o covers speech technologies for Meta Group, a technology research firm located in Stamford, Connecticut. Today, preconfigured speech templates, drop-in objects, and other packaged tools make speech integration develop- ment less burdensome. Hardware improvements, particularly speedier proces- sors, also help make speech integration a more practical technology. "Speech recognition is now very widely deployable," says Ussher. "I'm seeing clients with a return on their investment within three to six months." Yet another reason for increased interest in enterprise speech integration can be found in the almost exponential proliferation of mobile phones, PDAs, and other portable wireless devices. Speech input/output is an attractive alter- native to cramped keyboards and miniscule displays. "If I'm on my mobile phone while driving my car, I'm not going to push buttons for my account number," says Ussher. "I'm going to wait for an agent-living or virtual." Dollar Thrifty has been using speech integration to handle some of the more than 1 million calls it receives each year from "rate shoppers"-bargain hunters who phone several different car rental companies in search of the best deal. "Many of the folks who call are just interested in checking rates," says Bob Dupont, vice president of reservations for Thrifty. "They aren't interested in making a reservation; they just want to get information for comparison purposes." To free its call center staff from the burden of handling routine data lookups, Dollar Thrifty installed Speech Works International's software at its Thrifty division. The system lets callers check rental rates and availability at airport locations by talking with a virtual call center agent. "It's a very natural, realistic interchange," says DuPont. The software also automatically adapts to unique requirements, such as providing personalized rates for members of Thrifty's loyalty program. After checking rates and availability, callers who decide to make a reserva- tion are seamlessly transferred to a liv