In a vote of confidence for Windows 8 as a mobile platform, Mozzaz, an Oakville, Ont.-based developer of assistive technology and collaborative healthcare apps, has brought its flagship offering to Microsoft’s Windows 8 OS and the Windows Store.
Mozzaz has announced that TalkingTiles, its Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) app, is now available for download through the Windows Store. It was already available for Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android platforms, through their respective app stores.
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“Since its launch in November, we’ve had a phenomenal response to TalkingTiles within the speech and language therapy and education markets, with thousands of downloads of the app in just the past month, as therapists, clients and caregivers embrace the opportunity to move collaboration in care into the mobile world,” said Sammy Wahab, CEO of Mozzaz, in a statement. “Support for the Windows 8 environment is critical, as many of our customers are comfortable and familiar with applications built for the Windows desktop environment. Windows 8 is well suited to the demands of assistive technology, with the capability of delivering rich interactive apps alongside the power of Windows.”
Daryl Nurse, with the Toronto-based Aisling Discoveries Child and Family Centre, said they run their Autism Centre on Windows PCs and are increasingly using tablets as a therapeutic delivery tool.
“We are extremely excited to be able to make a Windows 8 version of TalkingTiles available to our clients and their families. This application has the potential to unlock communication barriers for children with autism, and should enable us to move clients to new levels of independence and ability,” said Nurse, in a statement.
According to Mozzaz, the TalkingTiles app offers people with communication disorders as well as their educators, therapists, and parents “maximum flexibility, balanced by ease-of-use and cross-platform mobile access.” It’s powered by the Mozzaz CareFusion Cloud Service, built on Microsoft Azure, which provides a rich cloud-based library consisting of more than 50,000 symbols and words in over 30 different languages, accents and voices, and ready-made content.
“The combination of mobile devices, such as Windows 8 tablets, and Azure based cloud services, is allowing healthcare practitioners, clinics and therapists around the world to deliver care in a more efficient, effective manner” said Dan Hubbell, accessibility technology evangelist at Microsoft, in a statement. “Mozzaz is leveraging the combined power of these technologies to bring a voice to people who cannot speak. We are pleased and proud to showcase TalkingTiles on the Windows 8 platform.”