----- Original Message -----
From: Steve Pattison <[log in to unmask]>
To: Voice Programs <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2000 6:45 AM
Subject: Fwd: Standard completed for voice-activated Web browsing


> From: David Andrews [log in to unmask]
> To: [log in to unmask] (Multiple recipients of NFBnet GUI-TALK Mailing
List)
>
> >Standard completed for voice-activated Web browsing From...
> >
> >
> >March 10, 2000
> >Web posted at: 8:00 a.m. EST (1300 GMT)
> >
> >by David Rohde
> >(IDG) -- The effort to provide voice-activated equivalents to Web
hyperlinks
> >this week took a step forward, as the VoiceXML Forum announced it has
> >completed Version 1.0 of its specification.
> >Last year, Lucent, IBM, Motorola and AT&T created the VoiceXML Forum. The
> >forum is tasked with creating a high-level programming interface to
speech
> >and telephony resources for application developers, service providers and
> >equipment manufacturers.
> >At the Computer Telephony Expo in Los Angeles, the forum members said the
> >group had finished the VoiceXML specification and will now contribute it
to
> >the World Wide Web Consortium.
> >IBM officials at the show demonstrated the use of VoiceXML with its
ViaVoice
> >speech-recognition technology that enables users to speak equivalents of
> >hyperlinks. They said properly trained end users would find this faster
than
> >wading through several layers of interactive voice response (IVR) prompts
on
> >a telephone keypad, and noted that the technology could enable hands-free
> >operation in environments such as cars with cellular phones.
> >Call centers that are responsible for answering inquiries from Web sites
> >might find this capability especially useful because it would cut down on
> >the amount of time end users chew up on IVR systems requesting
information,
> >said Anne-Marie Derouault, director of strategy and alliances for IBM's
> >Voice Systems unit.
> >Integration with back-office systems, integration with traditional
> >Web-access methods and getting end users accustomed to speech-activating
Web
> >sessions are among the challenges the vendors will likely face before
such
> >technology is widely employed.
> >VoiceXML has its roots in a research project called PhoneWeb at AT&T Bell
> >Laboratories. After the AT&T/Lucent split, both companies pursued
> >development of independent versions of a phone markup language.
> >In addition to the four founders, 75 other companies have joined the
> >VoiceXML Forum. Cisco and Nokia were among the newest supporters
announced
> >at the Computer Telephony Expo.
>
>
> Regards Steve,
> mailto:[log in to unmask]
>


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