Microsoft unveils PC telephony software

Microsoft has announced that hardware and system manufacturers, including Diamond Multimedia Systems and Micron Electronics, are shipping PCs and voice modems using Microsoft's telephony software application.

Dubbed Microsoft Phone, the software allows users to create message centers that turn PCs into speakerphones and to read email aloud over the phone by using text-to-speech technology, according to officials.

The software is designed to run with Windows 95 and voice-enabled modems.