Johnson Controls, Inc. and VoiceBox Technologies have signed a multiyear agreement that makes Voicebox the exclusive supplier of conversational voice search and retrieval features for Johnson Controls' BlueConnect wireless mobile device gateway to the automotive market. The voice search capabilities include Bluetooth hands-free dialing and in-vehicle music navigation.

"We selected VoiceBox after extensive testing because of its distinct, accurate and reliable voice user interface platform that allows users to speak in a natural informal way when operating in-vehicle devices such as navigation and music management, particularly in noisy car cabin environments," explained Jim Geschke, vice president and general manager of electronics, North America for Johnson Controls.

VoiceBox Technologies' product is based on Knowledge Enhanced Search and Speech Recognition (KESSR) algorithms that create searches and queries dynamically based on context and user intent.