Turbulent change drives Communications and the Voice User Interface Bill Meisel President, TMA Associates Editor, Speech Strategy News Bill Meisel President, TMA Associates Editor, Speech Strategy News

Classical speech market segments  Telephony / Server  Enterprise  Workforce (field service, unified communications)  Customers (contact centers)  Services  PC / Desktop  Consumer (e.g., accessibility)  Specialized (e.g., healthcare)  Embedded / Mobile  Consumer electronics (e.g., wireless phones, automobile, games)  Industrial (e.g., warehouses)  Telephony / Server  Enterprise  Workforce (field service, unified communications)  Customers (contact centers)  Services  PC / Desktop  Consumer (e.g., accessibility)  Specialized (e.g., healthcare)  Embedded / Mobile  Consumer electronics (e.g., wireless phones, automobile, games)  Industrial (e.g., warehouses)

A different view  Classical view driven by technology differences and limitations  The new drivers -- Utility and convergence  Classical view driven by technology differences and limitations  The new drivers -- Utility and convergence

Trends impacting the use of speech technology  Wireless phones  Mobility services (including voice search)  Ad-supported telephone services  Call centers become true customer service centers  Unified Communications  VoIP  PCs with telephone service and easily available speech recognition  Speech and text become more interchangeable  Technology evolution  Technology validation  Wireless phones  Mobility services (including voice search)  Ad-supported telephone services  Call centers become true customer service centers  Unified Communications  VoIP  PCs with telephone service and easily available speech recognition  Speech and text become more interchangeable  Technology evolution  Technology validation

Wireless phones  Multi-functional  Portable, connected PCs + cameras + music players + …?  Less specialized  Better support for Web browsing and applications  A “micro-PC”?  Multi-functional  Portable, connected PCs + cameras + music players + …?  Less specialized  Better support for Web browsing and applications  A “micro-PC”?

The user interface on wireless phones  Current menu- and button-oriented user interface layers on features in a hierarchical model  Not unlike touch-tone menus  The iPhone  Text-input a limitation  Speech a natural interface on a small, portable device  Required for automobile use?  Flattening control and information access  Text input by speech  Current menu- and button-oriented user interface layers on features in a hierarchical model  Not unlike touch-tone menus  The iPhone  Text-input a limitation  Speech a natural interface on a small, portable device  Required for automobile use?  Flattening control and information access  Text input by speech

Mobility applications  Voice dialing and other communications features  Location-based services  Voice search  Ultimately, an indispensable “personal assistant”  The power of dialog  Voice dialing and other communications features  Location-based services  Voice search  Ultimately, an indispensable “personal assistant”  The power of dialog

Voice search  Easier and less-expensive telephone access to information and services, including customer service  “Speak-through” voice ads  Easier search of the Web for audio/video  Easier and less-expensive telephone access to information and services, including customer service  “Speak-through” voice ads  Easier search of the Web for audio/video

The customer as king - Contact centers change focus  Serve customers while containing costs  New volume from voice search and speak-thru ads  Speech technology can help  More complex applications--  Attempt to avoid frustrating customers  Move away from touch-tone call flow model  More marketing calls  Multimodal solutions  Business-process driven?  Burden on application design (time, cost, and delivery)  Serve customers while containing costs  New volume from voice search and speak-thru ads  Speech technology can help  More complex applications--  Attempt to avoid frustrating customers  Move away from touch-tone call flow model  More marketing calls  Multimodal solutions  Business-process driven?  Burden on application design (time, cost, and delivery)

Integrating customer contact points  Customers want Web applications and telephone applications to use similar resources and be more easily managed together rather than as silos  Speech applications driven by databases and web services  Integrated analytics  Customers want Web applications and telephone applications to use similar resources and be more easily managed together rather than as silos  Speech applications driven by databases and web services  Integrated analytics

Business intelligence from speech communications  Speech analytics in call centers  Integration with Web and analytics  Speech analytics in call centers  Integration with Web and analytics

Unified Communications  Unifying communication modes  Unifying the infrastructure for internal and external communications (including contact center)  A speech interface can help deal with the complexity of options  Unifying communication modes  Unifying the infrastructure for internal and external communications (including contact center)  A speech interface can help deal with the complexity of options

Too much communications?  Problem is not getting in touch, but being touched too much  Too available?  Communications clutter  Multiple channels to manage  Spam in all communications channels  Unified communications --> Unified communications management  Speech-enabled communications assistant  Auto-replies, sorting of messages, conversion of message types  Problem is not getting in touch, but being touched too much  Too available?  Communications clutter  Multiple channels to manage  Spam in all communications channels  Unified communications --> Unified communications management  Speech-enabled communications assistant  Auto-replies, sorting of messages, conversion of message types

