VXML

According to the VoiceXML Forum (www.voicexml.org) Voice Extensible Markup Language (VoiceXML) is a markup language for creating voice user interfaces that use automatic speech recognition (ASR) and text-to-speech synthesis (TTS). AT&T, IBM, Lucent and Motorola founded the VoiceXML Forum, a global industry organization, in March, 1999 to promote and to accelerate the adoption of VoiceXML-based applications worldwide.

More than 10,000 commercial VoiceXML-based speech applications have been deployed across a diverse set of industries, including financial services, government, insurance, retail, telecommunications, transportation, travel and hospitality. Millions of calls are answered by VoiceXML applications every day!

The VoiceXML Specification
Version 1.0 of the VoiceXML specification was delivered to the W3C in May 2000. Today, the W3C has published both Version 2.0 and 2.1 of the VoiceXML specification as final "Recommendations." A W3C Recommendation is the equivalent of a Web standard. The W3C, with input from the VoiceXML Forum and the industry at large, is currently working on Version 3.0 of the VoiceXML specification.

The VoiceXML Advantage
VoiceXML is the only XML-based speech language specification to receive the W3C's Final Recommendation. VoiceXML simplifies speech application development by permitting developers to use familiar Web infrastructure, tools and techniques. VoiceXML also enables distributed application design by separating each application's user interaction layer from its service logic. Most developers find VoiceXML application development at least three times faster than development in traditional interactive voice response (IVR) environments. For these reasons, VoiceXML has been widely adopted within the speech industry.

For more information on VoiceXML visit the VoiceXML Forum at www.voicexml.org.