Philips Launches New USB ‘Smart Key’

Innovative licensing tool replaces dongles, gives digital dictation software users increased mobility and flexibility

Royal Philips Electronics (AEX: PHI, NYSE: PHG) today announced the launch of its new USB Smart Key, a unique licensing tool that allows dictation software licenses to be uploaded to any computer. Philips is the first company to offer such a tool, which replaces current dongles and older security codes that had to be manually typed in. The USB Smart Key is now packaged with Philips SpeechExec Pro Dictate and Philips SpeechExec Pro Transcribe, as well as Transcribe software packages.

Philips surveyed its dictation customers about licensing and found that mobile users, in particular, wanted to avoid carrying a dongle when using their laptop. After a thorough analysis of current licensing software concepts, Philips developed a new approach that combines original software protection with the demand for maximum user convenience and mobility.

The USB Smart Key can simply be inserted into a USB port and the software will automatically access the license stored on the key. The license can then be easily transferred to a computer with the touch of a download button and, after download is complete, the key is no longer needed for licensing and users can work on that computer without having to keep and carry a dongle. If a user wishes to work with the dictation software on an office computer as well as a computer at home, the USB Smart Key allows him or her to switch from one computer to another without having to purchase a second license.

The innovative licensing tool continuously indicates the license status with a smart color program. If the tool’s integrated LED is green, the USB Smart Key contains a full license that can be used either directly from the key, or after it has been downloaded to a computer. An orange LED indicates that the tool includes a 30-day license that can be used once it has been downloaded to a computer. If the USB Smart Key no longer contains a valid license, the LED will be red.

The USB Smart Key also contains a 30-day crash recovery license. If a user has downloaded the license to a PC that later crashes, he or she can immediately continue working with the digital dictation software on another computer.

Thomas Brauner, CEO of Philips Speech Processing, stated: “At Philips, we progressed from the classic security codes to licensing dongles that eliminated the need to manually type in a key during software installation. With the USB Smart Key, however, we developed a truly innovative tool that fulfills security requirements for licensing a professional application and at the same time provides our customers with the utmost simplicity, mobility and convenience.”

About Philips Speech Processing

For more than 50 years Philips Speech Processing has been the driving force in delivering dictation and speech technologies to users around the world. With its headquarters and production centre located in Vienna, Austria, Philips Speech Processing is the world’s market leader in professional analogue and digital dictation solutions. From office-based desktop dictation to mobile dictation, from conference recording to entire workflow solutions with the SpeechExec software family, our products support every imaginable scenario. Revolutionary digital dictation products, such as the SpeechMike, the Digital Pocket Memo with Voice Commands, the Barcode Module and the LAN Docking Station are helping professionals to work more efficiently every day, in the easiest possible manner, entirely in keeping with Philips ‘sense and simplicity’ philosophy. For more information, visit: www.philips.com/dictation.

About Royal Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a global leader in healthcare, lighting and consumer lifestyle, delivering people-centric, innovative products, services and solutions through the brand promise of “sense and simplicity”. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs approximately 128,100 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of EUR 27 billion in 2006, the company is a market leader in medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring systems, energy efficient lighting solutions, as well as lifestyle solutions for personal wellbeing. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.

Contacts

Philips Speech Processing
Vickie Hanson, 888-260-6261
vickie.hanson {at} philips(.)com
www.philips.com/dictation