system for smartphones. The phone user interface enhancement delivered by Qix will provide enormous benefits to users and operators.”
When presented with a phonebook contact, Qix also provides a list of the revenue generating services to utilize; e.g., send a SMS, send an e-mail, take and send a photo. This capability is central to the Qix concept as it exposes users to features that they might not otherwise discover or know how to access. This eliminates the need for operators to direct users to services and applications via the menu system or user manual. By using this approach, Qix serves as a key enabler for operators as they roll-out a range of advanced 3G applications and services on next-generation wireless devices.
“Qix will radically change the user’s experience,” said Milos Djokovic, CTO and COO at Zi Corporation. “With other systems, if a user wants to send a SMS to a colleague, he would have to find and open the application, figure out how to enter and / or find a contact, compose the message, attach it to the addressee’s details and then send it – a lengthy, multiple key press experience. Qix simplifies and speeds up the whole process with just a few simple key presses – without menus.”
Other highlights at the show will include new versions of the eZiText® and award nominated Decuma handwriting recognition product.
