VXML pushes forward

AT&T Labs and Lucent Technologies have teamed up with Motorola to lead a new group called the VXML Forum, aiming to set a voice extensible markup language standard that can deliver information from Web sites to mobile phone users through text-to-speech technologies.

The companies had been independently developing VXML technologies but came to similar solutions because the lead developers at the companies once researched VXML together at Bell Labs.

After Motorola introduced its VoxML product last October, the three developers decided to team up. "They said, 'We each have independent products, and none of us will benefit from a fragmented market so it makes sense to join forces,'" said Mitesh Patel, director of mobile application platforms for Motorola's Internet and connectivity solutions group.

"It means there will be a larger pool of developers," said David Unger, division manager of product strategy and development at AT&T.

AT&T, Lucent and Motorola will merge their existing solutions and release a specification in April. After review and added contributions, the forum hopes to submit the standard to the W3C this year.

All three have conducted trials and believe there will be a demand for applications, though most aren't sure of any big killer app, said Dan Furman, president of Lucent's speech solutions division. One natural application could deliver information such as stock quotes and weather from a personal Web page.

Interest in such products might be limited, though, said one analyst. "I don't see there being broad-based adoption in the foreseeable future," said Fran Firth, senior analyst for mobile data information service for Cahners In-Stat Group. She sees greater interest from the business community than consumers. Using a VXML-based service involves re-education about accessing information and could involve purchasing a new device.