Technologies!!! A generation Ahead: The spoken web

Download this

Introduction

A "Spoken Web" project, currently being piloted by IBM's India Research Laboratory (IRL), aims to take advantage of the rapid proliferation of mobile phones in emerging countries like India. "The penetration of the PC and the Internet is not as high as that of the mobile phone, so we want to ensure that everything that is done on a web browser on a PC can be done with a mobile phone.

The Spoken Web technology will enable local communities to create and disseminate locally relevant content, and interact with e-commerce sites using the spoken word over the telephone instead of the written word.

Using technologies such as VoiceXML (Voice eXtensible Markup Language) and HSTP (hyper speech transfer protocol), Spoken Web mirrors the World Wide Web in a telecom network where people can create and browse "VoiceSites" that have their own URLs (uniform resource locator), traverse "VoiceLinks", and conduct business transactions.

The technology is about a world-wide telecom web of VoiceSites, which can be thought of as websites accessible over voice, and which are situated on a telephony network rather than the Internet.

Users can access the voice-based web using a toll-free number, through a variety of ways including a voice recognition system or a tone phone. VoiceSites can be also created over the phone, using a set of templates on the server side.

The web of VoiceSites can potentially link to the World Wide Web, but the sites on the Web would have to be converted to support spoken interfaces, both via VoiceXML, and in how the content is designed and laid out.

The research lab expects its technology to be relevant to a variety of users looking for information and wanting to engage in transactions. These would include farmers who need to look up commodity prices, fishermen in need of weather information before heading out to sea, plumbers offering their services, and retail businesses like grocery shops that can list products, offer order placement, have personalized targeted advertisements, or set up reminders.

Description

2.1 Technologies used

VoiceXML (Voice eXtensible Markup Language).
HSTP (hyper speech transfer protocol).
VoiGen – VoiceSite Creator.
VoiHost – VoiceSite Hosting Engine.
WWTW Browser – World Wide Telecom Web Browser.

2.1.1 VoiceXML (Voice eXtensible Markup Language)

The voice site files are created using this technology.
These files will be stored in database as VoiceXML files which will be fetched when the user search for the voice site or voice links.

2.1.2 HSTP (hyper speech transfer protocol)

Hyperspeech Transfer Protocol (HSTP) is a protocol, analogous to HTTP, which provides a mechanism to connect telephony voice applications with each other.
It enables voice-driven transactions that can span multiple cross-enterprise voice applications thus providing a seamless browsing experience to the telephony user.
HSTP impacts several application categories as well as enables new applications.
HSTP also allows navigation across voice applications, potentially hosted in different enterprises.

2.1.3 VoiGen – VoiceSite Creator

It is a voice driven generator of voice applications that plays the same role for VoiceSites that a website creator plays for websites.
VoiGen simplifies the process of creation of voice based applications (i.e. VoiceSites) by enabling it through a voice-driven interaction over a phone call.
A phone subscriber could call in to VoiGen and compose an application by navigating through the custom options offered to her.
It enables the concept of links between voice applications and provides the user with the ability to browse forward and backward across voice applications.
VoiGen makes use of existing components (reusable dialogs as well as IT components such as databases, web services and others) to compose custom applications.

2.1.4 VoiHost – VoiceSite Hosting Engine

VoiceSites created by VoiGen can get deployed in VoiHost – a VoiceSite hosting engine.
VoiHost can reside in telecom provider's infrastructure and can be shared among its many subscribers.
Hosting VoiceSites in the network brings several benefits.
it enables the subscribers to adopt a pay-per-use model rather than investing in a huge cost of owning and maintaining own setup for their VoiceSites.
it provides access to other applications available in the service provider's infrastructure or their partners.
This enables VoiceSite owners to leverage existing applications and services and deliver those to traditional telephone subscribers.

Fig.2

2.1.5 WWTW Browser

We define theWorldWideTelecomWeb ("WWTW", "Tele-comWeb"or simply "T-Web") as an information and services space in which the items of interest, referred to as Voice-Sites, are identified by global identifiers called VoiNum- bersand maybe interconnected through VoiLinks.
A VoiNumber is a virtual phone number that either maps onto a physical phone number or to other uniform resource identifiers such as a SIP URI.
Telecom Web Browser enables browsing the Web of voice applications through an ordinary phone while providing similar experience as is available on the World Wide Web.
The browser can be accessed by making a phone call to a specific number, and it provides standard browsing features such as back, forward, bookmarking, and history.
it enables the underprivileged to create, host and share information and services produced by themselves.it provides simple and affordable access mechanisms to let the masses exploit IT services and applications similar to the ones that are currently available to WWW users.
As the number of VoiceSites grows, there will be a need for a browser to surf the Telecom Web. These VoiceSites are typically accessed through a telephone over an audio channel. Telecom Web Browser enables browsing the Web of voice applications through an ordinary phone while providing similar experience as is available on the World Wide Web. Since the Telecom Web can be accessed through a dumb phone instrument, the WWTW browser actually resides in the network rather than on the end-user device. The browser can be accessed by making a phone call to a specific number, and it provides standard browsing features such as back, forward, bookmarking, and history.

