[access-uk] Re: FW: Ai Squared and GW Micro Join Forces - Assistive Technology Leaders Merge to Expand Opportunities for Computer Users Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired
- From: Eleanor Martha Burke <eleanormarthaburke@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 2 May 2014 09:11:49 +0100
are we going to be offered Zoomtext free of charge
Sent from my iPhone
> On 2 May 2014, at 09:07, "TONY CRETNEY" <rac@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> This merger sounds a really good advance . As a Zoom Text user I have always
> been rather concerned what might happen if my vision got worse to the extent
> where I might need a more complex screen reader. this might help to ease that
> transition in the event of this happening to me. Don't need to change at the
> present time, but as a student with the open University I need to have the
> most efficient technology suited to my sight problems to complete
> assignments and reading accurately. This could be a great help to me in the
> future.
> Tony
>
> From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
> Steve Nutt
> Sent: 01 May 2014 19:05
> To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; 'BCAB Discussion List'
> Subject: [access-uk] FW: Ai Squared and GW Micro Join Forces - Assistive
> Technology Leaders Merge to Expand Opportunities for Computer Users Who Are
> Blind or Visually Impaired
>
>
>
> --
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> From: gw-news@xxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gw-news@xxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: 01 May 2014 19:00
> To: gw-news@xxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Ai Squared and GW Micro Join Forces - Assistive Technology Leaders
> Merge to Expand Opportunities for Computer Users Who Are Blind or Visually
> Impaired
>
> Manchester, Vermont and Fort Wayne, Indiana (May 1, 2014) - Ai Squared, the
> maker of ZoomText and sitecues; and GW Micro, the creator of Window-Eyes,
> have merged into one company. With this merger, the companies will combine
> their talents to better assist computer users who are blind or visually
> impaired.
>
> ZoomText is the world's number one screen magnifier and text-to-speech
> software package that allows people who are visually impaired to use a
> computer with ease. Window-Eyes is a popular screen reader that enables
> people who are blind to be fully independent on the computer by translating
> visual information into speech and/or Braille.
>
> "Our mission is to provide a full family of computer accessibility solutions
> for users who are low vision or blind, whether they access digital
> information via their desktop, the web or their mobile device," said David
> Wu, CEO of Ai Squared. "Earlier this year, we commercially launched sitecues,
> a product which enables website owners to build accessibility tools right
> into their websites. Today's merger with GW Micro rounds out our mantra of
> 'We've got accessibility covered' - with our combined forces, we can now
> deliver an even wider range of computer access solutions."
>
> The need for assistive technology continues to grow. According to the World
> Health Organization, over 285 million people in the world are considered
> visually impaired; 39 million of those are blind, and 246 million have
> moderate to severe visual impairments. "The merger of Ai Squared and GW Micro
> brings together two companies that offer great solutions for the millions of
> Microsoft customers around the world who are blind or visually impaired,"
> said Rob Sinclair, Chief Accessibility Officer at Microsoft.
>
> "We are also delighted that Ai Squared will continue to develop and support
> the Window-Eyes for Office Offer as many of our customers rely on this screen
> reading solution to enable access to Windows, Office and other Microsoft
> products," Sinclair said.
>
> Dan Weirich, Co-founder of GW Micro and now Vice President at Ai Squared,
> said he is thrilled to incorporate Window-Eyes into the Ai Squared product
> family.
>
> “It’s a natural fit,” Weirich said. “Combining our companies will strengthen
> Ai Squared’s global presence in the assistive technology industry, allowing
> us to serve even more customers.”
>
> Weirich noted that many customers using web and computer accessibility tools
> inevitably progress further along the visual impairment spectrum during their
> lifetime. As a result, they will require more advanced assistive technology
> as their needs change. With the merger, Ai Squared will be in a better
> position to assist those customers, developing products that provide a
> seamless transition and user experience as customers adapt to their changing
> vision.
>
> Ai Squared will continue to offer Window-Eyes and its related products as
> they were previously offered by GW Micro. In addition, a free and fully
> featured version of Window-Eyes will continue to be available via the
> Window-Eyes Offer for Users of Microsoft Office as part of the recently
> announced partnership with Microsoft and GW Micro. The GW Micro team will
> remain in Indiana as part of the Ai Squared team, which is headquartered in
> Vermont.
>
> About Ai Squared: Ai Squared (www.aisquared.com) has been the worldwide
> leader in assistive technology solutions for people who are visually impaired
> for over 20 years. The product line is available in over 20 languages and
> sold in 45 countries through a network of over 350 global distributors. Ai
> Squared's screen magnification and screen-reading products dramatically
> improve a computer's usability and friendliness for users who are blind or
> low vision, raising their level of productivity, satisfaction, and
> independence. The family of Ai Squared products includes ZoomText, ZoomText
> Large-Print Keyboard, ZoomText ImageReader, ZoomText Mac, Window-Eyes,
> sitecues, the ZoomReader iOS app, and the ZoomContacts iPad app.
>
> About GW Micro: GW Micro, Inc. (www.gwmicro.com) has been a trusted pioneer
> in the assistive technology industry since 1990; it has led with innovative,
> customer-driven solutions, and the GW Micro team has always been proud of its
> description as the Voice of Vision.
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