Microsoft Corp. today announced several key milestones for bringing speech technology to the mainstream including the first public beta release of the highly anticipated Microsoft® Speech Server, a Windows Server System (TM) , and the beta 3 release of the Speech Application Software Development Kit (SASDK). In addition, Microsoft established several new resources to engage with enterprises looking to adopt Microsoft"s Speech Application Language Tags (SALT)-based speech offerings. The resources include the Microsoft Speech Server Beta Program; an Early Adopter Program (EAP); and specialized training courses on Speech Server, the SASDK, and voice user interface (VUI) and speech application design. To build a solid foundation for companies interested in becoming partners, Microsoft also today introduced the Microsoft Speech Partner Program.