IN-DEPTH

This issue's main article will introduce us to the emerging world of voice and video applications. IVRs are evolving into IVVR (Interactive Voice and Video Response) platforms and this creates new opportunities for VoiceXML and CCXML platforms, such as Loquendo's VoxNauta platform.

This area is of primary interest for mobile applications and telco operators who are working on the convergence of fixed and mobile networks.

>> Go to the article.

STANDARDS CORNER

• SSML specification work starts again
  July 11-13, 2006
  Following a successful Workshop in Beijing, China and a second Workshop on Internationalizing the Speech Synthesis Markup Language (SSML) on 30-31 May in Heraklion, Crete, the Voice Browser Working Group restarted its work on SSML to develop version 1.1 which will facilitate a wider adoption of SSML for controlling and enhancing TTS output.
  An SSML 1.1 meeting was held on July 11-13 in Hong Kong hosted by the Chinese University of Hong Kong. The chairmans of SSML 1.1 activity are Daniel Burnett (invited expert) and Zhi Wei Shuang (IBM).
  For a summary of the second SSML workshop, click here.
  
  
• Summary of Voice Browser meeting in Chicago
  July 15, 2006
  The W3C Voice Browser Working Group met in Chicago on June 19-20 and then jointly with the W3C Multimodal Interaction Working Group on June 21. The VBWG decided to update the original VoiceXML 2.0 requirements document to reflect the requirements for VoiceXML 3.0, and to work on describing the various modules of VoiceXML 3.0 at a semantic (rather than a syntactic) level in order to reach a common understanding of the purposes and functions of each module, and how the modules fit together. VoiceXML 3.0 will have a more powerful prompt queue which will present video to the user, in addition to prerecorded speech and synthesized speech. Users may jump forwards and backwards within the queue to repeat or skip information. Users may also adjust the speed and volume of content presentation.
  To read the public summary, click here.
  
  
• New Working Draft of MRCPv2 Released by IETF
  June 12, 2006
  IETF announced that a new Internet-Draft is available from Speech Services Control Working Group (SPEECHSC) for "Media Resource Control Protocol Version 2 (MRCPv2)". The authors are D. Burnett and S. Shanmugham.
  The MRCPv2 protocol allows client hosts to control media service resources such as speech synthesizers, recognizers, verifiers and identifiers residing in servers on the network. MRCPv2 relies on Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and the Loquendo Speech Suite product already implements both MRCPv1 and MRCPv2.
  To read the new draft: http://www.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-ietf-speechsc-mrcpv2-10.txt. For more details on IETF SPEECHSC group, click here.
  
  

Clients & Partners

• Etra Integrates Loquendo TTS into Information Service for EMT - the Madrid Bus Company
  July 26, 2006
  Loquendo and Etra, market leader in traffic and transport systems, announced the integration of Loquendo's TTS solution into Etra's information service for EMT - The Madrid Municipal Transport Company. Loquendo's highly acclaimed TTS will provide passengers on board EMT buses with a wide range of information, from the name of the next stop to precise and detailed information on the service, including any delays that could affect the passenger.
  EMT is the provider of the main bus service in Madrid, is the largest urban surface-transport company in Spain, and one of the largest in Europe.
  >> More
  
  
• H-care's Human Digital Assistant and Loquendo Technology Revolutionize Web-Based Customer Care
  July 24, 2006
  Loquendo and H-Care, the leader in developing user-friendly platforms for multi-channel self-service and customer care, announced the successful deployment of H-Care's revolutionary Human Digital Assistant (HDA) platform on Telecom Italia's customer care portal. H-Care's assistant, Caren, is a highly intelligent software-based human-like agent that is able to appear, act, understand and also speak in real-time using Loquendo's high quality, lifelike TTS.
  The implementation on Telecom Italia's http://www.187.it customer care portal is the first phase of a corporate-wide initiative that will enable Italy's largest Telco to automate over 17 million customer interactions during the next 3 years, using not-human channels. The Human Digital Assistant platform provides high quality real-time animation and 3D rendering, which speaks with Loquendo's state-of-the-art voice synthesis, implements facial expressions and behaves dynamically.
  >> More

EVENTS

• SpeechTEK 2006,
  New York, Marriott Marquis, 7-10 August 2006.
  Visit Loquendo at BOOTH #509.
  
  
  • Monday, August 7, 2006
    Advanced Speech Synthesis – Emotion and Affect
    Session: Speech Synthesis and Emotion
    10:30 am - 12:00 am (Monica Bisacca)
    
    
  • Tuesday, August 8, 2006
    TTS in Car Navigation Applications
    Session: In-Car Computing
    2:00 pm - 3:30 pm (Luisa Cordano)
    
    
  • Tuesday, August 8, 2006
    Panel Discussion
    Session: Going International with Speech (Panel)
    4:00 pm - 5:00 pm (Rosanna Duce)
    
    
  • Wednesday, August 9, 2006
    VoiceXML Application Development Tools Training
    Session: Hands-on Voice Application Development Tools Training
    10:00 am - 11:00 am (Paolo Baggia & Walter Battistetti, SpeechVillage)
    
    
  • Wednesday, August 9, 2006
    How IPA Is Used in the W3C SSML and PLS
    Session: Authoring Synthesized Speech (TTS)
    2:00 pm - 3:30 pm (Paolo Baggia)
    
    
  • Wednesday, August 9, 2006
    Panel Discussion
    Session: Overcoming Barriers To Multimodal Application Deployment
    2:00 pm - 3:30 pm (Piergiorgio Vittori)
  
  
• Human Language Technology Workshop,
  Povo - Trento, Italy, 6-8 September 2006.
  
  The workshop will bring together researchers and industry experts in the area of speech and language research, technology and applications. Workshop attendance is free. Limited seats available.
  Need to Register and send email to: HLT06-unitn@dit.unitn.it.
  
  
  • September 6, 2006 - Room 108
    Speech Technologies and Standards (Paolo Baggia)
    
  
  
• Canalys Navigation Forum 2006,
  Geneva, Crowne Plaza, Switzerland, 11-13 September 2006.
  
  
• Voice Days 2006,
  Bonn, Alter Bundestag, 18-19 October 2006.
  
  
• Expo Call Center Madrid 2006,
  Madrid, Feria de Madrid, Palacio Norte, 7-8 November 2006.
  
  
• Expo Call Center Lisbon 2006,
  Lisbon, Estoril Congress Center, 28-29 November 2006.