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Answers
to Your Questions About VoiceXML
In
this monthly column, an industry expert will answer
common questions about VoiceXML and related technologies.
Readers are encouraged to submit questions about VoiceXML,
including development, voice-user interface design,
and speech technology in general, or how VoiceXML is
being used commercially in the marketplace. If you have
a question about VoiceXML, e-mail it to speak.and.listen@voicexmlreview.org
and be sure to read future issues of VoiceXML Review
for the answer.
For
this first issue, we'll tackle some come common misconceptions
about VoiceXML and voice technology.
Q: Isn't VoiceXML still immature? Is it ready for "prime
time" deployment in the enterprise?
A: VoiceXML is a proven technology currently
being used to deliver voice services such as
1-800-555-TELL,
Shoptalk,
Indicast,
BeVocal
and others. Ready for enterprise deployment, VoiceXML
combines proven technologies in speech recognition,
telephony, and Internet services. Companies such as
IBM,
Motorola,
Lucent
and AT&T
have been honing the concept of simple declarative markup
languages for speech applications for more than five
years. Similarly, the Internet has achieved commonplace
acceptance in the enterprise market and will process
over $30 billion in secure transactions this year. There
is an overwhelming trend in enterprise deployments to
more deeply embrace technologies such as XML, XSL, and
HTTP as the universal transport. This paradigm allows
companies to preserve flexibility and work more efficiently
by cleanly separating data from the user interface.
Developers build shared business logic once, then use
standardized markup languages such as HTML (Web), VoiceXML
(speech), and WML (WAP) to create the appropriate user
interface for each device. VoiceXML is simply a commitment
by technology leaders to adopt a universal open standard
for Internet-powered speech applications (see Figure
1) .
Figure
1: VoiceXML as a Universal, Open Standard
Traditional
Web services use technologies such as Perl, ASP, or
Java Servlets to dynamically generate HTML by executing
database and application logic on the server. VoiceXML
brings this paradigm to the IVR market, giving developers
an easy, integrated way to extend their services to
the phone. VoiceXML applications are literally a new
set of "pages" on a Web site that happen to describe
a conversation rather than a visual interface. Companies
can leverage VoiceXML to make voice an integrated component
of their mobile strategy, authoring shared business
logic once and investing new effort only in the specific
user interface for each device they support.
Q:
Does VoiceXML support robust telephony applications
or call center integration?
A: The full range of call center applications
and IVR tasks in deployment today can be built using
a VoiceXML platform. For example, 1-800-555-TELL
is a sophisticated voice application built entirely
using VoiceXML. More advanced features, such as blind
and bridged call transfers, outbound notifications,
and intelligent call routing and agent "screen-pop"
through integration with CTI middleware, can all be
supported using a combination of VoiceXML and accompanying
platform services also built using open Internet standards.
The key lens through which to consider this issue is
the analogy of the Web and HTML. HTML is explicitly
designed to specify the visual presentation of an interactive
application via the PC. Therefore, it contains appropriate
constructs for tasks such as table layout, form input,
and embedded images. It does not cover tasks such as
database access, credit card processing, or personalization,
which are typically handled by code running on the Web
server. Products such as Microsoft Passport™ expose
simple APIs to advanced shared services using open standards
such as HTTP, cookies, and SSL.
VoiceXML plays exactly the same role in the world of
Internet-powered voice applications. VoiceXML has intrinsic
constructs for tasks such as dialogue flow, grammars,
call transfers, and embedding audio files. It even supports
Voice over IP-based call transfers through the Session
Initiation Protocol (SIP). Companies can build upon
this foundation to provide additional shared services
such as outbound notifications and call center integration
through simple URL-based APIs analogous to Microsoft
Passport™ or affiliate programs from Amazon and MapQuest.
Q:
Why do open standards matter for speech applications?
A: Traditional speech recognition and IVR platforms
lock businesses in to closed, proprietary APIs that
have little or no cross-vendor portability or integration
options. Paired with the almost legendary complexity
and non-interoperability of telephony systems, this
has been a primary contributing factor to the slowness
with which, until now, major corporations have adopted
speech technology.
Open
or de-facto industry standards have repeatedly proven
to be the key to broad enterprise adoption of new technologies,
because open standards protect investments and preserve
flexibility in a multi-vendor environment. In the database,
operating system, languages, mail, and directory server
markets, and more recently with the explosion of Web-related
technologies such as HTTP, SSL, cookies, and XML, demonstrable
examples of the benefits of open standards can be found
again and again.
For VoiceXML, the benefits of standardization are particularly
strong. Because it is a thin layer that sits on top
of the entire existing Web technology stack, it inherits
complete and immediate interoperability with all existing
infrastructure, software, and other standards that have
been built to make enterprise Web deployments practical
and efficient. Examples include security (SSL, VPNs,
cookies), application servers (Java Servlets, Perl,
IBM WebSphere™, Microsoft Active Server Pages™), data
abstraction (XML, XSL), database connectivity (ODBC,
SQL), and streaming media (WAV, Real, MP3).
Open standards also create a healthy and interoperable
ISV market for development tools, application templates,
enterprise software integration, and other complementary
technologies and services. Companies that invest in
open standards can leverage these opportunities; those
that do not often find themselves tied to isolated,
non-interoperable systems that have no cost-effective
upgrade path to keep pace with the market.
Rarely has a new standards effort received such broad
and immediate adoption as VoiceXML. In less than six
months, every relevant vendor has joined the VoiceXML
Forum and committed to deploying VoiceXML-powered systems.
As of December 2000, at least eight VoiceXML platform
implementations are commercially available. Businesses
that wish to place their bets alongside all global leaders
in speech, telephony, and Internet technologies should
clearly embrace VoiceXML as their platform for voice
application development.
Continued...
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Copyright
© 2001 VoiceXML Forum. All rights reserved.
The VoiceXML Forum is a program of the
IEEE
Industry Standards and Technology Organization (IEEE-ISTO).
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