VoiceXML Technical Article
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Preface

This article is being written in response to the assignment to carry out the complete research on various issues related to VoiceXML for Research-Lab's upcoming product's campaign.
This article is going to cover the important voice xml issues such as  services, products, service providers and Research-Lab's approach to VoiceXML.
Research focuses on the following points
VoiceXML...general definition

VoiceXML stands for voice extensible markup language. The main purpose behind designing VoiceXML is for creating audio dialogs capable of covering synthesized speech, digitized audio, recognition of spoken and DTMF key input, recording of spoken input, telephony, and mixed initiative conversations. Its major goal is to bring the advantages of Web-based development and content delivery to interactive voice response applications.

VoiceXML...goal
  • The main goal VoiceXML is to bring the combined power of Web development and content delivery to voice response applications so that authors of such applications from low-level programming and resource management can feel free in development phase.
  • It enables integration of voice services with data services using the familiar client-server paradigm.
  • VoiceXML  minimizes client/server interactions by specifying multiple interactions per document.
  • VoiceXML promotes service portability across implementation platforms. VoiceXML is a common language for content providers, tool providers, and platform providers.

 
VoiceXML...scope

VoiceXML  describes the human-machine interaction provided by voice response systems, which includes:

  • Output of text-to-speech (synthesized speech)

  • Output of audio files.

  • Recognition of spoken input.

  • Recognition of DTMF input.

  • Recording of spoken input.

  • Control of dialog flow.

  • Telephony features such as call transfer and disconnect.

 
Main features

VoiceXML has features to control audio output; audio input; presentation logic and control flow; event handling; and basic telephony connections. These and other features are described as follows:

  • Dialogs <menu>, <form>
  • Audio Output <prompt>
    • Speech synthesis controls (text-to-speech, or TTS) <emp>, <pros>, etc.
    • Pre-recorded audio (files or streams) <audio>

  • Audio Input
    • Speech recognition (ASR)
    • Audio recording <record>
    • Touchtone (Dual-tone Multi-Frequency, or DTMF) <dtmf>

  • Presentation logic
    • Control flow <if>, <else>, etc.
    • ECMAScript client-side scripting <script>
    • Server-side/dynamic content generation <submit>

  • Event handling
    • Bad input <noinput>, <nomatch>
    • Shorthand <help>
    • <catch>, <throw>

  • Basic Connection Control
    • Call transfer and bridging <transfer>
    • Disconnect <disconnect>

 
Advantages of VoiceXML over over traditional IVR technologies
  • VoiceXML is three times faster in terms of application development compared to traditional IVR;
  • Being a W3C standard markup, VoiceXML offers reusable and off-the-shelf applications;
  • VoiceXML is less expensive than traditional IVR, partly due to the fact that IVR requires a second silo infrastructure from existing Web infrastructure, and VoiceXML does not .
  • VoiceXML's ease of integration with existing application server infrastructure (i.e., running VoiceXML apps off the same app servers that Web services run off) allows for reuse of e-business investments in a flexible, distributed architecture, rather than on a "big iron" legacy IVR platform seen in the past.

 
VoiceXML Gateway

VoiceXML gateway is the key link between the telephony infrastructure and your VoiceXML application, representing a suite of integrated technologies.

Typically, a gateway includes technology components such as ASR, TTS, VoiceXML interpreter, and telephony integration. Optionally, it can also include voice authentication/voiceprint technology, a set of platform extensions to VoiceXML, and reusable components.

Developing and deploying speech applications is a challenging task. VoiceXML has opened up new doors of speech application deployment to a whole suite of third-party technology providers. A number of vendors have brought in interesting tools and application models to support rapid development and deployment of VoiceXML applications.

Options for selecting Gateway Connection

  1. Build: Build your own VoiceXML gateway by integrating a suite of best-of-breed speech recognition technologies. Connect this gateway with the PSTN (public switched telephony network) or an internal VoIP network (if using the application within corporate boundaries).
  2. Buy: Buy an integrated VoiceXML gateway. You still need to connect it with the telephony network.
  3. Rent: Outsource the functions of the VoiceXML gateway and integration with the telephony network to a service provider. You still have to develop and host your VoiceXML application, though. Of course, you can still utilize your regular Web hosting provider for hosting/co-locating your VoiceXML application.

 

 
List VoiceXML product developing companies
  • Voicegenie
  • Openvxi
  • Kirusa
  • Syntellent
  • Telisma
  • Parser
  • Edylic
  • Philsoft
Research topics are as follows

voice gateways 
voicexml 
tsapi 
swyx 
bevocal 
spec 
cti 
speech application language tags 
jsgf 
nuance 
voicegenie 
hotsip 
subdialog 
openvxi 
q931 
grxml 
ccxml 
ssml 
fia 
q sig 
callxml 
7910 
aculab 
snom 
voice xml 
tellme 
getelementsbytagname 
hey anita 
speechobjects 
saxparser 
voxml 
cmu 
d 4pci 
defaulthandler 
innovaphone 
directtalk 
grammaire 
tell me 
radvision 
ipphone 
dpnss 
selectsinglenode 
contenthandler 
ivr 
node 
indicast 
clarent 
linphone 
verascape 
tellme networks 
openwave 
parser 
q 931 
startelement 
asterisk 
inputsource 
directory assistance 
jtapi 
openspeech 
browsers 
speechwork 
netbytel 
wireless application protocol 
getvocal 
jsml 
kannel 
edify 
voxpilot 
wapman 
submit 
kphone 
application 
goto 
wapforum 
1.0 
wapsite 
brooktrout 
syntellect 
barge 
audium 
kirusa 
h 248 
telisma 
call manager 
speaklink 
developer 
gammalink 
abnf 
pipebeach 
openh323 
pingtel 
jsfg 
ecmascript 
wmls 
jaxp 
madk 
megaco 
ibm 
xerces 
vocal 
cond 
bargein 
general magic 
specification 
version 2.0 
say anything 
audiopoint 
prompt 
isup 
7940 
pbx 
extensible markup language 
magictalk 
interpreter 
xml 
open vxi 
idylic 
vcommerce 
speech recognition 
intervoice brite 
telsurf 
gatekeeper 
m3gate 
intervoice 
freespeech 
applications 
winwap 
digits 
voice 
pstn 
voiceweb 
waptor 
wap 
wtai 
ss7 
sdk 
fonelet 
nbest 
dom 
mcrp 
qsig 
callmanager 
salt 
voice over ip 
shoptalk 
platform 
speech 
wtls 
2.0 
dtmf 
asr 
softswitch 
vui 
toolkit 
idyllic 
eisenzopf 
xslt 
w3c 
voice recognition 
elvira 
sax 
7960 
ip telephony 
multimodal 
voiceobjects 
websphere 
browser 
wmlscript 
tts 
builtin 
grammar 
xpath 
telephony 
bergein 
namelist 
gsl 
vxi 
open source 
newance 
mgcp 
osr 
softphone 
nlu 
adk 
xsl 
vprs 
sip 
weniwen 
h323 
h 323 
expr 
voip 
vws 
sapi 
wml 
rehor 
sayas 
mrcp 
philsoft 
loquendo