IVONA Text-to-Speech Expands Lifelike Voices to US Market

Author: IVONA Text-To-Speech
Published: 9 Sep 2010 - Updated: 23 Sep 2026
Publication Type: Product Release, Update

Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - Overview - FAQs - Insights, Updates - Related Content

Synopsis

This information is a 2010 company announcement from IVONA Text-to-Speech, a speech synthesis developer based near Gdansk, Poland. IVONA named Craig Campbell, a speech technology specialist with 10 years in the field, as Director of Business Development for the Americas to lead its entry into the US market. The company offers five core products: telecom voices, HD voices for embedded devices, software-as-a-service voice services, consumer desktop voices, and an automated recording studio that produces voice prompts and voice-overs. IVONA says voice quality is the main thing buyers look for, and it designs its voices to read whole passages and books with natural inflection instead of flat, robotic output. That matters to people who are blind, have low vision, or have reading disabilities, because anyone who listens to e-books, navigation directions, or phone menus for long stretches benefits from clear, natural-sounding speech. The announcement also shows where commercial speech synthesis was heading in 2010, as tools first built for accessibility were moving into mainstream consumer products.*

At a Glance

• 1 - IVONA can build custom branded voices in under 60 days.
• 2 - The company began creating TTS voices for people with vision and reading disabilities in 2001.
• 3 - IVONA works with RNIB and DAISY, two of the largest organizations supporting blind and visually impaired people.
• 4 - Its visual pronunciation editor supports multiple voice profiles, so a textbook can be read differently than a text message.

Topic Definition

Text-to-Speech (TTS)

Text-to-speech is software that converts written text into spoken audio, so people can listen to content instead of reading it on a screen or page. The software breaks text down into sounds, works out pronunciation, rhythm, and emphasis, and then produces speech using either recorded fragments of a human voice or, in newer systems, neural network models trained on large amounts of recorded speech. For people who are blind, have low vision, dyslexia, or other print disabilities, it powers screen readers, audiobook players, and reading aids. It also runs in everyday products such as GPS navigation, phone menus, and voice assistants. A good text-to-speech voice pronounces words correctly, uses natural intonation, and remains easy to listen to over long periods.

Overview

IVONAText-to-Speech (TTS), creator and winner of multiple awards for most human-sounding synthetic voices and speech output products, is proud to announce the appointment of Craig Campbell as Director of Business Development in the Americas.

Mr. Campbell, a recognized speech evangelist with 10-years experience, will lead IVONA's entry into the US marketplace where he will oversee partnerships and sales activities. A recognized thought leader in multi-modal communications, Mr. Campbell has presented at numerous trade shows including SpeechTek, VON, AVIOS, and GDC.

IVONA's mission is to deliver the most natural-sounding TTS system in the world. IVONA's 10 years of innovation in speech sciences, artificial intelligence, and award-winning proprietary speech technology, has resulted in speech synthesis solutions able to articulate words, sentences, paragraphs, or even whole stories and books exactly like human voice-talent, preserving the full expressiveness and individuality of the natural voice.

Headquartered near Gdansk, a vanguard region dating from Copernicus through the Solidarity movement, IVONA pioneered TTS voices for persons with vision and reading disabilities starting in 2001. Today, IVONA serves dozens of markets with a suite of 5 core speech products including: Telecom voices, HD voices for embedded devices, SaaS voice services, consumer desktop voices, and an automated "recording studio" to generate static prompts and voice-overs.

"We're very excited to bring IVONA's human equality voices to fast-growing US markets such as e-books, navigation devices, and telephony systems," said CEO Lukasz Osowski. "Quality is the number one purchasing factor, whether we're talking to consumers or product managers. Everyone wants a voice that sounds natural and lifelike and uses inflection," added Osowski.

All IVONA's products are feature-rich and designed for usability. Intuitive tools such as the visual pronunciation editor go beyond industry norms by allowing multiple voice profiles, so text books can be read differently than text messages, for example.

Craig Campbell explained:

"I think the US market is going to be very surprised by IVONA. The company's relentless pursuit of quality is evident from the first voiced words, to advanced engineering details like IVONA Telecom's built-in load balancer, and the ability of the Embedded TTS engine to capture IVONA's signature lifelike sound."

IVONA Text-to-Speech, Quality You Can Hear.

IVONA is widely recognized and awarded as the highest-quality, most natural-sounding TTS system in the world. The IVONA suite of products includes a wide range of specialty TTS solutions for business, telecommunications, SaaS, mobile, and home use. Among its most notable innovations, IVONA developed a Rapid Voice Development technology which is able to generate custom branded voices for use in IVONA TTS in under 60 days. In support of its long-standing commitment to accessibility, the Company works closely with RNIB and DAISY, the largest organizations supporting blind and visually impaired people in the world.

Frequently Asked Questions

NOTE: Researched FAQs by Disabled World (DW)

What happened to IVONA Text-to-Speech?

Amazon acquired IVONA in 2013. Its speech technology was folded into Amazon products and became the foundation for Amazon Polly and the voice of Alexa.

Can I still download IVONA voices?

IVONA desktop voices are no longer sold or supported as standalone products. Similar voices are available through Amazon Polly, a cloud-based text-to-speech service.

What is the difference between neural and standard text-to-speech voices?

Standard voices usually stitch together recorded speech fragments, while neural voices use deep learning models to generate speech. Neural voices generally sound smoother and more natural, with better rhythm and intonation.

Are there free text-to-speech tools built into computers and phones?

Yes. Windows includes Narrator, Apple devices offer VoiceOver and Spoken Content, and Android includes TalkBack and Select to Speak, all at no extra cost.

What is the difference between a screen reader and text-to-speech?

Text-to-speech converts text into spoken audio. A screen reader is a broader assistive program that uses text-to-speech to read out menus, buttons, and page content so blind users can navigate a device.

What is the DAISY format?

DAISY, the Digital Accessible Information System, is a standard for accessible digital books. It lets readers jump between chapters, headings, and pages, and it can combine synchronized audio and text.

Who benefits most from text-to-speech software?

People who are blind or have low vision, people with dyslexia or other learning disabilities, older adults with declining eyesight, and anyone who finds reading on a screen tiring can all benefit.

Can text-to-speech help people with dyslexia?

Yes. Hearing text read aloud while following along can improve reading comprehension, reduce fatigue, and help people with dyslexia work through long or complex material more easily.

Insights, Analysis, and Developments

Editorial Note: This announcement came just before natural-sounding synthetic speech became an everyday technology. Amazon acquired IVONA in 2013, and its voice work went on to shape Amazon Polly and the voice of Alexa, which means many people now hear descendants of these voices every day without knowing their origin. For blind and low-vision readers, people with dyslexia, and older adults with declining eyesight, the move from mechanical speech to expressive speech changed how practical text-to-speech was. Listening to a full book or a long document is much less tiring when the voice sounds human. IVONA's early focus on accessibility users, well before the mass market caught up, is a good example of how technology built for disabled people often ends up serving everyone.*

* Editorial additions by Ian C. Langtree.