JAWS-Based Products, the Road Ahead.

Hi to all

I know many of you have been wanting to know about the forthcoming release of the Leasey product. There is a good deal of expectation in the community and an element of frustration as to it not being available. To a slightly lesser extent, this also applies to the next release of the J-Say product combining JAWS for Windows with Dragon NaturallySpeaking. As a result of that, I need to share with you some information so potential customers' expectations are correctly set.

For some time now, my employers at Astec and I have not been able to agree on important product related issues, which have in the past included time allocation of development and more recently the online presence of Leasey. This latter point has caused much delay in the product's release. There is no value for anyone in going further than that.

After some discussion, we have agreed that I will become self-employed shortly and will take on the responsibility of the product line. I see this as an important step forward. The products are only sustainable if customers have a good experience when evaluating them, they have a truly accessible way of purchasing them online, they have good marketing behind them and can be properly supported.

I want to do two things here. First, to wish Astec nothing but good things for the future. In the area of training, they truly are excellent. Second, to reassure people that the products will be in good hands. The J-Say product particularly will be completely redesigned to make it faster, stable and to contain more features which customers require. Moreover, the price of J-Say absolutely must be reduced.

In terms of Leasey, now we are on the right road eventually, we're now making some final adjustments to it and the online presence, after which time it will be ready to go.

In closing, being my own boss is not something I've done for quite some time, but if the products are to be sustained and to be modernised, this is the only way forward. I've written them for 12 years now. I firmly believe in them. For many people, J-Say particularly has been a life-changer. People who have not been able to use a computer due to a physical restriction are now doing so many things with it, including online shopping, publishing books and so on. J-Say is a force for good and time needs to be spent on it to keep pace with our changing environment. I pledge to you now that this will happen.

In terms of Leasey, we've been asked if the product will be available to purchase before Christmas. Yes, we can guarantee it will be with you well before then. We can now see a short road ahead. Leasey is a wonderful product. It offers many features which will be useful for both beginners and experienced computer users. We look forward very much to bringing this innovative product to market.

This website will reflect these new changes in the weeks ahead so please check back soon!