1. Analysts say the voice portals may find it hard to win over people who would otherwise call MovieFone for movie listings or consult another trusted source for restaurant reviews. 2. As it is, relatively few people know that voice portals exist, and many of those who do use them do so infrequently. 3. At least a dozen companies have launched or are developing so-called voice portals that allow people to listen to parts of the Internet by telephone. 4. A voice portal is an information service that you reach by dialing a toll-free number. 5. But BeVocal co-founder Amol Joshi said he expects most wireless companies will team with an existing voice portal instead of replicating the service themselves. 6. But the question remains whether voice portals will be popular enough to be profitable. 7. Companies also hope to make money by building voice portals for other firms. 8. Compared with the cost and hassle of getting your laptop or palmtop outfitted with wireless Internet access, voice portals represent a pretty sweet deal. 9. During the past year, several new companies like BeVocal and TellMe have increased the visibility of voice recognition by creating so-called voice portals. 10. Emdad Khan, another exhibitor here, touted a voice portal that provides access to the Internet via the phone. |