Voice web applications are the cornerstone of the interactive voice response (IVR) system industry. As the open-standard markup language, VoiceXML is what nearly all programmers use to build their applications. It's also the most advanced coding language available for voice web applications.
In IVR, VoiceXML-powered software processes literally millions of calls every day in an array of industries and in innumerable functions. IVR systems are the backbone of many companies' businesses, providing the contact point for customers who prefer to call the company than go online. Many people still like to hear a voice, whether it's human or technology-enabled.
Beyond IVR, however, other industries already use VoiceXML to varying degrees.
As the most obvious choice, phones are starting to incorporate voice functionality-or at least smartphones are. With voice commands, users can perform such tasks as placing calls, creating texts or using map and navigational tools. As a natural tool for voice technology, phones are in many ways the litmus test for some of these advances.
VoiceXML is also finding its way into military applications, which should come as no surprise because much of the technologies we use today first showed up in the military before commercial use. The military has long been a bastion of technological advancement, and technology usually finds a way to trickle down to the street.
Voice commands are becoming increasingly common in places like battle command centers where operators are performing multiple functions at the same time, and in fighter jets where pilots are flying planes while operating systems such as weapons control at the same time.
Judging by recent car commercials, it looks like the automobile industry is in a full race to get voice applications into their vehicles. On top of GPS navigational tools that are prevalent already, automobile manufacturers are looking to include other applications including infotainment tools like Facebook.
But what about other mobile settings? If we can put VoiceXML into smartphones and cars and even fighter jets, it stands to reason that we could put them in a myriad of other places.
It's not far-fetched to think that the future will hold more voice-enabled technology than mouse-and-keyboard-enabled technology. The writers of science-fiction shows and movies have been showing us that for decades now.
