Shared Goals Lead to a Sense of Community

The CEO of Intervoice says that, in relying on each other, UTD and
business help keep education and research fresh.

by Paula Felps


Intervoice is one of a growing number of companies that often turn to The
University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) for a business assist. Those companies
rely upon their partnerships with UTD to work together for a common goal.

"The [high-tech] industry in general needs a strong business and
engineering school that can provide employers with a good pool of
qualified, educated people," says David W. Brandenburg, chief executive
officer of Intervoice, Inc.

"What we learned [in the past few years] was that the good run we had in
technology won't last, and with UTD in our back yard, there's a chance for
people to go back to school and acquire some new skills as the needs [of
industry] change."

Founded in 1983, Intervoice, Inc. is a pioneer in speech technology and
voice-automation solutions whose headquarters are across from the UTD
campus on Waterview Parkway. The company has a long history with UTD, and
Mr. Brandenburg says that, over the last twenty-plus years, the two have
created a synergistic relationship.

"It has become a good resource for us," he says. "Because of our
relationship with UTD, we have been able to get some research done that we
could not have done in-house because we just didn't have the resources.
Anytime you have a big base of industry like we have [in the Telecom
Corridor], it's good to have something like this available that shares
some of your same goals."

Mr. Brandenburg says those shared goals have created a sense of community
between academia and industry, with members of the tech community
furthering their education at UTD while the school actively participates
in research projects for surrounding firms. As a member of the Executive
Committee of UTD's Development Board as well as a member of the Erik
Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science's Advisory Board, Mr.
Brandenburg has witnessed firsthand what The School of Management
contributes to the tech community.

In return, Intervoice has made it a point to give back, donating to The
School of Management's building fund, while Intervoice Executive Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer Craig E. Holmes sits as a member of
The UTD School of Management Advisory Council (see New Chairman Welcomes
Five New Members on page 18). Additionally, the company is working with
UTD on a large project in the field of speech automation.

"Intervoice pioneered the automated phone system, and we recently started
changing the interface, so people can actually talk back to an automated
system instead of punching buttons," he explains.

"There is all kinds of stuff going on in the wireless world, and it seems
the progress in technology is never-ending," he says. That's why it's so
important for companies like Intervoice to have UTD, with its schools of
management and engineering, so close by, he says. The country needs more
engineering students who are trained in the fundamentals of management,
"but you have to be able to attract students and hold their interest.

"I think some of the things UTD and the companies around here are doing
will help [achieve] that."

In August, Intervoice participated in the Emergency Readiness Conference
and Expo, a symposium sponsored jointly by The UTD School of Management
and the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science (see
Emergency Readiness Conference on page 16). At ERC 2004, Intervoice
unveiled the Omvia Notification service, an emergency event service being
provided to the government sector. Through an alliance with the Emergency
Email Network, government leaders will be able to receive vital
information in the event of emergencies ranging from natural disasters to
terrorist attacks. The information can be delivered to virtually any
wireless, Internet-enabled or communication device.