IP Telephony  Enterprises: A more flexible application platform  PCs (and wireless phones?)--VoIP telephony  Web--Click to call  Need for automation  And IP telephony makes it easier to automate  Enterprises: A more flexible application platform  PCs (and wireless phones?)--VoIP telephony  Web--Click to call  Need for automation  And IP telephony makes it easier to automate

Speech technology easily available on PCs  Delivered with Microsoft Vista  Dictation for rough drafts -- idea capture  VoIP telephony-- the PC as telephone  Services in the network-- no per-minute charges  Familiarity with the Voice User Interface on telephones may make it more popular on PCs  Delivered with Microsoft Vista  Dictation for rough drafts -- idea capture  VoIP telephony-- the PC as telephone  Services in the network-- no per-minute charges  Familiarity with the Voice User Interface on telephones may make it more popular on PCs

Speech and text become more interchangeable  Voic to text  Searchable voice files  Voic to text  Searchable voice files

PCs  Well-established GUI  Incremental innovation  Potential for speech recognition  Microphone a more common peripheral  The “noisy office” argument  Well-established GUI  Incremental innovation  Potential for speech recognition  Microphone a more common peripheral  The “noisy office” argument

Speech technology boundaries get fuzzy  More use of Statistical Language Models  Sometimes integrated with directed dialog and specific grammars  Backed up by hidden agents in some cases  Mobile devices get more computing power and connectivity  Software in device can negotiate with network-based speech technology  More use of Statistical Language Models  Sometimes integrated with directed dialog and specific grammars  Backed up by hidden agents in some cases  Mobile devices get more computing power and connectivity  Software in device can negotiate with network-based speech technology

Growing importance of large- list recognition  Directory assistance, song lists, voice search  Often one-step process rather than dialog  Directory assistance, song lists, voice search  Often one-step process rather than dialog

Empirical techniques in VUI design and delivery  Statistical Language Models followed by natural language processing provide more dialog flexibility  Directed dialogs can be enhanced by empirical techniques  Statistical Language Models followed by natural language processing provide more dialog flexibility  Directed dialogs can be enhanced by empirical techniques

Standards becoming standard  Success of VoiceXML and related standards  Watch State Chart XML (SCXML)  Managing dialogs and multimodal solutions  Increased flexibility in dialog flow  Parallel operations  Continuity between sessions  Success of VoiceXML and related standards  Watch State Chart XML (SCXML)  Managing dialogs and multimodal solutions  Increased flexibility in dialog flow  Parallel operations  Continuity between sessions

Validation: Less need for an evangelical sale  Vertical markets  Healthcare  Manufacturing  Larger companies incorporate speech technology  Microsoft in Office Communications Server and Vista  Google tests Google Voice Local Search  Telephone service providers roll out speech- enabled services  Vertical markets  Healthcare  Manufacturing  Larger companies incorporate speech technology  Microsoft in Office Communications Server and Vista  Google tests Google Voice Local Search  Telephone service providers roll out speech- enabled services

A unifying Voice User Interface?  Can be mostly the same on multiple devices  Doesn’t obviate multimodality  Deliver results as text  SCXML & VoiceXML 3.0 as unifying standards?  Can be mostly the same on multiple devices  Doesn’t obviate multimodality  Deliver results as text  SCXML & VoiceXML 3.0 as unifying standards?

Message differs by constituency  Contact centers  Service providers (including independents)  “Web” companies  Platform providers  Application developers  Voice hosting companies  Entrepreneurs and investors  Content providers  Ad agencies and marketing departments  Contact centers  Service providers (including independents)  “Web” companies  Platform providers  Application developers  Voice hosting companies  Entrepreneurs and investors  Content providers  Ad agencies and marketing departments

The future isn’t here yet  But it keeps getting closer every day

Uncertainty confuses markets  Too much change --> Wait and see  the FUD factor-- Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt  Too much change --> Wait and see  the FUD factor-- Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt

Keep it simple?  Things don’t change as fast as technology companies would like (or pundits predict)  Doing what we’re doing now with improvements  Improve core technology steadily  Hosted telephone services solve some FUD and application development problems  Implement standard improvements  Make the user experience a paramount consideration  Don’t wait for clarity  Uncertainty is the human condition  Not doing something IS a decision  Things don’t change as fast as technology companies would like (or pundits predict)  Doing what we’re doing now with improvements  Improve core technology steadily  Hosted telephone services solve some FUD and application development problems  Implement standard improvements  Make the user experience a paramount consideration  Don’t wait for clarity  Uncertainty is the human condition  Not doing something IS a decision

Take a chance?  Making the future  Speech as a Service  “Voice search”  Marketing and entertainment over the telephone  Communications management  Portable personal aide  Voice tone (Dialtone 2.0)  Making the future  Speech as a Service  “Voice search”  Marketing and entertainment over the telephone  Communications management  Portable personal aide  Voice tone (Dialtone 2.0)

Contact info  Bill Meisel, TMA Associates   (818)  Bill Meisel, TMA Associates   (818)