Fig. 3

VoiGen

It is a voice driven generator of voice applications that plays the same role for VoiceSites that a website creator plays for websites. VoiGen simplifies the process of creation of voice based applications (i.e. VoiceSites) by enabling it through a voice-driven interaction over a phone call. A phone subscriber could call in to VoiGen and compose an application by navigating through the custom options offered to her. This application is then deployed in the form of a VoiceSite. VoiGen makes use of existing components (reusable dialogs as well as IT components such as databases, web services and others) to compose custom applications. By virtue of having a voice-driven interface, the services get exposed to all telephony devices including very low end ones.

VoiceSites created by VoiGen can get deployed in VoiHost – a VoiceSite hosting engine. VoiHost can reside in telecom provider's infrastructure and can be shared among its many subscribers. Hosting VoiceSites in the network brings several benefits.First and foremost, it enables the subscribers to adopt a pay-per-use model rather than investing in a huge cost of owning and maintaining own setup for their VoiceSites. Second, it provides access to other applications available in the service provider's infrastructure or their partners'. This enables VoiceSite owners to leverage existing applications and services and derliver those to traditional telephone subscribers. For the VoiceSite owner, the VoiceSite virtually resides on his phone.

2.2 Spoken Web in Action

2.3 Urban Micro Business through the VoiceSite & VoiceLinks

In Urban areas the people like plumber does not have their own shops & it is hard to find them without direct contacts to them.
Plumber can create their VoiceSite and can upload all the information of the profession, working hours, Name, Location, Service Charges etc…

Fig. 12 Here Plumber is creating his VoiceSite through his mobile phone.

Here plumber first calls through the Voice Link to the VoiceSite.
Then through the VoiGen the Creation of the VoiceSite will be started.
All the instructions will be followed by the IVRS system present on the VoiceSite.
He enters all the relevant information including profession, working hours, Name, Location, Service Charges etc….

Fig. 13 VoiceSite is successfully created by plumber.

Fig. 15 Customer set up an appointment after visiting the VoiceSite of the plumber.

If any customer wants to contact to the plumber then he can find plumbers VoiceSite and can get all the relevant information he wants.
He can set up an appointment also through the VoiceSite.
He can also order the equipment from the Hardware stores.
Plumber can call to his Voice Site and can check his appointments any time.

Fig. 17

2.4 Applications

Very beneficial in agriculture for farmers for expert talk, information regarding the crops and disease, weather forecasting.
Can be used in education system.
Remote business can be possible in rural areas, villages and towns.
Online facilities like e-commers can be possible (i.e.tele-banking, tale-shopping.)
Many facilities like Matrimonial Ads, Social space, Election Speech, advertising can be available.

Pilot Projects

2.5.1 Avaaj Otlo

Implemented in west Gujarat
It is voice portal through which farmers can interact with the experts and can asked the questions related with the crops and the deceases regarding crop.
They can listen the radio programs, speech, and news also and can know the weather information.

South India Pilot

This project is implemented in the south india.

Categories for VillagePortal
(in decreasing order of Andhra Pradesh NGO Preference)
V-Agri
- ID to be based on cell number. You've-got-mail type.
Job work
- items and type required by merchant
Availability of transport
- xyz's tractor is available from 7 to 7, etc.
Health
- Mostly static info such as doctor timings, eye camp, student camp
Aqua prices
- traders to upload prices of fish, prawns at which they will purchase
People
- Static: Electricians, mechanics, carpenters of that area with phone numbers
Entertainment
- What movies in which theatre nearby
Ashwini program schedule
- Math classes, embriodary classes, etc.
General info about the village
- Population, availability of health centre, schools, famous local food, etc.
Community news
- GVS meeting timings, meeting minutes, sports achievements, etc.

Fig. 19

V-Agri service on VoiceSite

The field coordinator collects water sample from the pond
This sample is tested right at the pond-side while the water retains its characteristics
Previously, test results were uploaded through the Ashwini computer center. Now, this can be done by calling the VoiceSite.
Experts get the results and then upload advice to the VoiceSite

Farmers can access the VoiceSite at their farms through their mobile phones.

Conclusion

This is very adaptable and flexible technology can be expanded integrating with the World Wide Web.
This Technology will very beneficial to the rural and remote areas which can be expanded in whole the country.
It will link the peoples for better support.
The future work will be the user interface offered to the callers is simple and strives.